YOKED TO A BILLIONAIRE BY VENNEH LISAH

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

YOKED TO A BILLIONAIRE BY VENNEH LISAH

"This is the ladies' room. Why would your husband be in there?" Immaculate replied politely.

"Since it's the ladies' room, why am I not allowed to enter?" Leila threw the question back at Immaculate.

"Miss Milan is injured and should not be disturbed. You can go in once she comes out," Immaculate responded.

Immaculate didn't want to let Amira and Leila in for fear that they would harass Violla, so she blocked them from entering the washroom.

"Leila, let's head back first. We shouldn't be causing a scene at an event like this," Amira advised.

Amira tried to persuade her daughter to let it go, but her words fell on deaf ears. Once Leila learned that Violla was inside the restroom as well, she became even more agitated.

"I knew it! That slut Violla is trying to seduce my darling husband again!" Leila tried to barge in as she yelled, "Get out of my way!"

"Please respect yourself!" Immaculate shot a sharp and cold glance at the hysterical woman.

"A servant like you doesn't have any right to speak to me," Leila said in an arrogant tone as she extended her hand, intending to push Immaculate away. Immaculate swiftly caught her hand and pushed her away instead. Leila staggered and almost fell to the ground.

Luckily, Amira held onto Leila in time, preventing her from falling.

However, Leila ended up spraining her ankle, and her face went pale. Furious, she yelled, "You b*tch! How dare you push me? Do you know who my husband is?"

"Why would I care who your husband is? If you continue causing a disturbance here, don't blame me for being harsh," Immaculate bellowed.

"Who exactly are you? What an arrogant b*tch!" Amira couldn't help but feel agitated as well upon seeing her daughter injured. She dashed forward, about to strike Immaculate.

The latter narrowed her eyes dangerously as she prepared herself to defend against the attack.

"Stop it!" someone yelled.

Amira and Leila abruptly halted their actions. Just then, Franklin walked out of the men's room and frowned at his wife. "What trouble are you stirring up again?"

"Franklin, are you having a rendezvous with Violla?" Leila barked.

"Let's not discuss this matter right now," Amira interrupted and gestured towards Immaculate. "Franklin, this woman just tried to hit Leila!"

Franklin turned to face Immaculate but refrained from reprimanding her. Instead, he bowed and apologized, "I apologize, Dr. Immaculate. My wife's behavior was inappropriate."

Amira and Leila were taken aback by Franklin's response, as they didn't expect him to react in such a manner.

"There's no need for such actions, Mr. Stanley," Immaculate replied with a polite smile. "It's best not to attract unnecessary attention at the auction venue. It wouldn't be pleasant if Mr. Roman becomes upset because of it."

"Of course," Franklin agreed.

"Franklin, why are you..." Leila began.

"Please be quiet," Franklin interrupted Leila and lowered his voice as he scolded her. "Why did you engage in a confrontation with her when you knew she works for Mr. Roman?"

"She's just a servant..." Leila felt deeply insulted and was so upset that she burst into tears. "Am I considered inferior to Mr. Roman's servants?"

"You are!" An arrogant voice suddenly interjected, causing the atmosphere to grow chilling, as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

When Leila looked up and saw Davon, she immediately felt threatened by his authoritative presence. Feeling flustered, she sought solace in her mother's embrace and held her breath.

Amira also felt nervous as she hugged her daughter and retreated behind Franklin.

"Mr. Roman," Immaculate greeted Davon respectfully with a bow. Davon motioned for her to look behind him by tilting his head.

Immaculate turned around and noticed that Violla had emerged from the ladies' area and was witnessing the scene near the door. The doctor quickly approached the woman and offered her support.

"I deeply apologize for my wife's disruption, Mr. Roman. I assure you that I will teach her proper manners once we return," Franklin apologized. He paused momentarily as his eyes met Violla's, reflecting a mix of emotions, but quickly averted his gaze.

"Mr. Roman, there was a misunderstanding earlier. We all misjudged the situation," Amira quickly clarified with a smile, understanding the situation. "We didn't know that this lady works for you." She pointed at Immaculate before continuing, "Dr. Immaculate, we sincerely apologize for offending you without knowing your association. Please accept our heartfelt apologies!"

