No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 165

CHAPTER 0165

LAUREN’S POV

“106 million going once!”

The host’s voice thundered through the room, echoing off the walls and filling the air with a tension so thick it almost stole the oxygen from my lungs. Every syllable he uttered felt like it carried the weight of every pair of eyes in the room, each one pressing down on my shoulders, heavier than the last.

I could feel the blood pounding in my ears. My fingers itched nervously around the paddle, my pulse thrumming in rhythm with the host’s words. Roman’s voice still lingered faintly in my earpiece from a few moments ago – “I’m leaving this one to you”

Those words looped in my mind over and over. Why me?

He said he trusted me to end this “game,” but I wasn’t sure if this was a game anymore. Every single person here was a billionaire, a shark in their own field they knew how to bite, when to strike, and when to pull back. I, on the other hand, had never made a single bid in my life. I didn’t know how far I could go, or more importantly, how far Roman was willing to go.

But he left the decision to me.

He wanted me to prove myself.

And deep down, despite the trembling in my chest, I wanted to prove to him and maybe to myself that I could handle this.

The host’s voice sliced through my storm of thoughts again, sharper this time.

“Going twice!”

The pressure snapped something inside me. My mouth moved before I could even think words slipping out like a reflex.

“Two hundred and twelve million!” 1

The sound of my own voice startled me. The crowd gasped collectively, and for a brief moment, it felt like time froze.

The host blinked, caught off guard for half a second, and then-

“Sold!”

The sharp clack of the wooden gavel hitting the podium made me flinch. The echo stretched across the silent room like the aftershock of an explosion.

Everywhere I turned, there were stunned faces, widened eyes, and lips parted in disbelief. Conversations halted mid–sentence. Even the waiters froze, holding silver trays mid–air as though movement would break the surreal moment.

I felt their stares drilling into me, questions forming behind every gaze.

1/3

Who is she?

How can she just double the bid like that?

Who has that kind of money to throw around so easily?

For a moment, I wondered the same thing myself.

My breath came in shallow bursts, my pulse still racing. I could almost hear my own heartbeat in my ears. Then my gaze found him- Ethan.

He sat still, his jaw slightly slack, his eyes darting from me to the host as though trying to process what had just happened. He looked defeated. And God, that sight stirred something deep in me, a quiet satisfaction I didn’t expect to feel.

“She… she doubled what that gentleman bid,” I overheard a voice whisper nearby. “Is that how wealthy her company is?”

Roman’s calm, steady tone slid into my ear again, grounding me instantly. “Doubling the amount, huh? Nice job.”

I let out a small breath, a quiet laugh of relief. I half–expected him to scold me, to ask why I’d gone so high but instead, his voice held warmth, maybe even a little pride.

“You handled it perfectly,” he added.

I could almost picture the faint smirk on his lips from where he sat. That tiny validation from him lifted a weight off my chest. The tension that had been building up finally began to dissolve, melting into a quiet, trembling relief. I hadn’t just survived the auction – I had won.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this auction is now over!”

The host’s sudden declaration cut through the silence like a blade, snapping everyone’s attention back to him.

“What?” someone called out from the audience. “What about the rest of the items? You haven’t even started on those yet!”

The murmurs rose again, confused and frustrated this time.

The host adjusted his glasses and smiled. “All the items you see here tonight once belonged to the previous owner of the Pink Star Diamond Ring. According to his will, whoever wins the ring shall inherit everything else

in his collection.”

The words slammed into me like a jolt.

I turned immediately toward Roman, my eyes wide. “Do you know what that means?” I whispered, my voice almost trembling with disbelief.

Roman didn’t look surprised. In fact, there was a flicker of calm satisfaction on his face, the kind you see in someone who always knew how the game would end.

The host raised his gavel one last time and struck it down.

2/3

“That means Hale Industries has officially acquired all the items owned by the previous ring bearer!”

The sound of applause broke out, scattered and reluctant.

My hand went up to my head, fingers running through my hair as I tried to process it all. In a matter of minutes, I’d gone from fearing I’d overbid to realizing I’d just helped secure everything on Roman’s acquisition list for

free.

The 212 million dollars I’d nervously blurted out wasn’t just a gamble anymore, it was a golden move.

The crowd began to disperse slowly, murmurs and quiet curses floating around as people left the room. The air buzzed with disbelief and quiet envy.

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