Hera couldn’t discern if the two were rivals or genuinely desired the item. Intrigued, she meticulously examined the exquisite design once more. As she gazed at the item, an image shed into her mind, prompting her to raise her number te swiftly and dere. " $60 million."


    She soon regretted her impulsive deration, but she just felt a sudden surge of excitement in her blood as she remembered that Old Master Avery has a fondness for collecting pocket watches, and he’s developed a habit of checking the time from his pocket watch. Despite wearing a wristwatch, it has merely be an essory to his attire.


    So it is safe to say that her grandfather loves collecting pocket watches, and his birthday is in a few weeks. She hadn’t prepared anything for him yet, making this auction find a perfect birthday present idea.


    The regret she initially felt was swiftly reced by excitement at the thought of presenting such a meaningful gift to her grandfather. This would mark the first time she would offer him such an expensive present, intensifying her anticipation even further.


    She anticipated the two gentlemen to continue bidding alongside her, but as soon as she dered her offer, they halted. The room fell silent until the auctioneer’s voice broke it, stating, "$60 million, going once...."


    Hera turned to Leo, locking eyes with him. His blue gaze was as deep as the ocean, drawing her in. He smiled at her, a mixture of affection and warmth evident in his expression. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being captivated, wondering if it was just an illusion.


    She quickly dismissed the notion, reminding herself that she had only recently met Leo, making it unlikely for him to convey such depth of feeling. She shifted her gaze away, directing her attention towards the man seated in the second row to her right, who was bidding against Leo. He offered her a smile and a nod, drawing her focus momentarily.


    She pushed aside those unrealistic thoughts and returned her focus to the auctioneer, who scanned the room to see if anyone else wanted to make a bid before dering, "$60 million, going twice... SOLD!"


    In the tight-knit upper circle, it was rare for someone to go unnoticed. Promising youths from respectable families were often befriended as potential future sons- or daughters-inw, making Hera’s presence all the more conspicuous.


    Despite the obvious stares, Hera did her best to ignore them. She had endured rumors and criticisms during her time at a prestigious school growing up, never quite getting used to it. Attempts to rify the rumors often backfired, only giving rise to even more exaggerated tales.


    Before long, a woman in a sleek ck dress approached Hera, holding a card reader. She offered a slight bow, extending her hands while waiting for Hera to tap her card on the device toplete the payment for her purchase. Amidst the gaze of onlookers, Hera felt uneasy as she retrieved her ck card from her purse.


    Rafael and Zhane were closely observing Hera’s every move, assuming that she would ask the man seated beside her to make the payment, given his earlier offer to her. Their eyes narrowed as they waited intently, anticipating her next action.


    But to their surprise, Hera retrieved a ck card from her purse toplete the payment. "Did he give it to her?" Rafael and Zhane exchanged puzzled nces, unable to conceal their curiosity.


    Hera wasted no time in finalizing the transaction, and upon receiving confirmation of the sessful payment, thedy in ck discreetly retreated to her corner once more.


    But nobody lingered on the matter for long, as they had witnessed countless second-generation wealthy individuals squander their wealth in a bid to unt their status to the world. It was as if they were afraid that their riches would go unnoticed unless they were constantly on disy. Or those akin to them, genuinely affluent individuals who could effortlessly spend hundreds of millions on a whim. Thus, they spected that Hera fell into one of these categories and quickly shifted their focus back to the auction.


    Rafael’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he observed Hera, his arms crossed over his chest in a disy of evident irritation. He quickly deduced that Athena wouldn’t have provided Hera with the ck card, especially considering he had witnessed Athena purchasing a diamond ne earlier using only a tinum card. The idea of Athena lending her best friend the ck card while using a lesser one herself seemed utterly illogical to him.


    The auction progressed with a plethora of top-notch jewelry, antiques, and timepieces from around the globe. Attendees spared no time and quicklypleted the bidding for the items disyed until they reached the final item, the most anticipated piece of the auction: Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi painting.


    As the painting was unveiled on the tform, anticipation filled the room as attendees eagerly grasped their number tes, ready for the bidding tomence. The auctioneer deliberately prolonged the moment, heightening the anticipation among the attendees and encouraging them to make impulsive, higher bids.


    "For the final piece of today’s auction, we have what everyone has been eagerly awaiting: Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi painting. Bidding will begin at $50 million, with increments of no less than $10,000." The auctioneer paused, surveying the room before dering, "Let the biddingmence."


    "$51 million..."


    "$55 million..."


    "$58 million."


    The room buzzed with excitement as bidders eagerly shouted out their offers, each determined not to be outdone. In just 20 minutes, the price of the painting soared to $250 million. However, Hera observed that some attendees had yet to participate in the bidding; they seemed either disinterested or strategic, waiting for the fervor to wane before making their move.


    If it’s thetter scenario, it simply indicates that they’re industry giants opting for higher bids and prefer not to engage in bidding wars with lowerpetitors.


    She silently observed as the bid climbed from $250 million to $300 million, with no signs of slowing down. However, once it surpassed $350 million, some bidders began to withdraw, prompting others who had been quietly observing to raise their number tes and enter the fray, each offering bids with increments of no less than $3 million.


    Leo and the gentleman from earlier also entered the bidding fray. As the bid swiftly climbed to $400 million, Hera found herself utterly puzzled by how a painting couldmand such an astronomical price. While she possessed painting skills, her familiarity with the art world was limited. She could appreciate the intricate details and emotional depth infused into the artwork, yet assigning such a hefty price tag was beyond herprehension. She hadn’t realized that paintings could surpass the value of even the most precious jewels.


    Once more, she was confronted with the realization of how narrow her perspective of the world had been. Silently, she vowed to imprint these scenes into her mind, determined to gradually immerse herself in the world where she truly belonged. Earlier, she had believed she had already been wasteful with money, yet now she recognized that what people were currently doing could indeed be deemed as squandering.


    Her lips twitched with the thought, but soon a broad smile spread across her face as understanding began to dawn in her mind.