Josette Sunray used a blank check for her male assistant at the auction and snatched away the limited-edition luxury watch that was initially reserved for me.
When everyone looked astonished, she was the only one who winked at me mischievously.
"Oops, it looks like even our great chairman, Mr. Ronan Cruz, can slip up sometimes, huh?"
"You have too many watches to wear anyway, so give one to Steven Palmer."
I smiled and didn't make a scene.
I turned around and swept away all the watches in the luxury stores in the city. I piled them all in front of her and let her give them as much as she wanted.
As the top young gun in the capital's elite circles, the women who wanted to marry me were probably lining up worldwide.
Why get hung up on one woman?
——
Later, in the auction hall buzzing with wealthy bidders, I loosened my tie, my gaze fixed on the auctioneer's limited-edition Patek Philippe.
Only seven existed worldwide and I was determined to have one.
"Twenty-five million."
A calm, clear voice came from a second-floor private booth, causing a stir throughout the hall.
My fingers tightened on the handrail and my knuckles turned white.
I didn't even need to look to know who it was.
Josette leaned lazily against the balcony railing, her red lips slightly curved in a smile and her fingertips played with the exquisite bidding card.
The auctioneer excitedly announced, "Miss Sunray bids twenty-five million! Any higher offers?"
I raised my paddle. "Thirty million."
"Thirty-five million."
Josette's lazy voice drifted down.
Whispers gradually rose and those who knew were puzzled.
They wondered why Josette bid with me.
I raised my paddle again. "Forty million."
"One hundred million, I'll use the blank check for that."
Josette's voice remained nonchalant, as if the act of "blank check" was nothing to her.
The entire hall fell silent.
Blank check was auction house jargon, meaning that no matter how much I, as the opponent, bid, she would increase her bid by one million until she won the bid.
It was a blatant display of wealth and an open provocation to me.
I stood up and turned to look at the second floor.
Josette wore an emerald green velvet dress that made her skin look like snow.
She tilted her head at me, smiling like a sly cat.
"Mr. Cruz. Don't get petty with an intern."
Her voice echoed through the booth's speakers, reaching everyone in the hall.
"You have a lot of watches anyway, so I'll give this one to my assistant as a birthday gift."
Next to her stood a young man in a white shirt and black suit, with a handsome face.
He was a presidential assistant who hadn't been with the company for a month since his campus recruitment.
Steven awkwardly lowered his head, but couldn't hide the smile playing on his lips.
The auctioneer glanced at me hesitantly several times. Seeing that I didn't move, he finally brought down the hammer.
"One hundred million for the third time. Congratulations, Miss Sunray!"
Applause broke out. Josette waved elegantly, then left the booth with Steven.
As she passed by me, she gave me another playful wink.
I stood there, the muscles beneath my clothes tense.
I could feel the probing gazes of those around me.
Everyone in the business world knew that Josette was the fiancée of the heir to the Cruz Family empire.
Yet, right now, she was personally fastening the limited-edition watch she had just bought onto the wrist of a male assistant, right in front of everyone.
Moreover, she'd used my black card to pay for it.
"Mr. Cruz … "
My secretary asked cautiously.
I said lightly, "It's okay, I'll go out and smoke a cigarette."
Out on the balcony, the moonlight danced across the pool below. The water shimmered in the wind like a broken mirror.
Not long after, Josette also came out with Steven trailing behind her.
"Mr. Cruz, what do you think of the watch Miss Sunray bought for me? Pretty nice, right?"
His words were polite, but his face was full of smugness.