"Mom..." Leila trembled with rage. Seeing Amira lower herself to apologize in such a situation, Violla couldn't help but silently applaud the woman in her heart. "This woman sure knows when to give in. With this quality, it wouldn't be a surprise if she manages to achieve great things!"

"You guys should be apologizing to Miss Milan instead," Immaculate stated coldly.

Amira's expression turned grim when she heard that; she was extremely reluctant to apologize to Violla. But after noticing Franklin's silence and Davon's domineering aura that reminded her of Hades, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and apologize. "Violla, I'm sorry for..."

"Mom, don't apologize to her," Leila quickly interrupted, pointing at Violla. She then said in an agitated manner, "Mr. Roman, there's something you might not be aware of. Don't be deceived by this woman's innocent looks. She's actually a slut who drove her dad to his grave after hooking up with an escort at a nightclub four years ago. She even gave birth to that escort's..."

Violla was startled and was about to stop her.

"Shut up!" Franklin growled anxiously. At the same time, a hard slap landed on Leila's face. It wasn't Franklin who had hit her, but Amira instead.

With one hand covering the side of her face that was hit, Leila looked at her mom incredulously. "Mom, why did you slap me?"

Franklin was shocked by Amira's actions as well. He knew she had always been extremely protective of Leila and pampered her with no boundaries. Why would she slap her?

Violla sneered when she saw that, realizing that she had really underestimated Amira.

"What a smart woman! She knows how to accurately read a situation and act accordingly without reservations!" Violla thought to herself.

"Behave yourself in front of Mr. Roman!" Amira chided Leila and turned towards Davon, bowing deeply to him. "Mr. Roman, we're truly sorry for spoiling your good spirits today. Please don't take it to heart and forgive us for our wrongdoings!"

Without sparing her a glance, Davon turned to Violla, placing his hand on the back of her neck and the other hand on her waist, gently pulling her closer before softly kissing her. He then broke the kiss and asked Violla, "Are you alright, beautiful?" He toyed with strands of hair on her forehead.

Violla nodded, too blushed to talk as Davon's eyes locked with hers. "Can we head back to the event? Are you alright with that?" He softly asked, shocking everyone there. No one had ever seen his soft side, especially his staff.

"Yes, we can," Violla stated. Davon held Violla's hand and turned to leave.

Franklin had a complicated and indescribable gaze in his eyes as he watched Davon and Violla walk away hand in hand after sharing a kiss in his presence.

He quickly gathered his thoughts and frowned at Amira, saying, "Mom, I'll have my assistant arrange for the two of you to leave."

"That won't do. The auction has just started. How can we leave now?" Amira smiled and replied, "Why don't you go inside first? I'll talk to Leila and comfort her. We won't take long."

"Fine." Not wanting to waste his time and energy on them, Franklin left in a hurry.

"Franklin..." Leila attempted to grab her husband's arm, but her mother held her back. "Stop throwing a tantrum and listen to me."

"Mom, why? Why are you behaving like this?" Leila was furious and trembling with anger. "Why are you doing this?"

"Silly girl..." Amira affectionately embraced her daughter, feeling remorseful for slapping her earlier. "I did it all for you. Think about it. What do you think would happen if you had exposed Violla in front of so many people?"

"What would happen?" Leila couldn't comprehend as she continued, "Violla is hiding the fact that she's already a mother from Mr. Roman. Once we inform him, he will teach her a lesson and drive her away. I'm sure he won't want any further association with her after that. He'll thank us for it. What other consequences could there be?"

"Why are you so foolish..." Amira couldn't help but feel immensely disappointed in her daughter. "All men value their pride, especially a distinguished man like Davon Roman! If you expose Violla in front of all of us, it's like telling everyone that Davon Roman has terrible judgment, a clear insult to him!"

Upon hearing her mother's explanation, Leila became lost in thought. Well, that did make some sense.

"By then, Violla wouldn't be the only one in trouble. Both of us, even the Stanleys and the Smiths, could be implicated," Amira urgently elaborated.

"I heard a long time ago that Davon Roman is like Hades in the business world. Once he's determined to crush a company, no company can survive the next day! Moreover, he's known for his ruthlessness and unforgiving nature. So, never get on his bad side," Amira advised.

