Chapter 3

The next morning, I got a call from the Caraway family.

Their young heir, Levi Caraway, wanted to meet me that afternoon at the biggest auction house in Havenshore.

My mother never wasted time. I had barely agreed last night, and she'd already arranged the blind date by morning.

I didn't turn it down. I even did a full, flawless glam look and slipped into a crimson gown—the very one Marcus hated most.

He always liked me in white, soft and quiet like Evelyn, a fragile vine clinging to a tree for dear life.

But before I met him, I had been known as the Red Rose of Havenshore, bold and vivid, a woman people noticed the moment she walked into a room.

When I arrived at the auction house, Levi was already waiting by the entrance.

He wore a deep gray tailored suit, stood tall, and carried that relaxed confidence that comes from being used to attention.

"Ms. Ashford, I have been looking forward to this," he said as he opened the car door for me.

He kept a respectful distance, which made me warm up to him a little more.

"You're too gracious, Levi," I replied.

"I heard you like emerald, Ms. Ashford. There is a fine imperial green stone here today. Want to take a look together?"he asked.

I smiled. "Sure."

We stepped inside, and just my luck, I ran into someone I knew.

Upstairs in a second–floor VIP box stood Marcus, a glass of champagne in his hand.

And sitting right next to him was Evelyn.

So this was the medical condition that needed quiet recovery.

He was recovering at an auction?

Levi followed my gaze, lifted an eyebrow, and asked with a soft laugh, "Is that Mr. Thornton? I heard he spent a week in the ICU because of an infected tattoo.

"Funny he has time to take another girl out."

I pulled my eyes away, my voice cool. "Maybe he is having a little burst of strength before he fades again."

Levi laughed under his breath, his eyes warming with interest. "Ms. Ashford, you are more intriguing than I thought."

While we talked, Marcus seemed to sense something. His gaze swept down toward us.

Even from far away, I could feel the chill rolling off him.

A few seconds later, my phone rang.

"Charlotte, where are you?" Marcus called, his tone sharp.

I played with the bidding paddle in my hand. "At the auction house. What is wrong?"

"Who told you to go there? And who is that man next to you?" His tone carried the confidence of someone who thought he could question me without being questioned back.

"A friend. But you, Marcus… did you not say your wound hurt too much to get out of bed? You look fine to me."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"Charlotte, you misunderstood. Today is Evelyn's birthday. She wanted a necklace. The doctor said I can move around a bit, so I brought her here," Marcus said.

I looked at the pink diamond necklace on stage. The starting price was roughly one million six hundred thousand after conversion.

I had once said it was pretty. Marcus replied, "It is too cheap looking for you."

Not cheap. He was saving it for the woman he adored.

"Charlotte, do not be upset," he said. "I will go home right after the bidding. You should go back first. And stay away from that Caraway guy. He has a bad reputation."

He lectured me while raising his paddle.

"1.8 million," he called out.

The auctioneer's voice boomed with excitement from downstairs. "Mr. Thornton in VIP Suite 1 bids 1.8 million!"

I hung up on him.

Then I turned to Levi and smiled, "Mr. Caraway, I heard your family business in Silverton is huge. Money should not be a problem, right?"

Levi paused, then smiled with a soft curve of amusement, "Not at all. What did you take a liking to? If you say the word, I could buy the whole place."

I pointed at the pink diamond necklace on the stage. "I do not like it. And I do not want it ending up with someone else."

Levi caught on instantly.

He lazily raised his paddle, his voice drawling but clear enough for the whole room to hear.

"Three million," he called out.

The hall went silent for a second and then burst into whispers.

Upstairs, Marcus shot to his feet, staring hard at us.

Evelyn's face went ghostly pale.

Marcus raised his paddle again. "3.5 million."

Levi didn't even bother to look up. "6 million."

Marcus gritted his teeth. "8 million!"

Levi didn't even blink. "17 million."

This was not a bidding war anymore. It was a public slap in the face.

Marcus's expression darkened completely.

He could afford it, but spending more than 17 million on a woman who was not his fiancée would bring trouble from every elder in the Thornton family.

As he hesitated, Evelyn suddenly clutched her chest and fell from her chair.

Marcus rushed to her, picked her up, and ran out.

The gavel came down.

"Sold to the gentleman for 17 million."

Levi had the necklace brought over and handed it to me. "A gift. A small welcome."

I looked at the sparkling pink diamond, walked to the trash bin, and let it fall from my fingers.

"I don't want it," I said flatly.