Chapter 21
Diana was only interested in the painting because she had restored it herself.
She was curious to see who would
end up buying the ancient piece that Ryan had shelled out five million bucks for.
As expected, the starting bid was five million dollars, the same amount Ryan had spent on its restoration.
$5.1 million!”
$5.5 million!”
“$6 million!”
“$6.1 million!”
The bids kept coming, and the price of the painting shot up, hitting over ten million dollars in no time, leaving Diana stunned.
She also noticed the Getty family was in the mix at first.
But once the price hit ten million, they backed off, looking pretty grim.
Diana smirked, knowing why the Gettys were so down.
The Getty family’s finances weren’t great. Even though things had gotten a bit better recently thanks to Diana, Howard had been putting the squeeze on them, causing a bunch of their projects to flop. The Getty Group was in bad shape, but they still tried to stay in the auction.
Diana couldn’t help but think, ‘What are they doing? Are they trying to dig their own grave?‘
Just as she was watching the Gettys, Howard suddenly threw out a high bid. “$50 million!”
Diana turned to Howard, surprised.
“Do you like ancient paintings?” she asked, unsure.
“Not really,” Howard replied coolly.
‘What a waste of money! Even if you’re loaded, you shouldn’t blow it like this!‘ Diana suddenly felt a pang of guilt, thinking the money would be better spent on gifts and supplements for Sophia.
Soon, the price of the painting was nearing a hundred million dollars. Seeing Howard about to raise his paddle again, Diana quickly pressed his
hand down.
Howard looked at her quietly.
Diana didn’t let go and said seriously, “This painting is too big; we don’t have space for it at home.”
“We can make a special room for it,” Howard suggested.
“No need.”
“But don’t you like it?”
Diana was taken aback. You were bidding for me?”
Howard didn’t say anything. He just looked at his hand in tus and slowly intertwined his fingers with hers.
Mer heart suddenly started pounding
Jealing het lace heat up. Diana turned away to avoid his gaze and woumured, “I don’t like this painting. Stop building.
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Chapter 21
“Okay.” Howard looked at her blushing earlobe, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
At that moment, Diana didn’t notice Laura glaring at her with venomous eyes.
Laura felt she was the only one who deserved to be by Howard’s side.
In the end, a collector bought the massive painting for a billion dollars.
Diana sighed in relief and turned her attention to the next item.
>
As the auction wrapped up, dozens of treasures had been displayed, but none were right for Sophia, leaving Diana a bit disappointed.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Up next, we have the final treasure of the night. You won’t want to miss this!” The auctioneer’s voice boomed as a pair of ancient bronze bracelets with intricate carvings was brought onto the stage.
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
“These bracelets have a fascinating backstory. They were crafted by a master artisan for his fiancée. Sadly, the couple perished in a war, and the bracelets vanished for centuries. Now, they’ve resurfaced.” The auctioneer’s passionate introduction had everyone on the edge of their seats. Some collectors were already itching to get their hands on these unique pieces.
Diana’s eyes lit up as she gazed at the bracelets. She thought they’d look perfect on Sophia’s wrist. But given their historical significance, she knew the starting bid would be steep, and she wasn’t sure she could get it.
The starting bid is ten million dollars!” the auctioneer announced.
This was probably the highest starting bid for any item in the entire auction.
Hearing the price, Diana was a bit stunned. She did a quick mental check of her finances and realized she couldn’t even afford the starting bid, let alone the final price.
Diana sighed helplessly.
Howard noticed her soft sigh and instinctively glanced at her.
As expected, he saw a hint of disappointment on her face.
Thinking Diana wanted the bracelets, Howard smiled slightly and looked ahead. The price had already climbed to fifty million dollars.
*$1 billion!” Howard raised his paddle and announced coldly.
The room instantly fell silent.
Many collectors and wealthy individuals gave up, realizing they couldn’t compete with Howard’s wealth.
Diana looked at Howard in disbelief, feeling a pang of heartache for the instant expenditure of one billion dollars.
“Such a spendthrift!” Diana muttered softly.
Howard raised an eyebrow and said calmly, “Consider it a gift from both of us to Grandma.
She didn’t even know how to argue with that.
“$1 billion once! $1 billion twice! $1 billion three times! Sold! When the auctioneer’s gavel tell, Diana finally breathed a sigh of relief.
ll pay you back five hundred million dollars, Diana said after some thought.
Howard remained silent, looking at Diana. In her bright eyes, he saw a certain determination and stubbornness.
Hinward smiled coldly. “Suit yourself.”
After the auction, Howard and Diana left together.
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Chapter 21
Unexpectedly, the Gettys were waiting at the entrance of the auction hall.
Laura, wearing a white chiffon dress,
ess, emerged from the other side of the door. She looked pale, her eyes dazed, and her steps unsteady, as if she might collapse at any moment.
Weakly towards him.
As she approached Howard, Laura seemed to stumble and fell
Surprisingly, Howard sidestepped, causing Laura to fall heavily to the ground in an ungraceful manner.
For a moment, everyone at the entrance stopped and stared in shock at Laura, who was lying on the ground, her image completely ruined.
“Why didn’t you catch me?” Laura looked at Howard with grievance.
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