Chapter 90
Ashley:
“Really? Nikolay has been staying in her house?” I heard one of the women mock as I walked around to go to my seat.
I knew that this auction was going to be a shifter for me, and I knew that whatever she was going to buy, I had to be better. I wasn’t going to allow her to claim everything for herself. It was bad enough that I was being compared to her by him, facing her was the last thing that I needed.
“Hi, ladies.” I said, taking a seat, knowing not to show them that I heard what they said.
“Hi,” one of them said. I didn’t even know what their names were, they refused to allow me into their gatherings to get to know them. But I knew that this was only a matter of time. They were going to be forced to accept me whether or not they liked it in the end.
“When are we going to start? I am so excited!” I said, smiling as I looked at the crowd. One of the women sitting next to me winked at her friend, mocking me, and I looked down at my bag for a
moment.
“It is your first time attending an auction. It is understandable for you to be this excited.” I had to force myself not to frown at the woman.
“Of course, I’ve been to auctions before. This is a charity, as far as I know?” I asked. The women laughed amongst one another before nodding at me.
“Yes, all the money made here, plus a generous offer from Katerina would be sent to the women in need. Those who have no one, or think that they are alone. She truly is a hero to them. She proves to all of them that someone is willing to listen and help.” One said, and I frowned. “You know, she never even used her husband’s money. Everything she gave was from her own.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, did we offend you?”
“Not at all,” I said, giving them the best smile that I could muster as I tried to hide my annoyance. “I am curious, though, how much does she give out?”
“It depends. Last year it was a million, I believe. The year before, you know, after she gave birth to her children, she honored them with three million, a million from her and each child.” I chewed the inside of my mouth as the crowd suddenly went quiet when Katerina stood in the center of the stage. She looked around the men and women who were gathered. Most of the men here were just husbands of these women, husbands who would be paying for what they wanted to get. I had Nikolay’s card, but I knew that using his account was only going to have them mock me more than they already were.
“Thank you all for coming and for being willing to contribute in this beautiful charity work. The things that were in your homes would be given to others, and the money that you offer, as
always, is going to go to those who need it. Only this time, not only are we going to help the women who are in need, but also the orphans, those who have lost their parents at a young age, and those who have
1/3
OX
Dreame
Rejected by her first mate, she was blessed by a second one. But what if he regretted it?
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Chapter 90
no one to support them.” Katerina said, looking around. Her eyes met mine and she raised an eyebrow before turning to the crowd.
“What you are doing is going to help those who believe that they have no one. While they might not know it, we are here, and we aim to be their anonymous heroes. So, without further delay, let’s begin…”
She walked down the stage, looking proud, smiling as the women swarmed around her. Some stood to greet her, others just looked up at her as if she were some celebrity. They didn’t even know that she was nothing. If they did, I doubted that they were going to be standing this way.
A vase was the first thing that was on display. It was sold for fifty thousand.
A carpet for eighty, and a few paintings that even crossed a hundred thousand. It amazed me that these people would be giving this much money over such ornaments. It was something that I couldn’t understand.
“Are you not going to buy anything?” One of the women asked, looking at me. Her smile was filled with mockery, and I knew that they would be waiting for my response. It was one that I knew very well. It was one that I saw more than once.
“Of course, I am.” I said, nodding at a chandelier that was set on the table in front of us. A picture to show how it would be when hung on the ceiling was one that caught my attention, and I watched as the first bidder put their number. Twenty.
“Twenty–five.” I said, proud of the number.
“Thirty,” Katerina said, making me frown.
“Thirty–two.” A man said.
“Thirty–three.” Another woman spoke.
“Forty,” I said, and the women looked back at me. Katerina didn’t turn to face me, to, I knew that I was going to see her greed and anger in her eyes.
idn’t need
“Forty–one.” Katerina said.
“Forty–four.” A man said, and I nodded, knowing that this was something that I had to get. I wasn’t going to let her be the hero of the night.
“Fifty,” I said, confidently.
“Sixty.” A man said, looking at me. He sat with his wife who clearly looked annoyed. Even the man wasn’t very happy with the number placed. The diamonds that were on the chandelier were ones that were finely cut, and I knew that it was one that would look gorgeous in my living room.
“A hundred thousand,” I said, and even Katerina turned to face me. A small smile formed on her lips before she turned to the auction host. Both women shared a glance before she hit her hammer on the table twice, three times, no one was willing to give another offer.
2/3
OX
Dreame
A
Rejected by her first mate, she was blessed by second one. But what if he regretted it?
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Chapter 90
“Sold for one hundred thousand dollars.” The host called, looking at me. Katerina stood up and smiled, turning to face me as she clapped her hands.
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“You just made my night and everyone’s here. I have to admit. I am surprised that we reached the target this fast. But never did I expect that I would be selling my crystal chandelier for a hundred thousand.” She said, making me frown.
“You were offering your bids…”
“I was curious on how far you were going to go, and how much he was giving you.” She said, and the girls around snickered amongst one another. “You can have it, though, you seem to love taking my used things. And I have to admit, I was getting tired of it. Nikolay would be happy to see it when you bring it to your house.”
“You…”
“For the generous donations made tonight, I am going to give two million this year. One million on behalf on both my children.” Katerina said, turning to face the crowd, giving me her back.
She looked at me over her shoulder, and the smile that was on her lips turned into a scowl.
“Take this as a warning, if you think of harming my children,” she said, making my eyes harden. “I am not that easy person for you to be challenging. And trust me, I am more than willing to prove
it.”
She looked at the host and guests. Her next sentence holding more mockery than I ever thought that I would ever be forced to endure “Please, be careful when packing the chandelier for Ms. Ashley. You know, you don’t want her to lose her CRYSTALS…”
Dreame
Rejected by her first mate, she was blessed by a
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second one.
But what if he regretted it?
