?Chapter 825:


    Christina sized up the statue, already calcting its ceiling price. It would be a waste of money if the bidding climbed over fifty million.<fnb1a4> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fnb1a4>


    Her interest in the statue wasn’t genuine, but Christina made a show of it, eager to fool her rivals.


    Davina’s brows shot up in surprise. “You actually like this piece?” she asked, puzzled by Christina’s sudden enthusiasm.


    Leaning close, Christina murmured her instructions, “You’ll do the bidding. When I hold your hand, stop raising the paddle.”


    “Alright,” Davina replied with a knowing nod.


    From across the room, Katie watched them whisper, suspicion clouding her face, though she couldn’t quite catch what was being said. To her eyes, Christina’s apparent fascination with the statue seemed all too real.


    An inward smirk formed as Katie hatched her n. Outbidding Christina at every step, she’d drive the price sky-high. Once Christina was forced to match her, Katie would bow out, leaving Christina with a hefty sum to pay.


    Noticing Christina’s apparent interest, Ynda’s excitement grew. She tugged at Brendon’s sleeve. “Look, Christina has her eye on that statue! Why don’t we try to win it for her?”


    Brendon’s face darkened at the thought of Christina having a kept man in her home. Since she was that shameless, why the hell should he still spend money on securing an item for her?


    “Ynda, if you like it, you can buy it for yourself. But not for Christina,” Brendon said coldly. “If she wants it, she should get it herself.”


    “But you saw it, didn’t you? Christina couldn’t even scrape together eighty million just now,” Ynda said with faux sympathy. “She didn’t even dare lift her paddle this time. She looked so pitiful.”


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    “That’s her problem. She couldn’tnd a decent man and ended up with some loser, making her unable to even afford a set of stamps,” Brendon remarked sarcastically. Christina wasn’t around to hear his jabs, but just imagining her keeping a man in her home made his blood boil. He couldn’t stop himself from uttering harsh words.


    “Thirty-five million.” Davina raised her paddle, giving Christina a reassuring look.


    “Thirty-six million!” Katie suddenly raised hers. Brendon frowned. “Katie, what are you doing?”


    “I want this piece,” Katie replied breezily.


    “Don’t waste money on stuff we don’t need,” Brendon warned, his voice sharp. “We can’t afford toe up short for the paintingter.”


    “No way we’re short on funds! We’ve brought more than enough.” Katie dismissed his concerns with a careless tone. They had billions to burn. As long as the Feathers of the Divine they intended to bid on pleased Margot, the return on investment would be tenfold. Spending billions on the painting would be a profitable move.


    “Katie, don’t bid against Christina like this,” Ynda chimed in gently, apparently convincing Katie to drop the idea while, in reality, fueling her resolve. “She might think you’re doing it on purpose—and take offense.”


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