?Chapter 1403:


    Even Hamilton, whose fortune outstripped nearly anyone alive, noticed the awe in the man’s face—a look that suggested Dani’s wealth might rival his own.


    Whispers rippled through the room.


    Niks leaned toward Carol, voice barely above a whisper. “Is there that much money in her ount? What the hell just happened?”


    Carol only shrugged, as if this were all perfectly ordinary. “Dani always says it’s just numbers—meaningless. I hold onto the card most of the time, but I’ve never checked the bnce. It’s never mattered.”


    Niks blinked, startled. “Do you know the password?”


    With a subtle nod, Carol replied, “Of course. We all do. We use the secondary cards for day-to-day stuff.”


    Niks asked, “So, Cedric knows it too?”


    Carol nodded. “Absolutely. But Cedric’s never touched a cent. He insists on making his own way—says he hardly spends and doesn’t need it.”


    Niks leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Mind if I see the bnce?”


    Carol didn’t hesitate. “Go ahead.”


    She pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and brought up the banking app. Niks’ eyes widened the moment he caught a glimpse of the number.


    Meanwhile, the auction room buzzed as the auctioneer, beaming with practiced poise, turned to address Hamilton. She gestured grandly toward the pair of cufflinks on disy.


    “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s begin the bidding for this extraordinary set of cufflinks! The starting price is fifty million!”


    A hush swept over the crowd, followed by a collective gasp. The figure was staggering. Fifty million—for a pair of cufflinks? Even for something this exquisite, it was mind-boggling.


    Those who had entertained the idea of bidding abandoned hope. No one wanted to challenge such a staggering opening.


    Hamilton sat back, unmoved. He preferred to watch others battle it out first, letting the anticipation build before making his move. The early rounds felt like little more than warm-up sparring. He didn’t spare them a thought.


    Hesitant paddles flicked up as participants tossed in their half-hearted bids. Nobody truly believed they’d walk away with the prize tonight. The number crept upward, crawling past the one hundred million mark.


    Hamilton showed no flicker of interest, hisposure unbroken. He preferred to savor the mounting tension, certain the grand finale would belong to him. He could already picture it—the hush, the breathless envy in every stare as he imed the prize with effortless confidence. These were the moments he lived for, the kind that made all his wealth feel worthwhile.


    But Dani had no patience for theatrics. Annoyed by the slow pace, she shot her hand into the air and announced, “Two hundred million.”


    The words hung in the air like a thunderp. The entire auction hall froze. Even the auctioneer blinked in disbelief, unsure she’d heard correctly.


    “Ms. Harper, did I hear you correctly? You just bid two hundred million?”


    Dani’s gaze didn’t waver. “You heard right. Two hundred million.”


    Her calm confirmation sent a shockwave through the room. For several heartbeats, no one moved, then a low tide of murmurs swept through the crowd.


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