"Fine, I understand..." Leila pursed her lips, feeling indignant. "But even so, you didn't have to slap me. You could have just told me to keep quiet."

"If I hadn't done that, Franklin would have. A slap from him would have been far more painful than what you received from me," Amira frowned and continued.

Amira's words upset Leila even more, and she began to cry, burying her face in her hands. "Franklin doesn't love me at all. He only has eyes for Violla. He doesn't have genuine feelings for me..."

"Alright, hush now, stop crying..." Amira embraced her daughter, her heart aching. "Silly girl, I will definitely stand up for you when the opportunity arises. Let's go to the lounge and check if you're hurt."

Meanwhile, the auction was about to commence. Loud music filled the venue.

"I feel like heading home," Violla told Davon. However, the latter did not hear her. So, she leaned in closer to his ear and repeated herself, "Mr. Roman, I feel like heading back first."

"It's still early," Davon put his arms around her slender waist and pulled her into his arms. He brushed his cold and thin lips against her cheeks and whispered into her ear, "Was it fun to hook up with an escort? Huh?"

"Pfft!" Violla was speechless and flustered by his question. She panicked even more when she met his wicked gaze and tried to explain, "Actually, what happened back then was..."

"That wasn't the first time someone told me about it," Davon said in a seductive whisper as he playfully bit her earlobes. "It seems like you're famous for hooking up with escorts, but it's alright."

A numbing tingle ran across Violla's body; she felt as if she was being electrocuted by the feeling he was stirring up in her.

She shuddered. Her heart was thumping so fast that she thought it was going to explode out of her chest. She hurriedly distanced herself from him as she shifted a little to the side. Davon couldn't help but smile faintly upon seeing how flustered the woman was.

Franklin was observing their interactions from a distance. He could feel his heart tightening, and his tightly clenched fists were trembling. At that moment, he had an impulse to charge over and snatch Violla away.

"Franklin, where is Leila and your mom?" Smith asked, interrupting the man's thoughts.

"They're resting at the lounge," Franklin replied with a frown.

"What happened just now? You don't look too good," the man probed further.

"Can you ask them yourself and stop bothering me?" Smith was taken aback by that reply. Over the years, Franklin had always been a gentleman, polite, and well-mannered. He had never shown his temper, and even if there were problems, he would communicate his thoughts rationally. "What's wrong with him today?" Smith wondered.

"I'm so sorry..." Franklin apologized as he realized that he had lost his composure. "Dad, I'm sorry for letting my emotions get the better of me."

"No worries, it's fine," Smith smiled. "I know how tormenting it can be handling those two women. Even I'm not able to stand them sometimes. Don't be angry, yeah? I'll go look for them to make sure they don't stir up any trouble again."

"Alright," Franklin agreed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I shall now officially announce the beginning of bidding for tonight’s charity auction," the emcee declared, capturing the attention of the crowd. As he spoke, a platform rose from the center of the stage, displaying a stunning ruby necklace on a crystal table that glistened under the bright spotlight.

Leila, who had just returned to the banquet hall, immediately noticed the necklace and developed a strong desire for it. "Mom, I want that," she exclaimed, expressing her interest.

Amira, her mother, responded softly, "Don't be hasty, my dear. There are seven jewelry items being auctioned tonight, all of them treasured possessions of East Nation's royalty and incredibly expensive. Given their rarity, the closing bids are likely to reach exorbitant prices."

Leila brushed off her mother's concerns, asserting, "So what if they are exorbitantly priced? It's not like my darling can't afford it." She limped over to the Stanleys' table, deliberately extending her injured foot in front of Franklin, and complained, "You don't even care about me, even though I'm injured. Even Titus would know how to show concern for his mom."

Franklin frowned at her words. Despite his initial inclination to ignore Leila, his heart softened when she mentioned their son. Relenting, he asked, "Which one do you want? I'll buy it for you."

"I want that ruby necklace," Leila pointed towards the stage.

"The starting bid will be ten million, with each bid increment needing to be at least a million," the emcee announced to the audience.

Davon leaned towards Violla and whispered in her ear, "Do you like it?"

