Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 115

The opposite box had the same floor-to-ceiling windows as theirs. When Scarlett looked across, people on the other side were looking back.

The moment Ethan spotted Scarlett, he instinctively averted his gaze. He'd learned certain truths from Orion—truths he wished weren't real. 

As his eyes shifted, he noticed Sebastian sitting in the primary seat of the opposite box.

What bothered him was Scarlett's placement. She wasn't seated near the position of honor. 

That spot was occupied by Adeline, the woman with the questionable reputation, while Scarlett was seated further back.

Ethan immediately frowned, finding this seating arrangement unreasonable. Without realizing it, he felt indignant on Scarlett's behalf. 

She had been with Sebastian for so long—surely she deserved some official recognition.

He clenched his fist, watching Sebastian—who clearly didn't appreciate what he had—talking with Adeline. In his mind, he'd already thrown countless punches.

"It's not right..." he muttered under his breath.

The elderly man beside him asked what he'd said, and Ethan quickly waved it off. But moments later, his gaze drifted back to the box across from them.

Below, the auction had officially begun. 

There weren't many people on the floor—only a handful were bidding in person. The rest were phone bidders representing overseas clients who wouldn't personally attend.

Sebastian flipped through the catalog in front of him, pausing briefly at a page featuring a pocket watch before moving on. 

Beside him, Adeline was looking too, though she lingered longest on the jewelry pages—fifteen items in total.

Sylvia flipped through the catalog with growing boredom and increasingly furrowed brows. "Is there anything here worth giving?"

Her disappointment was understandable. Nearly all the items were jewelry and modern accessories. 

Though Sylvia had never independently chosen a birthday gift, years of observation had taught her something: George preferred ancient calligraphy and paintings, especially those hundreds of years old.

Among all the auction items, only one painting met those criteria. The rest were gemstones and antique collectibles that would hardly interest the old man.

Scarlett had just come hoping to find something worthwhile, without specific expectations. 

However, given that the gift was for George, even she couldn't help knowing his preferences—people had been discussing what he liked for days.

Scarlett knew that exceptional painting would never end up in her hands. So when she took the catalog from Sylvia, she struggled to find anything suitable. 

The only item that caught her eye was a pipe crafted by a famous artisan.

The stem was made of dark walnut wood, while the mouthpiece was jade unearthed from Yu Cong. It came with a double-embroidered tobacco pouch for the user to store tobacco. Scarlett was captivated at first glance.

She checked the price: starting bid of $100,000. If no one competed with her, she could probably secure it for $150,000. 

Still, this was a substantial amount. She'd need to be frugal or take on extra commercial work to afford it. 

But regardless of the price, she'd need Sebastian to front the money for her now.

"Found something?" Sylvia, sitting beside her, peeked over and noticed the catalog had stopped moving.

When her eyes fell on the pipe, Sylvia frowned. "Will this really work?" She didn't interact with George often, so she wasn't aware of his pipe-smoking habit.

Adeline was similarly uninformed. Sitting near Scarlett, she heard Sylvia's voice and glanced back. Her eyes caught the open catalog in front of Scarlett, and she raised an eyebrow with a contemptuous smile. 

But she said nothing, quickly turning her attention back to the auction floor below.

By the time the bidding started, Sylvia still hadn't decided what to bid on.

The auctioneer began introducing the first item—a pocket watch with top-tier enamel craftsmanship. 

The cover featured a slightly blurred photograph of a woman holding a child. The woman's face was indistinct, but the infant in swaddling clothes was clearer.

Sebastian's hand rested on the sofa armrest near a button. His long fingers tapped lightly. 

Adeline noticed the sound and looked over. "Sebi, you want this one?"

"No, it's nothing important." Sebastian shook his head, withdrawing his hand and propping his chin with his fingertips, clearly uninterested.

However, his lack of interest didn't mean others felt the same. The box across from them made the first bid.

"Box 03, two hundred thousand dollars."

The bid announcement made not just Sylvia frown, but Scarlett as well.

"What are the Watsons thinking? Two hundred thousand for an enamel pocket watch?" Sylvia flipped through the catalog, worried she'd missed some crucial information.

But after searching thoroughly, the description remained brief: [A unique piece from the Republic of Golgabi, reportedly worn by investor Wesley Seymour during his lifetime.]

Scarlett also turned back to check. There was nothing extraordinary about it. The only thing potentially increasing its value was the name "Wesley Seymour."

Wesley had been a renowned investor over fifty years ago, reportedly leaving behind assets worth billions of dollars. 

But an accident years ago had caused him to disappear completely. His substantial estate was to be inherited by his wife, but she too had vanished, leaving the fortune sitting unclaimed in banks. 

By now, that fortune had grown to hundreds of billions, perhaps even trillions.

The whole world wondered where this legendary investor's wife and descendants might be. Scarlett had heard about this.

"Do the Watsons think this watch might hold some clue?" she asked Sylvia with surprise.

Before Sylvia could respond, Adeline turned and said with a smile, "What are the chances of that? Besides, we don't even know if that watch truly belonged to Mr. Seymour."

Her reasoning made sense, and no one in the box contradicted her. 

Despite the speculation surrounding the watch's origins, the Watson family's Box 3 successfully acquired it. Someone from their box stood and left. No one cared where the watch ended up.

The second auction item was quickly presented—the pipe Scarlett had her eye on, with a starting bid of $100,000. 

After the auctioneer announced the price, no one raised it. Apparently, no one valued this small pipe, despite it being the masterwork of a famous artisan.

Confirming no one else was bidding, Scarlett pressed the button beside her before the item could go unsold.

"Box 02, guest number four, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars!"

Everyone in the box turned to look at her. Adeline gave her an appraising look, her eyes darkening slightly.