Chapter 36

Chapter 36

As Caroline returned to her seat, Gwen immediately noticed that something was off with her trend’s expression. When Gwen saw Brie walking out of the restroom not long after that, she quessed what had happened.

“Did Brie mess with you?” she asked Caroline, jumping up from her seat, ready to go and confront

Bre

Caroline quickly pulled her back into her seat. “No.”

“Then what’s that look on your face?”

Caroline touched her cheeks. “My stomach feels a little weird.”

“Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“It’s not that bad.” Caroline shot Gwen a smile. “Maybe it’s because of the coffee we had just now

I’m sure it’ll get better after a while.”

A concerned frown formed on Gwen’s face. “You didn’t have a problem like this before. I’ll ask the

staff to get you some warm water to drink.”

“Okay.” Caroline would agree to anything as long as Gwen didn’t go to find Brie’s trouble. After Gwen left, she leaned in her seat and rubbed her hands together, immersed in her thoughts.

So Eddy’s second uncle wanted to marry Brie? Caroline had thought that someone as smart and intelligent as the second uncle would get himself a kind and gentle wife. She suppressed a laugh

at the prospect of him marrying Brie.

Still, he had the freedom to choose who he wanted to marry. Besides, Caroline didn’t want to get involved with the Morrisons in any way ever again. Hence, it was none of her business now.

Yet, despite that, she felt like there was something off about it, and it made her uneasy.

In the VIP booth on the second floor, Eddy pushed the curtain of beads aside and pointed in

Caroline’s direction. Then he said to Kirk, “Uncle Kirk, look. She’s here again.”

After he’d left Caroline’s apartment that day, Eddy felt like she was a shadow that was impossible to get rid of Seeing her here strengthened his belief that she still cared about him, making the worry and anxiety he’d felt for the past few days vanish in an instant.

Kirk’s eyes followed the direction Eddy’s finger was pointing. There was an unfathomable look in his smiling eyes that was barely noticeable.

In truth, he’d noticed her since she entered the auction house. Today, she wore a cool tone midi dress, which made her appear more solemn and dignified, totally different from what she looked

1/4 She sat in her seat, rubbing both her hands together and looking as if she were in a daze.

Kirk narrowed his eyes. Gwen appeared and walked toward Carol with a glass of water.

Furrowing his brow, he gestured for a staff. “Give the lady downstairs a hand warmer.” The staff

didn’t know who he was but could see that he was almost the same age as Eddy, so she assumed

that he was Eddy’s friend.

She looked at Eddy, slightly puzzled since Caroline was Eddy’s fiancée, and everyone in Osbury

knew that. Wasn’t this man crossing his boundaries by saying this?

Eddy froze for a second. Then, it occurred to him that Kirk was probably just being nice to Caroline

since she was his nephew’s fiancée. After all, all the elders had always adored her. Eddy shot a

look at the staff and said, “What are you waiting for?”

The staff rushed downstairs to do what she was told. Then, Eddy sent the other staff out and

asked, “Uncle Kirk, why are you here today?”

Usually, people with their status wouldn’t bother with a small-scale auction like this. The goods

that were auctioned at a small event like this one weren’t that good, so it was only a waste of time

to come here.

“Your second aunt likes one of the paintings that’s going to be auctioned this time.” Kirk’s voice

was as cool and apathetic as ever.

A few days ago, he’d noticed Caroline scrolling through auction paintings online on her phone. It

seemed like she’d taken an interest in such paintings, so he’d decided to come over. He hadn’t

expected her to be here as well.

“So, she likes paintings, eh? Then she’ll definitely get along with Grandpa very well: Uncle Kirk, you should stop hiding her. Introduce her to us!”

Eddy finally had the chance to make this request. Needless to say, he didn’t want to give it up

since he’d looked forward to meeting his second aunt for so long.

Kirk simply took a sip of water from his glass and said, “We’ll see how things go.

Eddy wanted to insist on it, but he noticed the staff member from earlier pointing at them. Now,

-Caroline was looking in their direction too. His back stiffened, and his mind went blank.

Kirk, who’d been standing beside him, had walked away and sat on a chair inside the booth.

“Mr. Eddy is upstairs,” the staff told Caroline as she handed her a hand warmer. “Do you want to go

upstairs?” she asked.

Caroline could vaguely make out the shadow of a person moving behind the bead curtain. She couldn’t see his face clearly, but she said, “No, thanks.”

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SATA kantett After she lett, Gwen inched closer to Catone with her eyes glued to the hand warmer and asked, “What’s going on? Why did Eddy ask the statt to bring you this?”

“Who knows? Caroline tossed the hand warmer aside. She didn’t have the slightest interest in

anything he gave her

Don’t tell me that he’s finally realized that you’re an angel and is now trying to make up for all

the cr ap he’s pulled”

Caroline laughed as she looked up to turn her attention to the host walking toward the stage. “A heartless person like him would never do something kind.”

The host began to announce the rules of the auction, so Gwen shut her mouth.

The entire process was smooth and fast. In just a couple of minutes, Zach Zimmer’s painting was being auctioned

Caroline raised her auction paddle and said, “One million dollars.

She’d just placed her paddle down when they heard someone’s husky voice from the second floor say, “Two million dollars

Startled, Caroline turned to look at the VIP booth on the second floor. The bead curtain moved in

the wind, making her fail to see anything behind it. However, the staff lady had said that Eddy and his friend were on the second floor. The voice didn’t belong to Eddy, so it must be his friend’s.

“Isn’t two million dollars a bit too much?” Gwen whispered.

Caroline clenched her jaw, then raised her voice. “2.5 million dollars.”

Laughter erupted from the crowd. The host suppressed a laugh and said, “2.5 million dollars now.

Anyone?”

The crowd’s attention was now directed to the one on the second floor, but only silence met them

The host then raised the hammer.

Just as he was about to let it fall, Brie raised her paddle and called out, “Three million dollars.” She

then turned to Caroline with mocking eyes.

Gwen gritted her teeth. “She’s an idiot. Two million dollars is already considered expensive, yet

she’s bidding more.”

Caroline tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, “She’s not bidding for the painting. She’s

trying to gloat.” Right after finishing her sentence, Caroline raised her paddle once again. “Four

million dollars.”

The crowd stared at Caroline, wide-eyed. Zach Zimmer wasn’t that famous, so his work cost two million dollars at most. Besides, the painting being auctioned wasn’t too extraordinary. Two

3/4

Not wanting to become the laughing stock, Brie lifted her paddle in the air again and said, “Five

million dollars!”

A smile made its way to Caroline’s face as she calmly raised her paddle and said, “Ten million

dollars.”

The crowd inhaled sharply. Ten million dollars… Was she out of her mind? Or was the rumor true

that she’d gotten herself a rich man and was now capable of squ