The moment the bid was announced, a collective gasp rippled through the room.
A pen.
Was it made of solid gold?
All eyes turned instinctively toward Bidder #1’s table.
The paddle holder’s expression didn’t waver, but even he couldn’t hide the tremor that ran through him.
Chester had arrived at the auction in person.
He’d intended to win that pen for Celestine, but ten million dollars for a pen? That was madness. With that kind of money, he could buy her something far more meaningful.
should we keep
His secretary leaned in, voice taut with concern. “Mr. Fordham, should going?”
They’d been prepared to stretch the budget for this pen, but tonight had already blown past every limit. The boss was acting strange–first, cold–shouldering Miss Sinclair, now refusing to back down over a ridiculous pen.
Chester’s expression darkened. “Let’s stop. Find out who’s behind Bidder #1.”
Anyone who could casually drop ten million on a pen in Oceanview City wasn’t just another wealthy dilettante. He was itching to see which fool would pull such a
stunt.
Around the room, similar thoughts were brewing. No one in attendance was easily fooled; these were seasoned veterans of the game.
It didn’t take long for whispers to ripple through the crowd, and Celestine caught fragments of conversation drifting her way.
“Word is, Number One’s buying it for his fiancée. Trying to win her over.”
“Tsk, tsk. Who on earth is it? Dropping that much on a pen–what could possibly make it worth ten million?”
“Someone said he’s from the Prescott family…”
As the next auction item appeared, the chatter began to die down, but Celestine was still listening closely.
17.22
The Prescott family?
Could it be the head of Prescott Group?
Her thoughts flashed to Gideon. His last name was Prescott too. He’d never spoken- in detail about his business, but judging by his demeanor–and by Chester’s reaction–it all started to make a strange sort of sense.
Celestine couldn’t help but picture Gideon’s face and the image of the powerful CEO of Prescott Group, and for a fleeting moment, the two overlapped.
No… surely it couldn’t be that much of a coincidence?
She recalled the stories Cynthia had told her over the past few days about Gideon’s early years–how he’d graduated college at seventeen and struck out on his own. He’d founded a tech company from scratch, launched it in the heartland, and it was now publicly traded overseas.
Celestine had never bothered to ask for the company’s name. But she remembered there was a business database app; with a quick search, she could find out exactly what companies he owned.
Driven by a sudden, burning curiosity about the mysterious ten–million–dollar bidder, she opened the app and started to type.
Just as she was about to search, a shadow fell across her screen.
“Gideon…”
His voice was low and smooth, with a playful lilt at the end.
Celestine’s hands paused mid–typing. She looked up and locked eyes with him–his features sharp and striking, the light from behind outlining his silhouette, the side of his face cut by the glow. Those pale gray eyes were impossible to look away
from.
She stared at him, and her first thought was how much thinner he looked. Her mind wandered, unbidden, to all the secrets between Gideon and his mother.
Gideon studied the woman in front of him. Usually, her fox–bright eyes would be dancing with mischief, but now she seemed lost in thought, gazing right through
him.
A glint of amusement flickered in his eyes. He leaned forward and snapped his fingers in front of her.
“What are you thinking about?”
213
t
17:23
Celestine snapped out of it, startled. “Why are you back already?!”
Gideon gave her a knowing, teasing look. “If I hadn’t come back, how else would I catch you snooping on me?”
It hit her then–her phone was still open, mid–search for Gideon!
And suddenly, the man himself was standing right in front of her.
Her heart thudded wildly in her chest. She fumbled to delete the search, as if that would somehow erase her embarrassment.
“You saw wrong–1, uh, just mistyped,” she stammered.
“Oh?”
His reply was soft, but dripping with amusement.
Celestine’s ears burned so hot she thought they might burst into flames. She wished she could dig a hole right there and disappear.
It used to be that she’d bump into Gideon only when her luck was at its worst. Now, he had a knack for appearing at her most mortifying moments too.
What a cruel twist of fate.
Gideon, noticing how she was struggling to keep her composure, couldn’t help but laugh quietly to himself. He let her off the hook, deciding not to tease her any further–for now.
3/3
