The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 160

Aveline

Luna was watching me with barely concealed amusement as I went through the emotional gymnastics of pretending I wasn't bothered by the scene unfolding in front of us.

"So," she said with a knowing smile, "are we going to talk about how you're obviously jealous of that young woman all over Orion?"

"That 'young woman,'" I said, forcing my voice to stay level, "is Sera Ashford. She's the one who showed up at my school making threats and trying to humiliate me in front of my colleagues. She thinks she can intimidate anyone she wants just because her father is Blackwell Industries' second-largest shareholder and the CEO of Ashford Industries."

"I know exactly who she is," Luna said, still grinning. "But I don't think you're angry because of what happened at the school."

"Then what am I angry about?"

"Well," Luna's eyes sparkled with mischief, "it might have something to do with the way she's practically molding herself to his leg, or how she keeps positioning herself so her cleavage is at his eye level."

I shot her a warning look. "Orion and I are just friends. Nothing more."

"Oh, progress!" Luna clapped her hands together softly. "Last time we talked, you couldn't stand the sight of him. Now you're friends!"

Before I could formulate a response, Luna's expression grew more serious. "Though I have to say, I didn't expect this many reporters at an art auction. I just wanted to see some beautiful paintings, but it feels like everyone's here for the gossip. They're all waiting to see if Orion and Sera make some kind of public announcement."

She gestured toward the cameras that seemed to be focused more on the third row than the actual artwork. "If those two get together officially, you're talking about a merger between two of the most powerful companies in the country. That's front-page news, not just society pages."

"I couldn't care less about their business dealings," I said dismissively, though my eyes kept drifting back to where Orion was sitting.

Just then, I watched him remove his suit jacket and place it across his lap in what was clearly a strategic move for modesty. I couldn't help but snort with a mixture of amusement and irritation.

*Seriously? Did Sera actually manage to get a physical reaction out of him? Men really are predictable.*

---

The auction began in earnest, with the first several pieces selling for respectable but unremarkable amounts. The energy in the room was polite but subdued—until the auctioneer introduced lot number seventeen.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer announced with obvious excitement, "we have Henri Dubois's masterpiece, 'L'Harmonie Éternelle'—Eternal Harmony. This breathtaking piece depicts a woman in flowing blue silk standing beside a moonlit lake, her reflection creating a perfect symmetry that seems to capture the very essence of peace and balance."

The painting was illuminated on stage, and even from our seats in the back, I could see why it had caused such a stir. The woman in the painting seemed almost alive, her serene expression and the way the moonlight played across the water creating an atmosphere of otherworldly tranquility.

"Oh my God," Luna breathed, gripping my arm. "I've wanted to see this in person for years. It's even more beautiful than I imagined."

I had to admit, even with my limited knowledge of art, there was something about the painting that made you want to just... breathe. It radiated calm in a way that felt almost magical.

"The bidding will start at five hundred thousand dollars," the auctioneer announced.

Immediately, the room erupted into competitive energy. Paddle after paddle went up, and I could see the cameras swiveling to capture every bid. But most of the lenses seemed trained on Orion, waiting to see what he would do.

I watched Sera lean close to him, her lips moving urgently near his ear. From her body language, she was clearly begging him to bid on the painting for her. Orion's face remained impassive, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

Several well-dressed men from his table kept turning around to look at him expectantly, and the pressure in the room was palpable.

"Two million dollars!" someone called from the front.

"Two point five!" came another bid.

That's when something snapped inside me.

Maybe it was watching Sera manipulate him so blatantly, maybe it was the expectant faces of those shareholders, or maybe I was just tired of watching other people try to control him.

"Three million!" I called out, raising my hand high.

The room went dead silent for about three seconds before exploding into chaos. Camera flashes went off like strobe lights, and I could hear reporters frantically whispering into their phones.

"Isn't that the teacher from Ryan's school?"

"That's definitely her—Orion's supposed girlfriend!"

"This is getting interesting..."

Sera whipped around in her seat, her eyes blazing with fury. The look she gave me could have melted steel, and I could practically see her calculating her next move.

"Five million!" she called out, her voice carrying across the room like a battle cry.

Luna grabbed my arm in panic. "Aveline, thank God she outbid you! Let's go before this gets any crazier. That painting's market value is maybe one million—this is insane!"

But I wasn't moving. "Luna, do you really love this painting?"

"I mean, yes, but—"

"Then consider it an early Christmas present." I raised my hand again. "Six million!"

The auction house erupted again. Reporters were typing frantically on their phones, probably crafting headlines about the "Art War Between Orion's Women."

Sera was on her feet now, her face flushed with anger and determination. I could see Charles Ashford trying to calm her down, but she shook off his restraining hand.

"Six and a half million!" she shouted.

"Seven million," I replied calmly, as if I were ordering coffee.

The auctioneer looked like he might faint from excitement. This was probably the highest bid in the gallery's history.

"Eight million!" Sera's voice was getting shrill now.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from Laurent: *I'm watching the livestream. Are you completely insane? Stop this right now! We're business people, not emotional teenagers!*

I stared at the message, my heart pounding as reality crashed down on me like ice water.

*Eight million dollars.* The number suddenly seemed astronomical, terrifying.

What was I doing? I looked at the message again, Laurent's words hitting me like a slap across the face.

The room waited in tense silence for my response. Sera was practically vibrating with anticipation, a triumphant smile already forming on her lips.

I looked at Luna, who was watching me with a mixture of terror and fascination, then at the sea of cameras pointed in my direction.

*This is stupid. I'm not going to bankrupt myself over wounded pride.*

I deliberately lowered my hand and turned to Luna. "You know what? You're right. Let's get out of here."

Sera's smile broadened into something genuinely victorious as she realized I was conceding defeat.

But just as Luna and I were gathering our things to leave, a clear, authoritative voice cut through the celebratory murmur.

"Ten million dollars."

The entire auction house fell into absolute, deathly silence.

Every head in the room turned toward the third row, where Orion Blackwell was sitting with his paddle raised, his expression completely calm, as if he'd just bid on a cup of coffee instead of a painting worth more than most people's houses.