Chapter 25
Philip
My smirk was so wide I couldn’t contain it. So perfect!
The energy in the room was thick with anticipation. Eyes gleamed, glasses clinked, and I could practically taste the tension hanging in the air. These people didn’t just want the estate–they wanted the prestige, the bragging rights that came with it.
So did I. I wasn’t here to play nice; I was here to win.
“The starting bid is 200 million dollars…” the auctioneer announced, his voice echoing through the hushed room. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and my smirk only deepened.
Oh, this was too good. Did they think this was going to be easy? Ha.
Before he could even finish his sentence, paddles shot up–one after another. The bids were coming fast, 250 million, 320, 350. I glanced across the room at Sebastian, my eyes narrowing. His face was calm, almost detached. No surprise there. He always kept his composure. But what about Olivia? Where was she? Did she get sick of him already? Good. I hoped she did.
“500 million,” I called out, my voice steady, cutting through the room.
Kaylee gave me a smug grin from where she sat a few seats to the side, her gaze fixed on me, proud of the chaos I was stirring.
Sebastian turned, his eyes narrowing as they met mine. He didn’t flinch, but I caught the flicker of surprise in his eyes before he masked it. Whispers rippled through the crowd–murmurs of shock.
Yes, I had their attention now.
My chest swelled with pride. Ha! Who was the small fry now?
“Who is that man?” I heard from the crowd.
“I didn’t expect this from Phillip. Does he have this kind of money to squander?” Another voice whispered behind me, sharp and mocking.
I could practically feel their eyes burning into my back, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t a joke. I was here to make a name, and tonight, I was finally visible.
Sebastian didn’t look at me again, but I could feel the heat of his frustration simmering under that stoic mask of his. The satisfaction in me deepened. He was trying so hard to play it cool, but I could see it. He was rattled. Such a sore loser.
For once, I was ahead of him—thanks to Olivia.
Suddenly, that overly composed voice cut through the tension.
Sebastian’s voice? What the hell does he want now? His bid had already been locked in and he couldn’t go higher. This estate was mine!
“One Billion Dollars,” he announced, smooth and unbothered.
The room went silent. Complete silence. You could hear a pin drop.
And then, the gasps. The collective shock. The thunderous applause. It was like a wave crashing through the room, drowning everything in its path.
The auctioneer’s voice cracked with excitement. “One billion going once…”
I locked eyes with Sebastian across the room, his smug little smirk hanging on his lips as our gazes collided.
“Going twice…”
I held my breath, waiting for the hammer to fall. No. This wasn’t happening.
He didn’t move. The air was thick with tension. How? How could he do this?
“Sold to Mr. Sebastian Lancaster!” The gavel hit the podium with a sharp crack, signaling the end.
The room erupted in scattered applause, but to me, it sounded muffled, distant. Like I was underwater.
I’d failed.
No. No, no, no. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t!
Chapter 25
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I watched, numb, as people gathered around Sebastian, congratulating him. Smiling. Hugging. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been ME!
Kaylee rushed up to me, her face pale with confusion, her voice barely controlled. “What the hell just happened?!” she hissed, her arms trembling with anger.
I couldn’t answer. My mind was racing, trying to process what had just unfolded. I scanned the room desperately, looking for that woman, Olivia. Had she betrayed me? Where the hell was she?!
“I’m talking to you, Phillip!”
“I don’t fucking know!” I shouted back, my voice raw with frustration and disbelief. I felt like my mind was unraveling, spinning into chaos.
I couldn’t breathe. The room felt too small, too suffocating. This was supposed to be my moment. Everything was supposed to fall into place. I had it all planned out. I calculated every move.
But now? Now I was left in the dust. The bid I was sure was Sebastian’s–400 million. But this? This was a mistake.
I flipped through the folder again, over and over, desperate for a flaw, a crack in the calculations, but everything was perfect. Every signature. Every figure. Olivia’s name was even there. She’d made sure of it. Or had she?
Did Sebastian find out about our plans? Had I been played all along?
Months of planning, hours of scheming, gone in the blink of an eye. Wasted.
I felt like I was loosing my mind.
I was stuck, frozen in place, as the older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton, walked up to Sebastian. Their steps were slower, but still dignified, as they congratulated him with warm smiles and firm handshakes. Their praises rang out like daggers in my chest.
Kaylee was still trying to get my attention, but I couldn’t focus. My eyes were scanning the room, my mind still reeling, hunting for answers.
“Phillip!!” she snapped, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
I tuned her out, searching for Olivia again, my thoughts consumed by one single question.
How the hell did this happen?
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