Chapter 66

Nathan's expression darkened. His lips pressed into a thin line as he thought, If Evelyn was willing to pay $9 million for that painting, $10 million wouldn’t have been an issue either.

Evelyn had stopped bidding—not because she couldn’t afford it, but because she had deliberately withdrawn. She was playing him.

Yet, Nathan couldn’t say a word about it. After all, no one had forced Victoria to follow Evelyn’s lead and overpay for the piece. She had done it willingly.

He remained composed, refusing to bid on any other items.

Nathan had only been interested in the antique rosewood chair, so he stayed silent.

The next lot was a pair of jadeite stones donated by Penelope on behalf of Blackwood Industries. The starting price was set at $2 million.

Evelyn scoffed under her breath, shaking her head in disdain.

She’d rather spend her money on the replica earlier than waste it on these two worthless rocks. Only fools would fall for this.

As expected, there were hardly any bidders. The auctioneer struggled to drive up the price, and in the end, they sold for a measly $2.6 million.

Penelope’s smile faltered.

Nathan remained indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Whatever humiliation Penelope faced would only reflect poorly on Leonard. And Nathan had never been close to his father anyway.

The next item was announced. "This generous donation comes from Monarch Group, presented by Ms. Lillian Hartwell—a pair of 18th-century azure porcelain teacups!"

Every collector in the room immediately perked up.

Evelyn stiffened. Her gaze darted across the crowd behind her.

Then she spotted Lillian’s elegant figure seated in the back row.

Panicked, she quickly texted Theodore. [Why is Aunt Lillian here? Why wasn’t I told?!]

Theodore replied instantly. [Ms. Evelyn, I just found out myself! Chairman Harrison must have sent her last minute as backup.]

Evelyn cursed under her breath. Damn it. Harrison never plays by the rules.

Nearly every member of the Blackwood family was present tonight. With Lillian here, Evelyn feared her identity as the Monarch Group heiress might be exposed.

Just then, she noticed Lillian subtly flashing her an okay sign, followed by a conspiratorial wink—like a secret between best friends.

A wave of warmth rushed through Evelyn’s chest. She immediately understood.

Oh, Aunt Lillian. You always know exactly what to do.

The auctioneer continued, "This porcelain is exceptionally rare, yet Madam Hartwell has generously donated a pair! The Kingsley family’s generosity is unmatched—truly befitting a conglomerate of their stature."

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

"Blackwood Industries is also a major conglomerate, yet look what they donated. Those two rocks probably aren’t even worth the garden ornaments at my estate."

"Mr. Blackwood certainly has questionable taste in wives."

Penelope’s face burned with humiliation. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

The stark contrast between her donation and Lillian’s made Penelope look embarrassingly cheap.

For the first time that evening, Nathan showed interest in an auction item. He spun his paddle between his fingers, deep in thought.

Evelyn murmured, "That’s imperial-grade porcelain—the color of rain after a storm."

Nathan turned to her, surprised.

Evelyn was completely absorbed in the teacups. Her porcelain-like skin glowed under the lights, her delicate brows slightly furrowed in concentration.

For the first time, Nathan truly saw her.

She was breathtaking.

And he had never noticed before.