"It's not bad," Violla replied. The ruby necklace reminded her of her father. After her father's passing, she had been left penniless, and in desperation, she had sold the sapphire necklace he had given her. The ruby necklace bore some resemblance to it.

"Ten million, Mr. Stanley has placed a bid for ten million," the emcee proclaimed.

"Eleven million, Mr. Collins has placed a bid for eleven million."

"Thirteen million, Mr. Zain has placed a bid for thirteen million..."

Violla turned her gaze towards the other guests. The bidding war was intense, with all the businessmen present actively placing their bids.

Despite the distance between her and the gemstones, Violla could discern their high value. Although not an expert, she could recognize the authenticity of the gems.

“Do these belong to the East Nation’s royalty, especially the buba kingdom, King Kaif's Treasury?” Even though Violla was not an expert, she could still recognize the authenticity of those gems.

"How were you able to tell?" Davon inquired, intrigued by her observation.

"From the magnified images on the screen, we can see that the platinum engravings on the sides of the gemstones symbolize East Nation’s royalty," she examined in detail as she elaborated. "Judging by the handiwork, it should have been crafted by a craftsman from East Nation’s royalty during ancient times. As such, I'm quite sure that these jewels are prized treasures of East Nation’s royalty."

"Well, it seems like you're not ignorant after all," Davon praised Violla with a look of admiration in his eyes.

"I know a little about it mainly because this necklace looks very similar to the one I sold off," Violla sighed. "It feels like they are from the same collection. It's just that mine is a sapphire necklace instead of a ruby necklace."

"Are you talking about the 'Heart of the Ocean'?" Davon looked slightly startled.

"Yes, it was called the Heart of the Ocean," Violla added. "You've heard of it?"

"How did you come to possess that necklace?" Davon asked.

"My dad gave it to me. He might have obtained it from an overseas auction," she casually replied. "I sold it for one million and two hundred thousand four years ago when I was down and out because I had run out of options!"

Davon was speechless upon hearing that.

"What's wrong?" Violla pressed on.

Ignoring her, Davon signaled to Cruze, who was seated next to him. Immediately, Cruze raised his bidding paddle and shouted, "Thirty million!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense. When the rest of the guests saw that Davon was also interested in the item, they did not dare to raise the bid any further.

"You're the host. Is it appropriate for you to do this?" Violla leaned in closer to Davon's ear and asked, "Who else would dare to raise the bid after you raised your paddle?"

He rolled his eyes at her and made a hand gesture.

The emcee said cheerfully, "Everyone, there's no need to be so tense. Mr. Roman is just joining in the fun. Please feel free to raise the bid if you really like the item. No matter what the outcome of tonight’s auction is, it will definitely not affect your business relations."

Even though the emcee had given his reassurance, no one dared to make any further moves.

That was until the Stanleys' bidding paddle was raised .

"Thirty-one million!" Leila personally announced her bid.

"What are you doing?" Amira immediately pulled her daughter to her seat. "Are you crazy?"

"They've already said that the auction would not affect business..." the woman pouted and continued, "I really like that necklace. It matches my black evening dress very well."

"But..." Amira started.

"Mom," Franklin interrupted Amira and said softly, "Since Leila likes it, let her bid for it."

"Huh?" Amira could hardly believe her ears. That was one of the rare occasions when Franklin had shown any support for Leila.

"I knew it! My darling is the best!" Leila beamed and gave her husband a peck on his cheek. Smith frowned. He was well aware that Franklin was doing that for the sake of his dignity and pride as a man.

Violla turned around instinctively after hearing Stanley's bid and met Franklin's unfathomable gaze.

A surge of emotions rose within Franklin as he looked at her. He would be willing to spend thirty-one million just for her to take one glance at him.

"What's that b*tch looking at?" Leila stared at Violla.

Violla retracted her gaze, and just when she was about to tell Davon to stop bidding, Cruze suddenly raised his paddle and exclaimed, "One hundred million!"

"Wow..." Everyone gasped in shock.

The rest of the guests were all stunned. Such a declaration was expected from Davon Roman indeed. Once the man had his mind set on something, other people would not stand a chance.

Therefore, even if Franklin had a hundred million, he did not dare to increase the bid any further.

To be continued..........