Raven was wearing a blue, shimmering satin gown, with jewelry that dazzled, and paired with her stunning looks. she was undoubtedly the most eye–catching woman at the auction tonight.
Everyone knew that the front row was a symbol of status.
As they discussed and admired, Raven and Matteo took their seats in the center of the first row.
This immediately drew even more envy from the crowd.
“The center of the first row… So prestigious. I wonder what it feels like to sit there. They’re sitting in the front, which means their status is obvious, and probably means they’ll be spending quite a bit tonight. My God-”
“Stop talking, it’s making me more jealous. People really can make you feel inferior.”
Jessica, hearing this, leaned in and whispered to Freya, “They’re sitting in the first row, but they gave us seats in the
back row…”
It wasn’t the first time Matteo had shown favoritism toward Raven.
Freya had long since gotten used to it.
She didn’t care.
Moreover, her main goal for attending the auction was to buy a birthday gift for her grandmother.
As for the seating arrangements, she wasn’t concerned about that at all.
Jessica continued, “Doesn’t Matteo know our seat numbers? Why isn’t he even glancing over here?”
She probably didn’t even care about their seat assignments.
Freya wasn’t surprised. She thought of the banquet and the tech exhibition, where Matteo had ignored her the whole
time.
As she was lost in thought, the auction was about to begin. The host took the stage, and the room quickly fell silent.
Freya had already carefully reviewed the auction list for tonight.
She was interested in a set of emerald jewelry and a piece of embroidered art.
Which one she would ultimately bid for depended on the situation.
The auction quickly began.
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Chapter 123
Freya was focused, and she didn’t raise her paddle unless it was something she truly desired.
Meanwhile, Matteo and Raven hadn’t bid on anything either.
After some time, Freya and Jessica noticed Raven raising her paddle.
Raven was bidding on a diamond bracelet.
It was designed by an internationally renowned master, and judging by its style, it was meant for young people.
Undoubtedly, this bracelet was intended for Raven by Matteo.
The starting price was 200,000 dollars.
Raven raised her paddle and bumped the price to 400,000 dollars.
Others continued to raise it to 500,000.
At this point, Freya noticed that Raven leaned in to whisper with Matteo, and then raised her paddle again, her voice clear in the hall: “1 million.”
The moment she spoke, the entire venue buzzed.
The bracelet was nice, but in terms of intrinsic value, it really wasn’t worth 1 million.
Even 500,000 dollars was already excessive.
But Raven seemed to be very fond of the bracelet.
Matteo, with his vast fortune, didn’t want anyone else competing with Raven, so he directly offered 1 million as the
bid.
Everyone was shocked by Matteo’s willingness to spend so freely and his obvious affection for Raven, causing whispers to spread.
As expected, after the 1 million bid, no one else dared to compete.
Raven successfully claimed the bracelet.
Jessica was green with envy, gritting her teeth: “I can’t believe it.”
Freya didn’t say anything. Another round of bidding started soon after.
Some time later, an antique vase was brought out for auction.
Raven raised her paddle again.
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The darting pris 700,000 dollars
The others had been adding in increments of 70,000 or 150.000 dollars, but when it came to Raven, her opening bid was 1.5 million
The number of ladders quickly dropped.
However, there were still plenty of wealthy individuals in the room.
A moment later, a man’s voice intervened, “2 million.”
Freya looked over.
It was a young man, quite strikingly handsome.
“That’s Rex Hardin,”
Jessica told Freya,
Freya nodded.
Raven seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking toward Matteo.
It was clear to both Freya and Jessica that this antique vase was something Raven had her eye on.
Only then did Freya remember that her grandmother, Mrs. Brown, was very fond of collecting antiques.
It didn’t take much thought to realize that Raven was bidding on the vase for Mrs. Brown.
Matteo nodded and Raven raised her paddle again: “5 million.”
Rex laughed. “8 million.”
Raven hesitated again, whispering something to Matteo, seemingly suggesting that she let it go.
But Matteo shook his head.
Raven raised her paddle again: “10 million.”
Rex’s voice rang out again: “20 million.”
He smiled as he glanced toward Matteo’s side.
Raven furrowed her brow and whispered, “How about… we forget it?”
20 million was simply too much.
Chapter 123
Matteo smiled. “It’s fine. Didn’t you say your grandmother likes it? Just bid for it.”
Looking at Matteo’s smile, Raven felt a warm sweetness in her heart. She raised the paddle again: “25 million.”
Rex quickly followed suit: “30 million.”
His voice sounded again, this time loud and clear: “President Wilson, our elderly family members love this kind of thing. Could you do me a favor and give me a discount?”
Matteo glanced over and politely smiled: “Sorry, Hardin, but my family also has elderly members who like these kinds of things.”
They had no qualms about speaking in front of everyone.
Freya and Jessica could hear their conversation clearly.
The vase was for Mrs. Brown, but Matteo referred to the other elderly person as his own family, showing that he had already regarded the Brown family as his own.
This little detail made Freya’s heart feel a little strange.
It was a stark contrast to his attitude toward her own family.
Raven raised her paddle: “50 million.”
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