Save Myself from Desperation by Cara Agnes

Chapter 19
Among the crowd, someone thought in shock, ’20 million dollars? Wow!
This bidding voice was like a thunderclap out of the blue, rendering everyone in the hall speechless. The scene fell into utter silence!
Even the auctioneer on stage was so surprised that he almost bit his tongue. His voice trembled and suddenly rose in volume as he said, “Ladies and gentlemen! The gentleman in the private room on the second floor has bid 20 million dollars! Yes, that gentleman directly offered a price of 20 million dollars!!”
The auctioneer knew that the gentleman in the private room was a major shareholder of their auction house and the president of the Kingsley Group. However, Valentin always kept a low profile at auctions and never revealed his identity.
Thus, the auctioneer, being tactful and following usual practice, did not disclose Valentin’s identity to the audience, simply referring to him as the gentleman from the private room on the second floor.
Following the auctioneer’s excited and high-pitched announcement, the guests below seemed to wake from a dream, finally recovering from the shock.
“My…my goodness! Did I hear that right? Did someone just bid 20 million dollars?”
“In comparison, the previous bids seem like child’s play. Frankie was struggling to raise by 200 thousand dollars, and now this gentleman from the second floor casually throws in 20 million dollars, completely overpowering!”
“Tsk, to offer a bid of a bid of 20 million dollars so easily at an auction as if it’s just a game, that’s not something ordinary people can do…”
Some people in the hall couldn’t help but stand up and crane their necks to look toward the second-floor private room.
But from their angle below, they couldn’t see anything, let alone identify who made the bid.
On the second floor, Ashley, sitting next to Valentin, heard his casual “20 million dollars” float past her ear. Startled, she jerked her hand, spilling coffee from her cup.
Chapter U
Ashley turited stiffly toward him, her clear eyes brimming with disbelief as she asked, ‘I didn’t expect a grown man like you actupay like necklaces??
She pondered, I really didn’t ser that coming!
Valentin was puzzled after hearing her.

Valentin then pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly. He pulled out a tissue to wipe the coffee spilled on the table in front of Ashley and casually said, “I just noticed that you seemed very interested in this necklace, Ashley.”
Ashley was stunned again.
She thought, ‘He couldn’t be…planning to buy it for me, could he?’
The auctioneer remained visibly excited. After all, a bid as high as 20 million dollars was quite rare. He looked eagerly in Frankie’s direction and announced. “The gentleman from the second-floor private room has just bid 20 million dollars! Any more bids? Anyone else?”
Frankie’s expression turned grim.
He pondered, ‘I did indeed want to buy this necklace for Jessica, but 1 3.8 million dollars was already my upper limit. And this gentleman from the second-floor private room, starting with 20 million dollars, added over six million dollars on top of my bid. He did it so effortlessly. It’s clear that 20 million dollars is nothing to him. How can I compete with the gentleman with such immense wealth and power?”
Jessica had thought this necklace was already in the bag for her, but an unexpected twist threw a wrench in her plans. It was like having a sure. thing slip through her fingers. Jessica couldn’t help but feel a sense of anxiety as she turned to Frankie and said, “Frankie…”
Frankie, unable to bear seeing his sister upset but also feeling helpless, suggested. “Jessica, I’ll get you another necklace. Let’s not go for this one, okay?”
Jessica was far from happy inside. She had already planned to flaunt the necklace in front of Ashley and relish Ashley’s defeated expression. Now, with things taking this turn, how could she be content?
Jeremy, known for his hot temper, became furious at Jessica’s
disappointment. “Da mn it! Who is this person who suddenly showed up anyway?”
Chapter 19
Evan suddenly thought of something, his expression turning grave,
saying, “The second-floor private room? Ashley, that wretched thing was also in the second-floor private room.
Upon hearing this, Jeremy dismissively retorted, “Dad, there are two private rooms on the second floor. It’s already a stroke of luck that wretch Ashley managed to be up there. How could she possibly know the gentleman who just bid? They definitely aren’t in the same room!”
Evan thought it over and agreed inwardly, “That’s right, what great luck could Ashley have to know such a prominent figure?”
With the situation as it was, Jessica had no choice but to give up on the necklace reluctantly.
She pondered, ‘But on second thought, not knowing who won the necklace and that it didn’t fall into Ashley’s hands is still somewhat satisfying.’
The auctioneer looked toward Frankie’s direction and asked again if there would be any further bids.
However, it was evident that Frankie, who had been determined to win the necklace just minutes ago, was now utterly overpowered and unable to make another bid.
None of the other guests had the capacity to place higher bids either.
The auctioneer raised his gavel high, ready to strike, saying, “Since there are no more bids, 20 million dollars going once! 20 million dollars going twice! 20 million dollars…final call, and sold!”
The gavel knocked on the table, finalizing the auction..
The auctioneer, smiling, looked toward the second floor and quickly announced. “Congratulations to the gentleman in the second-floor private room for winning this ‘Bluelove’ necklace! Congratulations!”
The audience below craned their necks to look toward the staircase. Since the necklace had been auctioned off, it was certain that someone would come down to claim it. Everyone was quite curious about which big shot had bid 20 million dollars.
As everyone eagerly waited, they were surprised to see Noah from the auction house walking up to the stage.
“Please place the necklace in a gift box” Noah instructed a staff member
while cautioning, “Handle with care.
He then lowered his voice, not wanting to be overhead by the crowd. “I’ll deliver it personally. This necklace must have beer, bought for Ashley. I just so happened to need to see her about something.