The Metropolitan Museum sparkled under crystal chandeliers as New York''s wealthiest gathered for the annual Children''s Hospital Benefit Auction. Camille stood just outside the entrance, her heart


    pounding against her ribs. Tonight marked their first public appearance as an acknowledged couple since the press conference three days ago.


    "Nervous?" Alexander asked beside her, his hand warm against the small of her back


    She smoothed her midnight blue gown. "A little. Everyone will be watching us."


    "Let them watch," he replied. "We have nothing to hide anymore."


    The double doors opened. A hundred heads turned as they entered together. Conversations paused. For one breathless moment, the entire room seemed frozen, assessing, judging.


    Then apuse broke out, scattered at first, then spreading until it filled the hall. People were actually pping for them, smiling in approval. Camille felt Alexander''s hand tighten slightly on her back, a silent signal of shared surprise.


    "Well," she murmured, maintaining her smile as they moved forward, "that wasn''t what I expected."


    As they mingled through the crowd, Camille noticed the changed atmosphere. These


    same people had viewed her primarily as Victoria Kane''s protégée before. Now they approached with newfound interest, as if her rtionship with Alexander had somehow made her more essible, more hur "Everyone''s staring," she whispered as they epted champagne.


    "Not staring," Alexander corrected. "Admiring."


    They separated for a while, a deliberate choice to show their independence despite their connection. Camille spoke with hospital board members about the new pediatric wing Kane Industries had funded. Alexa "He can''t take his eyes off you," remarked Eleanor Westfield, chairwoman of the hospital board. "It''s refreshing to see genuine feeling in this room for once."


    The auction began at nine. Guests moved toward the arrangement of chairs facing a small stage. Camille felt Alexander beside her again, his hand finding hers as they took their seats.


    After several items were auctioned, the auctioneer lifted a ck velvet box. "Our next


    item,dies and gentlemen, is truly exceptional. From the private collection of the Whitmore family, the ''Ocean''s Heart'' ne."


    An assistant opened the box, revealing a stunning creation that drew audible gasps. A massive sapphire, deep blue and wless, hung suspended from


    a cascade of diamonds that caught the light like captured stars.


    "This historic piece features a twenty-


    carat Ceylon sapphire surrounded by fifteen carats of diamonds, set in tinum. Truly extraordinary." The auctioneer''s


    eyes


    twinkled as his gaze passed over Camille. "Bidding will start at ten million dors."


    Beside her, Camille felt Alexander shift slightly, his shoulders straightening.


    "Ten million," called a voice from the back.


    "Fifteen million," countered another bidder.


    Alexander remained silent as the figures climbed. The room hummed with excitement as the ne became the center of a bidding war between a Saudi prince and a hedge fund manager. "Twenty-five million," the prince offered, voice bored as if the sum meant nothing.


    The hedge fund manager shook his head, withdrawing from the contest.


    The auctioneer beamed. "Twenty-five


    million for the ''Ocean''s Heart.'' Do I hear twenty-six?"


    Alexander raised his hand. "Thirty million."


    The room went utterly silent. Camille turned to him, eyes wide with shock. He met her gaze with a small smile, private despite their public setting.


    "Thirty million dors from Mr. Alexander Pierce," the auctioneer repeated, barely containing his delight. "Do I hear thirty- one?"


    Sessfully unlocked!


    The Saudi prince considered for a moment, then hook his head slightly, conceding defeat.


    "Thirty million going once... going twice..." The auctioneer paused dramatically. "Sold to Mr. Alexander Pierce!"


    Apuse erupted, this time with an undercurrent of excitement. Alexander stood, buttoning his jacket as he moved toward the stage to im his purchase.


    Camille watched him, heart racing This wasn''t nned. They had discussed their strategy for the evening in detail, and nowhere had it included Alexander bidding thirty million dors for a ne. He epted the velvet box, then turned to face the


    audience. "I believe jewelry this beautiful deserves to be worn, not kept in a box. With your permission, I''d like to present this ne to the woman who has brought unexpected joy to my life." All eyes turned frozen, caught between self-


    consciousness and a fluttering excitement in her chest.


    "Camille, Alexander said formally, though his eyes held warmth only she could recognize. "Would


    you do me the honor?"


    The room held its breath as Camille rose from her seat. Her legs felt unsteady as she walked toward him, aware of hundreds of


    eyes following her every move, of phones discreetly recording.


    She reached Alexander''s side, turning so her back was to


    him. With careful movements, he removed the


    sapphire ne from its velvet nest. The weight of it settled against Camille''s corbone as he fastened the sp, his fingers warm against her neck.


    When she turned to face him again, something in his expression made her breath catch. This wasn''t just for show, not just another strategic move. This was real.


    Alexander cupped her face in his hands with unexpected tenderness. "Perfect, he murmured, quiet enough that only she could hear. "It matches your eyes."


    1


    Then he kissed her, not a polite peck for their audience, but a real kiss, deep and unhurried. Carnille felt herself responding without thought, her hands finding his shoulders, her body leaning into his as if they w The audience erupted in apuse and cheers. Camera


    shes surrounded them, capturing the moment for tomorrow''s society pages.


    "You nned this," Camille used softly, her fingers touching the heavy sapphire at her


    throat.


    Alexander''s smile held secrets. "Not entirely. I knew the ne would be


    auctioned. I didn''t know it would match your dress so perfectly."


    "Thirty million dors,” she murmured, still stunned. "For a ne."


    "For you," he corrected. "And for them." He gestured subtly to the watching crowd. "Sometimes theater serves a purpose beyond entertainment."


    She understood then. This wasn''t just a gift. This was Alexander cementing the public narrative


    they wanted, the billionaire besotted with his powerful girlfriend, their rtionship too genuine to be questioned, too public to be undermined by further scandal.


    The remainder of the auction


    passed in a blur. Camille was acutely aware of the ne''s weight against her skin, of the asional brush of Alexander''s hand against hers, of the changed quality in the nces sent their way, no longer m When the formal proceedings ended and the crowd dispersed for dancing and further socializing, Alexander led her to a quiet alcove partially hidden by potted palms.


    "Too much?" he asked, studying her face. "I should have warned you."


    Camille touched the sapphire. "It''s beautiful. But thirty million, Alexander... What are we doing here? Is this still about countering Rose and


    Herod? About protecting ourpanies? Or is it something else now?"


    Alexander''s fingers traced the line of the ne, then the curve of her jaw. "Does it have to be just one


    thing?"


    The question hung between them, weighted with possibilities neither had fully acknowledged. Camille thought of how far they hade since Victoria''s copse, from strategic allies to something much more co "No," she admitted finally. "I suppose it doesn''t."


    His smile warmed his eyes, crinkling the corners in a way Camille hade to cherish. “Then let''s enjoy tonight. Just us, no strategy, no nning.”


    For the rest of the evening, they danced, theyughed, they mingled with genuine ease. The sapphire gleamed against Camille''s skin, catching the light with every movement, drawing admiring nces from ev By the time they left, photos of their kiss had


    already spread across social media, apanied by headlines celebrating New York''s newest power couple. What Rose had intended as a weapon against them, the exposure of their rtionship had be As they stepped into the waiting car, Alexander lifted Camille''s hand to his lips. "Sessful evening?"


    She smiled, touching the ne that now symbolized not just his extravagant gesture but the public deration of their rtionship. "Very sessful."


    The sapphire glowed in the dim light of the car, a brilliant blue reminder that they had taken control of their narrative.