The majestic hall of the Cloud Shadow Pavilion fell into a deathly silence after Matthew’s bold bid of thirty-five million dollars.
Every eye in the room turned toward the quiet man standing beside Kylie Kone. The once-discarded live-in son-in-law of the Vandermere family had just thrown down a staggering amount without the slightest hesitation.
Andrew Bellington’s face twisted with uncontrollable rage. He shot up from his seat, pointing a trembling finger at Matthew.
“Thirty-five million?! You must be joking!” he roared, his voice echoing off the ancient stone walls. “A worthless live-in son-in-law like you couldn’t possibly have that kind of money! This bid is fake! He’s clearly colluding with someone to humiliate me!”
The entire hall erupted into low murmurs. Guests exchanged shocke
