"Six billion."
I raised my paddle slowly, a calm smile playing at the corners of my lips.
“Zendaya, are you out of your mind?”
Drake snapped his head around, stunned, his face twisted with anger and disbelief. “Go home! You’re making a complete fool of yourself!”
I replied calmly, “Drake, you’re free to spoil your little darling, but I happen to like this jewelry, so I placed a bid. Is that a problem?”
“Are you really going to keep bidding?”
Drake was speechless, my words catching in his throat. He glanced at the rising price, already ten billion higher, then hesitated.
But when he saw the hopeful look in Meghan’s eyes, he gritted his teeth and raised his paddle again.
“Six and a half billion.”
“Seven billion.”
I kept going without pause and fury lit up in Drake’s eyes.
“Zendaya, you’re doing this on purpose, trying to embarrass me, aren’t you?”
“Where did you even get seven billion?”
I ignored him.
The auctioneer stepped in politely. “Miss Hadid placed a full deposit before the auction began. She meets all bidding qualifications.”
Suspicion flickered in Drake’s eyes.
He had no idea where I’d gotten that kind of money. After all, since our marriage, every cent of our joint assets had been under his control. To him, I was nothing more than a full-time housewife, living on a fixed allowance.
“President Hemsworth, would you like to raise your bid?"
I looked at him, eyes full of challenge.
Drake stayed quiet for a moment, brows drawn, as if weighing his options.
Beside him, Meghan thought he was about to give in. Her eyes filled with tears as she gently tugged at his sleeve.
“President Hemsworth, you said this was going to be your confession gift to me…”
Drake could never stand seeing that girl look the slightest bit wronged.
The moment her eyes filled with tears, his heart softened and with a grand gesture, he declared, “Light the sky lantern!”
“Zendaya, I’m winning this today, bid as high as you want!”
His dramatic flair drew gasps of admiration from the crowd.
Meghan threw herself into his arms, deeply moved.
All eyes in the room were on Drake; he stood there like the center of the universe, soaking in every bit of attention.
I smiled to myself.
Drake, I hoped you remembered that moment, because it was the last time your world ever shone that bright.
Just as I expected, the auctioneer hurried over the next moment, looking uneasy.
“Apologies, Mr. Hemsworth, but there’s an issue with your account.”
