That evening, Leanna claimed she was in a bad mood and insisted on going to the auction.
Unusually, Bryce brought Brittney along too.
She didn't refuse—after all, they were returning to the capital and she planned to bring gifts for her uncle and others.
At the auction, Leanna clung to Bryce the entire time, completely ignoring Brittney’s presence.
But she no longer cared. She just found it rather amusing.
Once upon a time, if any other woman dared to get close to him, he'd retreat three steps and declare, “I have a girlfriend.”
That principle had been clear back then—how could he not understand it now?
Brittney saw no point in dwelling on it, focusing instead on the auction items.
The first lot was a pink diamond. Leanna expressed her fondness for it and Bryce secured it for five million.
The second item was a crown. Leanna declared she wished to be Bryce’s little princess forever and he promptly bid twenty million for it.
The third item was Leanna's graduation painting. To make the young girl happy, he tossed out a hundred million without hesitation.
Though Bryce wasn't stingy with Brittney, he'd never once spent such extravagant sums on her.
He was truly head over heels for Leanna.
Soon, laughter and teasing rose from the audience below the stage, “Mr. Joseph, you're leaving nothing for anyone else today, are you?”
Bryce curved his lips into a smile. “What can I do? The girl I love wants it and I will gladly give it to her.”
Brittney felt this statement sounded familiar. He had once said the same thing to her.
Only back then, Bryce was still poor and lacked such extravagant means.
Now he had it, but it wasn't for her.
Soon, the final auction item appeared—a painting once given away by Brittney’s mother.
Brittney's eyes lit up instantly as she raised her paddle to bid, “Twenty million.”
Leanna stared at Bryce and said, “Bryce, I like this one too.”
Bryce lifted his gaze. “Fifty million.”
Brittney clenched her fist, “Sixty million.”
The man lowered his gaze and raised his paddle again, “One hundred million.”
It wasn't that Brittney couldn't afford it; she simply didn't want to engage in this meaningless bidding war with him.
She abruptly stood up, “Bryce, haven't you bought her enough things already? This is my mother's keepsake!”
At her words, Bryce's expression hardened slightly.
But Leanna whined, “Bryce, I can give up everything else, but I genuinely love this oil painting.”
Bryce, who had seemed slightly wavering a moment ago, immediately changed his tone, “Leanna likes this piece. Let her have it.”
Brittney felt a ringing in her ears, as if she couldn't comprehend the man's words.
Leanna nestled into his embrace, her gaze fixed on Brittney with pure provocation.
It made her not want to give up and immediately raised her bid card, “I will pay a billion!”
Then, turning to Bryce, she declared, “This painting—I must have it.”
Darrell had given her 1.314 billion dollars. She didn't believe Bryce would spend over a billion on a painting just for Leanna.
The moment she finished, the room erupted.
Yet everyone eagerly anticipated the spectacle, eager to see whether the new flame or the old flame would prevail.
The next second, Leanna stirred up trouble from the centre, “Bryce, where would Brittney get a billion dollars? Could she have a sugar daddy?”
Bryce's pupils instantly darkened.
Men had always been like that — they could cheat and have affairs, but they wouldn't tolerate betrayal from women.
“Brittney, you've been cheating behind my back?” he roared. “Tell me, who is the man?”
Bryce gripped Brittney's wrist tightly, his face contorted with fury.
Her wrist instantly turned crimson, yet she refused to yield. “You're the one who cheated with a mistress! What right do you have to question me?”
Leanna didn't miss the chance to fan the flames, "Britt, you'd better apologise quickly and name the adulterer, or you'll only anger Bryce."
Brittney threatened in turn, “Leanna, if you keep stirring up trouble, I'll tear your mouth off.”
But the next second, Bryce slapped her hard across the face, his eyes blazing with fury. "Brittney, how dare you bully my people right in front of me?
Without giving Brittney a chance to speak, the man addressed the auctioneer, “Whether she gets it for a billion, I will bid higher than her.”
“After all, she seems to not have the ability to achieve it. So, whoever competes with me for this painting is an enemy of the Joseph Group.”
After delivering his threat, Bryce dragged Brittney home.
The oil painting was auctioned off, only to be brutally burned by Bryce right before her eyes.
His face dark and menacing, he sneered, “I don't believe this painting was your mother's keepsake. It was a gift you planned to give your lover, wasn't it?”
The blazing flames illuminated Brittney's face. She frantically tried to rush forward and grab the painting.
But the bodyguards behind her pinned her down, not allowing her to move an inch.
Brittney finally broke down, crying and begging him, “Bryce, this really is my mother's keepsake. Please don't burn it, I beg you.”
Brittney collapsed onto the floor, tears and sweat mingling on her face as she wept heart-wrenchingly.
Bryce had never seen her like this before. In his memory, Brittney was always proud, aloof and decisive—rarely showing vulnerability in his presence.
Just as he was about to relent, Leanna emerged with ‘evidence.’
“Bryce, I had someone trace the calls. Brittney has been frequently contacting a man in the capital lately. He must be the one keeping her.”
“And I also found a recent deposit in her account—1.3 billion dollars! Who would pay that much money all at once unless they were keeping her as a mistress?”
In that instant, Bryce finally lost his composure. His eyes flashed with cruelty as he clamped his hands tightly around Brittney's slender neck.
“Brittney, you dare cheat on me behind my back? It seems I've spoiled you too much!”
“You care so much about that painting, don't you? Fine. Now go retrieve it from the flames. Let me see just how much you love it!”
The moment Brittney was released, she nearly fainted from oxygen deprivation. Yet, with sheer willpower, she forced herself into the raging fire and pulled out the painting—now nothing but a charred frame.
The woman kept screaming in agony, "Mom, I'm sorry! It's all my fault for misjudging people. I couldn't even protect your last keepsake.”
“I'm sorry. I..."
Flames still licked at the wooden frame, but Brittney clutched it as if pain meant nothing.
Watching her clothes begin to catch fire, Bryce felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. For the first time, he felt genuine fear.
He shouted at the people nearby, “Put out the fire! Quick, put it out now.”
