Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 255

Some people were just born geniuses.

And that was Christopher in a nutshell.

While both of us were searching for Magnus and Cassius, Christopher spotted them way before I did.

I was impressed and said, "Mr. Collins, how'd you find them so fast in this crowd?"

Christopher looked at me like I was clueless. "You'd get get played and still applaud the player. See this?"

He pointed to a code on the back of a nearby chair.

That was when I realized every seat had a fixed code.

I felt a bit foolish, but his comment didn't bother me. It wasn't a big deal.

When we got closer, Cassius and Magnus were at it again.

Every time they argued, it was like watching kids fight—one minute they'd be at each other's throats, the next they'd be best friends again.

This time, Cassius was accusing Magnus of promising him two candies a day but only giving him one.

When Cassius saw me, he looked like he'd found a lifeline.

He complained, "Why'd you give the candies to Magnus? Why not sneak them to me directly? Are you trying to mess with me?"

Cassius needed to cut down on sugar, even though these candies had less sugar than usual. I couldn't let him have too many.

Cassius was old and probably wouldn't remember how many he'd eaten, but he loved them. I couldn't completely deny him that pleasure.

Magnus snorted, "If I didn't keep them, you'd eat them all in a day. And if something happened, would you expect Melinda to take responsibility?"

Cassius pouted, "I had great self-control when I was younger. I wouldn't overeat."

Magnus rolled his eyes, "You know how bad your memory is now. You'd probably eat them and then claim you didn't. I already gave you two today."

Cassius sulked, "I only remember one. That's not my fault."

Magnus didn't want to keep bringing up Cassius's Alzheimer's and dampen the mood, so he fell silent.

The auction started soon after.

I knew the items would be expensive, but seeing the prices skyrocket, with some pieces going for over a hundred million dollars, was shocking. Even the cheaper ones were in the tens of millions.

At that moment, I truly felt the wealth gap.

I'd never lacked money or love growing up. I didn't have a fixation on luxury items, and I had enough money for a comfortable life. I'd always thought I was well-off.

But now, I realized I didn't even come close to the truly wealthy.

Before I could recover from the shock, the next item up for auction made my jaw drop.

An Eternal Brilliance diamond necklace, starting at three hundred million dollars.

I suddenly noticed Christopher raising his paddle. I couldn't help but blurt out, "Mr. Collins, are you bidding on this?"

Such a necklace could only be a gift or a collectible.

Knowing Christopher, he probably wouldn't collect something like this. Was he planning to give it to someone?

The only person I could think of was Marlowe. Maybe he felt guilty for hurting her and wanted to make amends with such a valuable gift.

"Do you think it's beautiful?" Christopher asked me.

At that price, it had to be. And even without considering the cost, it was stunning. So I nodded, "Yeah, it's gorgeous!"

Christopher's lips curved into a smile as he continued to bid.

The commotion caught Magnus's attention, who couldn't help but snort, "Typical capitalist!"

Magnus had always looked down on businessmen, and now he probably thought Christopher was tacky and shallow.

The bidding continued.

Each increase made my heart race.

When the price reached 1.5 billion dollars, only a few bidders, including Christopher, remained.

As the bidding went on, I recognized one of the remaining bidders—Ramon Meza, the head of Vanguard Motors, Inc.

Ramon had lost to AutoForge Workshop in a recent car launch competition, so he was clearly here to reclaim his pride.

He seemed determined, always outbidding Christopher by a small margin.

Eventually, it was just Christopher and Ramon, with the price reaching 2.5 billion dollars for the necklace.

At that moment, I felt a burning gaze directed at us. It was Marlowe.

She believed Christopher loved her, and seeing him determined to win the necklace, she probably thought it was for her.

Honestly, I thought the same.

When the price hit 3 billion dollars, and Ramon hesitated to bid further, Christopher suddenly stopped.

Ramon's face turned strange as he looked at Christopher repeatedly, as if asking, "That's it? You're not bidding anymore?"

Christopher calmly said, "Mr. Meza, it's all yours. I prefer to let others have their way."

Christopher knew how to get under someone's skin.

Ramon's face darkened, but he couldn't vent his frustration.

With the deal done and everyone watching, Ramon had no choice but to pay and leave in a huff.

Next up were the paintings Magnus loved, which had already reached astronomical prices.

Christopher offered, "Magnus, I can bid for you, and you can pay me back later."

Magnus snorted, "If you bid, I'll end up paying a high price!"

After all, someone had just tried to drive up the price against Christopher.

Christopher wasn't embarrassed. Instead, he smiled confidently, "That's been taken care of. No one will dare now."

His reputation in Starlight City was significant. No one wanted to cross Christopher lightly.

I looked at Christopher with admiration. His earlier bidding on the necklace made sense now—it was a diversion.

Christopher was impressive!

Magnus's gaze deepened, and Cassius quickly mediated. This time, Magnus didn't refuse.

He really loved that painting.

In the end, it was just Christopher and a young man bidding. The young man eventually gave up after someone whispered to him.

Christopher won the painting.

I suspected the young man's withdrawal had something to do with Christopher. I couldn't help but give Christopher a thumbs up.

Christopher's smile showed he was pleased.

But then I noticed Marlowe's hostile glare, as if I had stolen her happiness.