Chapter 34

Whispers exploded across the room like sparks on dry grass, and every eye zeroed in on Roger, hungry to see how he'd respond.

In that instant, Roger felt the weight of the room pressing down on him.

Everyone was staring, silently questioning-would he dare to raise his paddle? And even if he did, could he actually afford it?

Marilee hadn't seen it coming-Waylon placing a bid,and such a huge one at that. Worried, she lightly tugged Roger's sleeve. "Roger, do you think Waylon's targeting you? Maybe Alexia's behind it,trying to humiliate you?"

Everyone knew the truth-if it came down to wealth,Roger couldn't outbid Waylon, not in a million years.

Roger shot daggers at Alexia's back, his jaw clenched tight. "Pathetic," he growled.

Whether Alexia was behind it or not, the moment Waylon stepped in, she had already won something-attention, favor, maybe more.

As soon as the auctioneer caught Waylon's bid, his voice softened with deference. He politely scanned the hall for any further bids.

But everyone knew the truth-once Waylon made a move, the game was already over.

This wasn't just a flex of wealth-it was a power move. Every person in the hall was here hoping to get on Waylon's good side.

He wasn't just rich; he was history's youngest president of the Chamber of Commerce, and his approval carried more weight than the ten billion price tag.

Even the powerful business tycoons who had placed earlier bids could only watch with regret. As for Roger, no matter how furious he was, he could only sit there and stew in silence.

With a firm strike of the gavel, the auctioneer declared the crown officially Waylon's.

Just then, someone leaned in and whispered something to the auctioneer. Moments later, an attendant was told to bring the crown straight to Alexia.

Alexia blinked in confusion and glanced at Waylon.He let out a soft chuckle and said gently, "Don't move."

Then, in front of everyone, he gently placed the crown on her head.

For a moment, the whole room held its breath, and then, a wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.Roger sat stiff, like he'd just taken a slap he hadn't seen coming.

"Perfect," Waylon murmured, clearly pleased.

That single word sent another ripple through the already shocked crowd.

"Oh my God, did he seriously buy it for Alexia?"

"And he didn't just buy it-he put it on her himself!Are we watching a royal ceremony or what?"

"I'm losing it. I actually can't breathe. This is unreal.I'd trade places with her in a heartbeat!"

"Alexia's so lucky! I'm starting to believe she dumped Roger, not the other way around. Honestly? Good for her.She chose right!"

As the comments swirled through the air, Marilee sat frozen, her gaze locked on the radiant woman with the crown. Jealousy didn't even begin to cover what she felt-there was a deep, bitter ache twisting inside her, one that left her breathless and furious.

Why did Alexia always end up taking what should've been hers? And not just quietly-no, Alexia had to take it proudly, with her chin up, with everyone watching.

Marilee's nails dug into her palm. She despised Alexia deeply.

Meanwhile, Alexia, still reeling, turned to the man beside her with a mix of surprise and amusement."Why did you just put it on me like that?"

Waylon remained composed, his tone as smooth as his movements. "Because I bought it for you. A crown isn't meant to sit in a box-it belongs on your head. Unless...you don't like it?"

"I love it," Alexia replied, lifting her chin with pride."In fact,I love it a lot!"

Waylon's lips twitched, almost forming a smile.

Back on stage, the auctioneer raised his voice once more. "Next up, donated by AMOS Gallery, we present a controversial masterpiece by the prodigious artist Sirius-titled Revenge,"The moment the artist's name was announced,murmurs broke out across the hall like wildfire.

And it wasn't hard to see why. The enigmatic artist had shot to fame early on, shaking up the art world with her bold, unapologetic style. People either worshipped her brilliance or loathed her work entirely -there was rarely an in-between.

Her work wasn't just art-it sparked debates, think pieces, and sometimes outrage. Her latest work,Revenge, was no exception.

In the painting, Pandora-used by the gods for revenge and blamed by humans for bringing disaster -stood over her husband's dead body. She leaned sweetly into Zeus' arms, the king of the gods, while secretly hiding a dagger behind his neck.

Sirius' style mixed expressionism with Dadaism. Her skillful use of composition and color brought out deep emotions, and she had a talent for telling layered stories through her art.

When Revenge was first shown, it caused an immediate uproar. Traditionalists were quick to criticize her, saying she twisted the myths with dark and intense ideas. To them, Pandora was nothing more than a beautiful figure created by the gods to tempt men-a shallow character, clueless but dangerously curious, who only brought trouble to the world.

She was meant to be the first woman sent to humanity, yet in the painting, she dared to kill Zeus.

That was unthinkable to them. Who would even imagine such a thing, let alone paint it? Surely, they thought, no decent person could've created something like that.