No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 164

LAUREN’S POV

“Hey, are you seeing this?” I whispered through the earpiece, my eyes narrowing on the man sitting a few rows

away.

“Yeah,” Roman’s voice came through, calm but edged with disbelief. “I’m just as confused as you are.”

My fingers tightened around the paddle on my lap. Ethan? Here? That made absolutely no sense. My chest tightened with suspicion as I continued watching him – his sharp suit, the confident smirk plastered across his

face, the way his uninjured hand lifted that bidding paddle like he belonged here.

“Was he on the list of people who got invites to this event?” I asked quickly, my voice low so no one around would overhear.

“No, I don’t think so,” Roman replied. “They only send out invites to CEOs whose companies are doing well in the market. And right now, Black Corporation isn’t healthy enough to even get an invite. So how’s he here?”

I frowned, my mind trying to piece it together. “So he managed to find his way in here… and even though his company is tanking, he bid seventy–five million on the ring? Then why did he come to my place asking for my assistance in his company when there was apparently no need?”

Roman’s voice dropped lower, almost a growl. “Something doesn’t add up. Ethan wasn’t on that invitation list. So how did he know about this auction, and more importantly, how did he find this place?”

My gaze shifted slowly across the crowd. Just a few minutes ago, everyone had their paddles raised high, throwing numbers around like it was nothing. But after Ethan’s bid, the energy in the room shifted. The air grew thick with tension, and I could see the hesitation in people’s faces. The paddles that once waved confidently now lowered, one after the other, like wilted leaves.

That’s what seventy–five million dollars does, it silences the competition.

“Do we bid now?” I asked softly, keeping my eyes on the stage.

“No. Still not yet,” Roman replied. His tone was measured, patient. I could tell he was analyzing the situation, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The host’s cheerful voice filled the air. “Seventy–five million going once! Seventy–five million going twice…”

My brows furrowed. Was this it? Were we really going to lose this ring? I scanned the crowd, my heart pounding against my ribs as my fingers twitched nervously over the paddle.

“Seventy–seven million dollars,” another man’s voice called from somewhere in the back.

Relief rushed through me like a breath of air. For a second, I thought Ethan had sealed the deal. But just as Roman predicted, someone else finally raised the bar.

More paddles lowered as the number climbed higher. The pressure in the room was electric thick enough to

taste.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the host announced, his tone brimming with excitement. “We have seventy–seven

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million! This bidder is ready to take home the ring for that price! The price has now exceeded the record of seventy–one million dollars that the ring sold for back in 2017! Now, seventy–seven million going once…”

“All right,” Roman said suddenly, his voice crisp through my earpiece. “Now it’s time for us to bid. Eighty–five million.”

The number alone made me sit straighter. “Eighty–five?” I echoed under my breath.

“Eighty–five,” he repeated firmly.

I exhaled sharply, pushing aside my hesitation. “Eighty–five million,” I said clearly, raising my paddle.

Gasps rippled through the audience like a wave. Every pair of eyes seemed to swing my way at once, the collective attention hitting me like a spotlight.

“Eighty–five million?” I heard a whisper from the right. “From the lady in the blue dress?”

“Who is she?” someone else murmured.

The whispers spread like wildfire. I could feel the weight of their curiosity on my shoulders, and though my pulse was racing, I kept my posture straight and my expression calm. Inside, my stomach twisted but outwardly, I looked every bit the confident woman representing Hale Industries.

Even Ethan’s gaze found me. I felt it burn into my skin before I even turned my head. When I did, just slightly, I caught him staring, his lips curling into that arrogant little smirk he was known for.

“Wow,” the host said, grinning widely. “We have eighty–five million from a new bidder! Going once…”

“Ninety million.”

The room fell quiet again. That voice, Ethan’s voice cut through the air like a blade.

He sat there with that same smug expression, his injured arm resting in its cast while his free hand held the paddle high, like he was daring anyone to challenge him. The light above glinted against the hard edges of his jaw

Was he really doing this?

I could almost hear the silent gasps, feel the tension crawling through the crowd. My heart hammered in my

chest.

“Ninety million going once,” the host said, his tone practically buzzing with excitement.

“Hundred million,” I said suddenly, ‘my voice steady and loud enough to be heard. My hand shot up with the paddle before I could even think twice.

Roman had told me to bid that exact number just a heartbeat ago, and I didn’t hesitate to follow through.

The crowd erupted again. Shocked whispers, surprised glances all directed at me. It was like I had just declared war with a single number.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan’s smirk falter for the briefest second. His jaw clenched, his nostrils

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flaring slightly. But then, just as quickly, he composed himself masking that flash of irritation with another one of those cocky smiles.

At this point, all other bidders had lowered their paddles. The battlefield had cleared. It was just him and me.

It hit me then, Ethan was about to spend over a hundred million dollars on a ring while his company was falling apart. I almost laughed. Was he trying to prove something? Was this about pride?

He can’t be serious, I thought.

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