Chapter 3
855 Words
One of Soren's friends laughed openly.
"She actually dared to bid."
"Violet, are you so desperate for Soren's attention that you're willing to risk your neck?"
Ella gave a cold laugh.
"Everyone here is a high-ranking werewolf from one of the major packs. If you disrupt an auction at this level with fake bids, you'll be in serious trouble."
Soren's expression grew darker.
He came to my side and lowered his voice, anger edging every word.
"First you sit in the seat of honor and impersonate the Crown Princess. Now you're bidding recklessly. Violet, you're doing all this to prove you're doing well and make me regret losing you, aren't you? This isn't the place for your games."
Ella sneered.
"Violet, do you even understand what 8 million means? That useless husband of yours couldn't scrape together that much if he begged his entire life."
Soren's friends eagerly joined in.
"Soren, Violet is completely obsessed with you. She's throwing fake bids around at an auction just to get your attention."
A staff member approached with a card terminal.
"Would you like to make payment now?"
I took a black card from my bag and handed it over.
Leo had given it to me and told me to use it whenever I wanted.
I rarely spent much on myself. Aside from buying things for Kimi, I had barely touched the card.
But when the staff member ran it, the terminal announced that the transaction exceeded the spending limit.
Only then did I remember the card was new and its temporary limit was low.
I had also spent quite a lot at another auction a few days earlier.
Soren's friend laughed immediately.
"You sounded awfully confident when you bid 1 million. Now your card won't even go through? That's embarrassing. Did you think you could bid at a charity gala and simply refuse to pay afterward?"
Ella covered her mouth, visibly delighted.
"Violet, maybe you don't know this, but the last person who bid in bad faith at an auction like this and couldn't pay was used as live prey at the Hunt Festival so other werewolves could train."
Soren looked down at me arrogantly.
"Violet, if you ask me properly, I'll pay it for you."
I looked at his smug face.
"No need. I can handle it."
It was only 1 million.
As if the royal family would have trouble covering 1 million.
Soren laughed in disbelief.
"Fine. Let's see how your wolfless husband pays 1 million."
I took out my phone and called Leo.
He answered almost immediately.
His deep voice came through the phone, and some of the tension in me eased.
"I'm almost there. Wait for me."
Before I could end the call, Soren snorted.
"Violet, are you done acting?"
I looked up at him.
Anger, resentment, and wounded pride all flickered across his face.
"Now you're getting some man to play along so you can get my attention? You think I'll get jealous?"
I frowned.
"Soren, you're imagining things."
He ignored me and continued as if he hadn't heard a word.
"Stop this, all right? I admit it. You got my attention."
Ella stiffened.
"Soren..."
He didn't even look at her.
He kept staring at me as if he were finally giving me the affection he imagined I had spent years begging for.
"Violet, I know you still love me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have found some way to get an invitation just to appear in front of me."
He kept going before I could answer.
"You wouldn't dress like this. You wouldn't sit in the seat of honor. You wouldn't cause a scene with fake bids. You're doing all this because you want me to admit I still care about you, aren't you?"
The absurdity almost left me speechless.
He could dismiss everything he had done to me as something trivial.
Now I was sitting beside my own husband in the seat reserved for me, and Soren still saw it as another attempt to get his attention.
He drew a breath and softened his tone.
"Enough, okay? Come back to me. We'll get married right away and form our mate bond again. I'll give you a wedding even grander than the one before."
He paused, clearly expecting me to soften.
"I won't hold your choice from 5 years ago against you. I'll pretend the last 5 years never happened. Violet, that's the biggest concession I can make."
I watched him coldly and thought he looked ridiculous.
In Soren's mind, all he had to do was soften his voice and I would throw myself into his arms in gratitude.
"Soren, do you really think saying that is enough to make me come running back to you?"
He frowned.
"What else would you do?"
At that moment, Leo appeared holding a little boy's hand.
The child saw me, released Leo, and ran straight into my arms.
"Mom!"
Leo swept his gaze across the ballroom.
"Whatever my Crown Princess wants tonight, the royal family will outbid anyone who challenges her."
The auctioneer was so excited his voice shook.
"The royal family will outbid any challenger!"
- Writer
