With Winter's help, Amanda finally finished dealing with her "monthly visitor." Exhausted, she lay back on the sofa.
Winter diligently found her a heating pad and a cup of warm ginger tea. Amanda lay there silently, clutching the hot pack, and watched as Quentin approached her. Looking up at him with wide, round eyes, she whispered, "Thank you."
Since she had met him, he was always the first person to appear whenever she was in trouble. For a man so mature, gentle, and thoughtful, it would be a lie to say she wasn't touched.
Quentin sat down beside her. Noting her pale complexion, he asked softly, "How do you feel? Should I take you to the hospital?"
Amanda sniffed and shook her head. "I took some medicine; I'll be fine. But... why are you here?"
The two of them hadn't been in contact for the past week. She knew he was ten times busier than she was, and she hadn't expected him to show up without warning.
"I said I would visit you. Besides, did you forget about the auction today?"
Amanda was surprised; she actually had forgotten. She gave him an apologetic smile. "I'll go get ready now."
As she tried to sit up, Quentin placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you're not feeling well, just stay and rest."
Amanda shook her head, refusing to stay behind. She sat up and said, "I'm okay. I can go."
How could she miss such a good show? She was dying to see Javier's expression when he realized he had been tricked. Seeing her persistence, Quentin didn't stop her. Amanda dragged her tired body to her vanity, spent an hour on her makeup, and then left for the exhibition hall with Quentin.
The auction was held in the city's grand exhibition hall. By the time they arrived, nearly everyone was seated. Secretary James, who had arrived early, led them to a reserved table. Quentin graciously pulled out a chair for Amanda, and as she sat, she began to observe the room.
The auctioneer was busy introducing the items. A painting by a famous artist was eventually sold for a high price to a businessman at the next table. Seeing Amanda's eyes fixed on the stage, Quentin leaned toward Secretary James.
"Have you bid on that item yet?"
James nodded silently and gave a subtle "OK" sign. The boss wanted to surprise his wife, so James had arrived early to secure specific items before the public bidding began. Quentin nodded, satisfied. He glanced across the room and spotted Javier sitting a few tables away.
Javier caught Quentin's gaze and raised his wine glass in a mock toast, a smirk curling his lips. Quentin ignored the provocation and looked back at Amanda.
"Do you want some cake?" he asked softly.
Amanda turned to him, feeling a bit hungry. She nodded. "There's food here?"
Quentin smiled and signaled a waiter to bring her a slice. Amanda accepted it happily and went back to watching the stage.
"And now, we are auctioning three plots of land in the west of the city," the MC announced. "Starting with Plot Number One, at a base price of twenty million."
Compared to the other two valuable plots, this one was ordinary. Few people paid attention, including Amanda. Consequently, she missed the brief exchange of glances between Quentin and Secretary James. It wasn't until the MC moved on to Plot Number Two that Amanda set down her spoon.
"Starting price is thirty million. Let the bidding begin!"
Quentin sat motionless, which seemed to rattle Javier. Skeptical but determined, Javier raised his board. "Forty million!"
"Young Master Zhao bids seventy million! Do I hear higher?" the MC shouted.
"Fifty million!" someone else countered.
Throughout it all, Quentin remained still. Amanda bit her lip, looking at him with growing concern. Quentin just tilted his head and smiled, patting her back reassuringly. "Eat your cake."
At this point, Amanda had no appetite. Plot Number Two was eventually auctioned off to another bidder. Her mind was racing. She had seen his plan; his focus was supposed to be on Plot Number Two. Why hadn't he bid? Did he make a mistake? Did he think Plot Three was better? But Plot Three was destined for state planning next year—it was a dead end!
She realized then that she truly couldn't see through this man.
"And now, Plot Number Three. Starting price: thirty million!"
Quentin lowered his eyes, masking his emotions. He calmly raised his board. "Sixty million!"
The room erupted in murmurs. Amanda gasped, turning to him in a panic. "Quentin!"
He's crazy, she thought. He just doubled the opening price!
Quentin saw the fear in her eyes and simply curled his lips into a smile. He pulled her into a protective embrace, his eyes narrowing as they landed on Javier. If you want to play, we play to the end. Let's see who falls first.
Javier saw the provocative look. He frowned and signaled to his subordinates. He was confident in the "secret" information Amanda had fed him; he was determined to take this land at any cost.
"Ninety million!" Javier shouted.
"JH Company bids ninety million!" the MC bellowed. "Do I hear a hundred?"
Amanda's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She grabbed Quentin's hand as he prepared to lift the board again. "That land has bad feng shui," she whispered frantically. "Stop!"
Quentin looked at her gently, but the coldness in the depths of his eyes made her spine shiver. He gently pulled his hand from hers and tightened his grip around her waist.
"Be good," he whispered. Then, he raised the board. "One hundred million!"
The room went silent. Everyone turned to see which tycoon was throwing around such a sum.
Javier was in a bind. His subsidiary's capital wasn't as deep as Quentin's, but he couldn't let this "golden" opportunity slip away. Seeing his subordinate's nod of approval, Javier gritted his teeth.
"One hundred and twenty million!"
"One hundred and twenty million!" the MC yelled, slamming his hammer. "Going once!"
Quentin sat back, looking thoughtful but making no move to raise his hand. Javier clenched his fists, praying Quentin was at his limit.
"Going twice!"
Quentin glanced up but didn't lift his board. Javier finally let out a breath of relief. Amanda, too, felt like she could breathe again. She had decided that if he tried to bid again, she would have pinned his hand to the table herself.
"Third and final call! Sold! Congratulations to JH Company!"
As the room broke into applause, Javier slumped back, relieved. Amanda felt the tension leave her body, only to be replaced by a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.
She frowned and slipped off Quentin's lap. "I need to go to the restroom."
Quentin's expression remained unreadable. He gave her a calm, smiling nod. "Go ahead."
Amanda didn't see the dark, shifting waves in his eyes as she walked away. He watched Javier answer a phone call across the room, and a cruel, cold smile finally spread across Quentin's face.
"Secretary James," he murmured. "Handle the rest."
"Yes, sir."