The auction kicked off shortly after.


    The Hawkins and Spencer families had recentlye into some serious cash. Within the first hour, they snapped up three or four items, dropping around twenty million in total.


    They were throwing their money around recklessly. With every winning bid, the crowd showered them with envious nces and polite congrattions.


    Before arriving, Stewart had set his sights on a few specific pieces. With Charlene''s discerning advice, he snagged a stunning jewelry set for over a million dors.


    The Hawkins and Spencer families had been keeping a close eye on Charlene the entire night.


    Dalton and Kelvin hadn''t paid them much attention, but they still stole the asional nce.


    Seeing Stewart drop that much cash, everyone assumed he had bought the jewels for Charlene.


    Kelvin leaned in to whisper to Dalton, "Ms. Ross has all that messy baggage with Mr. Henderson, yet Stewart is stillpletely hung up on her, throwing millions around like it''s pocket change. Man''s got it bad. I gotta admit though, she gets more gorgeous every time I see her. If it were me "


    Dalton scowled. He knew Kelvin was right.


    But he had no desire to discuss Charlene, so he kept his mouth shut.


    The Hawkins and Spencer families, who had been strapped for cash just a while ago, were riding high on their newfound wealth. Seeing Stewart effortlessly splurge on Charlene instantly wiped the smug grins off their faces.


    Leah was green with envy. "Dropping over a million on a gift just like that? Is Stewart Ferguson out of his damn mind?"


    Vesta and Maureen Spencer said nothing.


    Stewart and Charlene couldn''t care less about the murmurs around them.


    Charlene was only there to offer advice, but as the night drew to a close, a particr masterpiece—a painting that was one of the event''s highlights-caught her eye.


    The starting bid was over a million dors.


    The moment the auctioneer announced the price, Charlene raised her paddle without a second thought.


    The Spencers, the Hawkins family, Dalton, and his crew all froze in disbelief.


    Leah nearly jumped out of her seat. "The starting bid is over a million dors! How could she "


    With a starting bid that high, the final


    hammer price would easily hit ton


    to five million dors.


    Three to five million dors. Not a few thousand bucks. And Charlene was casually bidding on it?


    Jealousy twisted Leah''s face into an ugly scowl.


    The rest of her family was dead silent, all traces of their earlier gloatingpletely gone.


    Leah''s estimate of three to five million dors was actually a massive lowball.


    She didn''t realize half the room had shown up specifically for this masterpiece.


    Yet, no matter how high the others pushed the price, Charlene relentlessly countered every bid.


    Initially, the Spencers, the Hawkins


    family, Kelvin, Dalton, and most of


    the crowd


    assumed she was bidding


    on Stewart''s behalf. But after


    watching her raise the paddle a few times, they noticed something, h?t paddle was entirely different from the one Stewart had used earlier.


    Kelvin''s jaw dropped. "Wait, so Ms. Ross is buying this for herself? It''s not a gift from Stewart?"


    After all, Stewart had held his own paddle when bidding on the jewelry set.


    Dalton looked equally bewildered.


    Just then, a murmur rippled through


    the crowd as someone finally connected the dots. "Isn''t she the VIP buyer who dropped hundreds of millions of dors on that wless diamondst year She casually spent a fortune, and now she''s going after a priceless painting With that kind of money, who exactly is she?"