Chapter 438
Given that this was a charity auction, there was really no harm in Niamh’s donated item selling for such an outrageous price.
Jonathan stood beside her, his gaze never leaving her face.
He’d imagined that after outbidding everyone in the room and forking over a staggering five hundred million dollars for the hair comb, gifting it to Niamh would leave her overwhelmed with emotion–maybe even in tears.
After all, what woman could turn down a piece of jewelry worth half a billion? And what woman wouldn’t be moved by a man who gave her something like that?
But Niamh’s reaction was nothing like Jonathan had pictured.
Wearing the priceless comb, Niamh rose to her feet in front of the entire room and faced Jonathan.
He noticed that even with her understated makeup and simple evening gown, the golden feathered comb perched in her hair looked perfectly at home–elegant, not the least bit out of place.
Catching Jonathan’s unwavering stare, Niamh offered him a soft, almost teasing
smile.
“Thank you…”
Just two simple words, but somehow they eased the tightness in Jonathan’s chest.
Then, to his astonishment, Niamh removed the comb. She walked straight up to the stage and handed it back to the auctioneer.
She murmured something to the host, and Jonathan could only watch as the man’s expression shifted from shock to uncertainty, before he glanced at Jonathan with a hint of embarrassment.
A moment later, the auctioneer returned to the microphone and, with a flourish, placed the golden feathered comb back in its display box.
“Miss Rivers has generously offered to donate the comb once again to our charity foundation. As such, we will be auctioning the golden feathered comb a second time.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the room erupted with chatter.
Michael tried to stifle a laugh behind his hand, but it was obvious to anyone nearby.
Chapter 438
While the guests halled from every corner of the globe–not all of them locain Aldonia–plenty had heard the rumors swirling around Niamh and Jonathan
“Isn’t Miss Rivers Mr. Thomas’s ex–wife?”
“Seriously? Does that mean Mr. Thomas just tried to win her back–and got rejected?”
“I thought the Thomas family was aiming to arrange a marriage with the Quinns?”
“Who knows? But if that’s really the plan, why didn’t Mr. Thomas just give the comb to the Quinns‘ daughter? It’s worth five hundred million, for heaven’s sake!”
“I’ve never heard much about Miss Rivers‘ background… If she’s only outstanding on her own merits, she probably doesn’t measure up to the Quinns‘ heiress, right?”
“So is this some kind of high society love triangle, with secret feuds and old grudges?”
The guests‘ curiosity was piqued, each whisper fueling more speculation about the tangled relationships between Niamh, Jonathan, and Ramona.
Jonathan quietly returned to his seat.
His face was expressionless, but the air around him had grown noticeably colder. Anyone who’d just blown five hundred million dollars would be in a foul mood. Sprague was so furious his stomach hurt.
But with the Quinn family in attendance, he couldn’t very well scold Jonathan in public–and so he gritted his teeth and kept quiet.
Marigold, however, was not so restrained.
“Niamh is unbelievably ungrateful! Who does she think she is, turning around and donating such an expensive gift?”
She muttered under her breath, only to notice that Hayes, Carlotta, and Carlisle from the Quinn family had all stiffened, their faces darkening with displeasure.
Assuming the Quinns were upset that Ramona hadn’t received the comb, Marigold jabbed Jonathan in the ankle with the heel of her stiletto.
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