Audience members watch on, entertained by the rising bid amounts and fierce competition.
From behind the microphone stand, Fiona gives a demure clap. “Wow, two million dollars. What an impressive contribution! Do I hear two point five?”
Victoria twists closer to me, dropping her voice to whisper. “Simon, we don’t have to do this with them. You’re all I want. All I need.”
God, I love her even more for saying that, and a moment ago I would’ve claimed that to be impossible.
Jade launches to her feet beside Carl, aiming her words at us, proving she’s the one who can’t leave us alone. “You two know that there will be consequences if you can’t pay for your bid, right? You can’t just keep bidding more.”
Fiona lifts the mic closer to her lips. “Going once…”
When Carl doesn’t budge, Jade smacks his arm. Not playfully, like Victoria occasionally does to me. She’s outraged by the idea of anyone else having anything she wants, an ugly, selfish trait that only fuels my desire to take her down a notch or two. “Don’t let them win.”
“We’re on a budget,” Carl hisses, and Jade blanches.
“Going twice…”
At his horrible fiancée’s ire, Carl finally shoots his hand up in the air. He waves the paddle like signaling a ship ashore. “Three million.”
To Jade, he says, “There. That’s as high as I can go. You happy?”
Whether or not she is now, she’s not going to be in a second.
“Ten million,” I say, my bid amount echoing through the room.
The entire ballroom goes silent, save the whispers about how much money that is, along with murmured questions like, “Who is that anyway?”
Lifting the wooden gavel on the podium, Fiona gives attendees a chance I know they won’t take to beat me.
“And sold!” She slams a gavel on the podium, declaring the necklace mine at last. “To Mr. Simon Jones for ten million dollars.”
Okay, so she definitely recognized who I am. As applause erupts, I hear my name whispered on lips. People are undoubtedly wondering how that’s possible, given how many of them thought I was dead.
My focus, however, is on Victoria.
Blue, crystalline eyes I could dive into forever are thrown wide with disbelief. “Simon. Ten million dollars? What the hell just happened?”
I wave the guards over. They carefully carry the box with the necklace to our table. “What happened is, I just bought you a present.”
The necklace and gemstone pendant make a light tinkling noise as I lift them from the case. I drape the cool metal around my betrothed’s neck, adjusting the length so the sapphire sits just below her clavicle. About an inch or so above her cleavage, which I get a little lost in for a handful of extra seconds.
I fasten the ends and pull her to her feet so she can show off the statement piece.
Her fingers drift to the pendant, her expression equal parts admiration and shock.
“Let’s see it, sweetheart.” I spin her to face me, admiring how striking it is on her.
It’s been so fulfilling, playing Victoria’s knight in shining armor. Tonight, it’s her turn to shine. As my north star, I’ve decided she deserves a necklace to match.
A table over, Carl looks ready to explode. His face is a deep shade of red that’d match Victoria’s dress. Jade seethes beside them, but there’s nothing they can do.
Because I didn’t just win the auction. By the end of the night, they’ll pay for the pains they’ve inflicted on my beautiful bride- to-be. I’ll go to any lengths to ensure the happiness of the woman I’ve fallen in love with.
Dipping my head, I kiss her soft lips. “Merry Christmas, Victoria. Santa came a bit early.”
Victoria
“Santa’s a lot hotter than I expected, too,” I mutter, only registering I’ve said it aloud when Simon chuckles.
Proving she’s incapable of showing me any kindness, Jade’s rushing toward our table to make a scene. Given the finger jabbed in our direction, it would appear her mother didn’t teach her proper manners, either.
“No way,” she shrieks. “They’re not going to be able to pay for that necklace. He’s just a dirty beggar-a con man-thinking he can impress all of you with this act.”
Carl, unable to help himself, joins in. He follows in Jade’s footsteps, both of them headed in our direction. “There’s no bank in the world that’d loan him that amount of money.”
Whisperings ring the room, different from earlier when Simon bid one point five million. I’d about had a heart attack then. He kept on bidding, though, and now I’m wearing a necklace worth ten million.
I feel each place it touches my skin, a piece almost too beautiful to wear. Once again, I’ve become a princess in a fairy tale.
Just like Carl and Jade are going to try to ruin it.
Again.
Along with the whispering, there are sarcastic snorts and peals of laughter in the mix. It’s almost as if the audience is all in on some big joke. One nobody’s told me, and I’m crossing my fingers that Simon and I aren’t about to be the punchline.
Whatever’s unfolding, it’s causing my confusion over how Simon could possibly afford such a necklace to morph into a different type of bafflement.
But as Carl’s smarmy expression falls, worry creeping in, a little of my unease fades away. He and Jade seem to be the focus of the gag, not Simon and me. There’s still a perplexing fun-house mirror effect going on.
Simon places a comforting hand on the small of my back. Telling me he’s there, and he’ll keep me safe, no matter what.
His eyes narrow to vengeance-delivering slits as he turns them on Carl and Jade.
Most everyone in attendance is staring at them. And at us, actually. The air’s choked with tension-everything’s coming to a head.
It’s about time, too. Jade and Carl have been suffocating us at every turn. They’re hellbent on damaging Simon and my relationship by any means necessary, and I’m exhausted, and so, so done.
Between the angry vein in his neck and the rigid flex of his jaw, I can tell Simon’s right there with me.
Inhaling a deep breath, I draw my focus inward and search my emotions. While I should feel scared, I don’t. Because I’ve done as Simon asked and put my full faith and trust in him. Somehow, I know it’ll be okay, as long as I’m with him.
“Whether or not you like it, we won the lot,” Simon says, his tone as frigid and piercing as an ice pick. “That was the deal, remember?”
Carl visibly swallows, stepping backward.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.