The Billionaire's Dangerous Redemption (by Claire Winters) novel Chapter 48

48 The Three–Hundred–Million–Dollar Savior

The auction hall buzzed with anticipation, Expensive perfumes mingled with tension in the air as I stood my ground, paddle clutched in my sweating palm The jade bracelet glowed under the spotlight, my mother’s memory caught in its depths

*One hundred and ten million; Lcalled out, my voice steadier than my heart

The crowd gasped. I caught Vera’s horrified expression from the corner of my eye. She gripped my arm tighter.

“Hazel, stop! You’ve already bid way beyond what you can afford!”

I ignored her eyes locked on the auctioneer’s face as he repeated my bid with barely concealed excitement.

“One hundred and ten million from paddle twenty–eight. Do I hear one–twenty?”

From across the room, Alistair’s face darkened. He leaned toward Ivy, whispering something in her ear. My stepsister’s eyes narrowed, a cat–like smile playing on her lips as she nodded.

Charlotte, acting as their proxy, raised her paddle. “One hundred and twenty million.”

The crowd erupted in whispers. What had started as a standard auction for a jade bracelet worth at most seven million had morphed into a spectacle of revenge and

obsession.

“You can’t keep up with this, Vera hissed. “Sebastian only loaned you fifty million!”

I knew she was right. Each bid dug me deeper into financial ruin, but watching ivy’s smug expression as she clung to Alistair’s arm ignited something reckless inside me.

One hundred and thirty million. I announced, raising my paddle high.

The auctioneer could barely contain his glee. “One hundred and thirty million! Dol thear one–forty?”

Alistair suddenly stood up, his expression thunderous as he strode toward the

What the bell are you dong he demanded, grabbing my wrist. You’re going to bankrupt yourself”

I varked my mm away, anger farms “Don’t touch me. This isn’t your concern

VIDOre

Plauel, be reasonable, he lowered his voice, glancing around at the curious onlookers

I know what thus bracelet means to you, but this is madness

“Oh, now you care what it means to me laughed bitterly “Where was this contem when you let by convince you to bid against me in the first place?”

Ivy appeared at his side, her sickly sweet facade firmly in place: “Is everything okay?

The auctioneer’s waiting

“One–forty from paddle seventy–one! Charlotte called out from her seat, raising her

paddle without waiting for Ivy’s signal.

The auctioneer nodded. “One hundred and forty million to paddle seventy–one. Do!

hear one–fifty?

Red clouded my vision. I raised my paddle. “One hundred and fifty million.”

Wera groaned behind me. Alistair’s face paled.

Hazel, stop this now,” he pleaded, reaching for my paddle. “You don’t have this kind of

Trenched away from him. “Don’t pretend you care about my financial wellbeing You

sade your choice when you left me for her

concern shipped revealing the vicious satisfaction beneath. “She’s right

are Let her rujo herself if that’s what she wants.

Something in her tone pushed me over the edge

For baudred and fifty million going once the auctioneer called

my

The story piece of ray mother I have left I said voice shaking “The mother who sted after your mother stole my father away. The least you could do is let ine have this

De g

Two hundred million, Ivy suddenly shouted snatching the paddle from Charlotte

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Even the auctioneer paused in shock

Alistair grabbed her an “by! What are you doing?”

She shrugged him off, eyes glittering with malice as she stared directly at me

“Winning

My heart sank. There was no way I could counter that bid. I was already one hundred million beyond what I could afford.

The auctioneer recovered his composure. “Two hundred million from paddle seventy–one. Do I hear two–ten?”

I raised my paddle without thinking. “Two hundred and ten-

Alistair lunged forward, physically forcing my arm down.

“Stop it, Hazel!” he hissed. “This isn’t worth destroying your life over!”

“Let go of me!” I struggled against his grip, tears pricking my eyes. “You don’t get to decide what’s worth it to me!”

“Two hundred million going once,” the auctioneer called.

“Please” Alistair whispered, his eyes suddenly desperate. “I’m trying to protect your

“Going twice…”

“Protect me?” I spat. “You’re six years too late for that.”

Ivy’s triumphant smile widened as the auctioneer raised his gavel.

“Three hundred million.”

The clear, commanding voice cut through the tension like a knife. Every head in the

room swiveled toward the VIP boxes above us

The auctioneer nearly dropped his gavel. “Three… three hundred million from the VIP

box?

Whispers erupted throughout the hall “That’s Sebastian Sinclair, someone nearby marmured. “Second son of the Sinclair family”

My gaze shot upward, meeting the dark, intense eyes of the man who had already Acaned me fifty milbon. Now he’d bid six times that amount for my mother’s bracelet. He smiled down at me, a calm, confident curve of his lips that made my heart skip

ivy’s face contorted with rage and disbelief. “Who is that? Who does he think he is?

Alistair had gone completely still beside me, his grip on my arm slackening.

“Three hundred million going once, the auctioneer called, his voice trembling with

excitement. “Going twice.

No one dared breathe, let alone bid.

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