"Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the 50th Berlin annual auction, half of the proceeds generated today will be donated to charity as per the chairman's instruction"
There was a loud cheering from the crowd, as the announcement of the auctioneer drew everyone's attention. Scarlett glared at Lizzy across the room. Just as everyone proceeded to take their seats, Scarlett gripped Lizzy's hand tightly bruising her skin while she whispered venomously
"You merely got lucky because of your damsel in distress face which you used to win Mr Vance favour, but next time he wouldn't be there to save you" And with that she walked away.
Taking her hand Vance came to Lizzy's side and he gently pulled her to the front row.
"The first item which would be displayed is a rare diamond ring. We would start the bid at one million dollars" The auctioneer said.
It was the diamond ring Lucas wanted to get for Scarlett for their engagement.
"One million dollars." someone from the audience yelled, raising their paddle.
"One-point-five million dollars." Lucas raised his paddle. He kept his gaze on Lizzy and smirked, feeling superior.
"One-point-five million from Mr Jenkins. Did I hear two million?" the auctioneer asked the audience
Scarlett clung to his arm tightly. She placed a kiss on Lucas' cheeks. She wanted to make Lizzy feel jealous. But Lizzy didn't show them any physical reaction.
It hurt her to see the man she wasted three years of her life with rub his fiancee in her face, but she didn't show it.
Lizzy didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break. Besides, she has the perfect revenge planned for them at the auction today. She couldn't wait to see the colours drain from their faces when they realize who she truly was.
"Two million dollars." A woman from the audience screamed, raising her paddle.
"Two-point-five million dollars." Lucas said.
"Do I hear three million?" The auctioneer's voice resonated through the hall.
The bidding continued but Lucas was getting frustrated with each passing second. He was determined to get the ring for Scarlett, and to also rub it in Lizzy's face. And he also wants to get in the Berlin chairman's good graces by impressing him.
Scarlett kept encouraging him to bid higher. She didn't want to be embarrassed in front of her fiance's ex wife. She wanted to brag that she got the man.
"Ten million dollars." Lucas deadpanned.
That was the exact amount he budgeted for the ring. He knew no one at the auction could outbid him, except maybe the Berlins and a few other families. But the Berlins wouldn't bid something at their own suction.
But he also couldn't bid any higher than that. If he ended up securing a deal with Markus Berlin, he'd need some funds. And although, he is rich, Lucas knows not to spend too much money on unnecessary things.
The audience went silent. True to Lucas' thoughts, no one raised their paddle to bid against him. Lucas leaned into his chair feeling relaxed. His gaze fixated on Lizzy, a victorious smirk dancing on his lips.
"I'm proud of you, sweetheart." Scarlett pulled Lucas in for a deep kiss while Lizzy was still watching.
Lizzy took in a deep breath. She wasn't going to let the scene affect her. Nothing is going to get in her way today.
She had gotten over Lucas. But she knew she was lying to herself. Deep down, the scene before her hurt a lot.
"Ten million dollars. Do I have fifteen million?" The auctioneer asked, his voice laced with excitement. He was getting a huge amount of money that was for sure. No one raised there paddles.
"Going once!"
"Going twice!!"
The auctioneer was about to hit his gravel and finalize the sale when a feminine voice came out of nowhere.
"Twenty million dollars."
The whole hall fell into a pin drop silence. The auctioneer's gravel was suspended mid-air. Everyone turned to the direction of the voice.
Lucas' brows furrowed in confusion and Scarlett was shocked. But she regained herself and laughed.
"Your ex wife is so delusional." Scarlett whispered into Lucas' ear.
"Does she think she can afford that, or is she planning on selling her body to the auctioneer?" She mocked.
But there was no hint of playfulness in Lizzy's expression, which unsettled Lucas. He knew Lizzy didn't have that kind of money when they got divorced. So how did she get it within a few months of their separation? And how much does she have if she can bid that much on a piece of jewelry.
"Baby?" Scarlett shook Lucas out of his reverie.
Lucas tore his gaze away from Lizzy and faced Scarlett.
"What are you thinking about?" She asked, her brows furrowed.
"It's nothing." He gave her a reassuring smile.
"Do I have any other bids?" The auctioneer asked but got no response.
Scarlett nudged Lucas slightly but he didn't raise his paddle. She was confused and also angry, but he tried to keep her calm.
"Baby, why aren't you saying anything?" She asked. Lucas didn't give her a response.
"Lucas, you promised to get me this ring at all costs. Are you just going to sit here and allow your ex-wife outbid you?" She whisper yelled.
Lucaz clenched his jaw and pinned Lizzy with a glare. He couldn't bid more than that but he didn't know how to tell Scarlett.
"Baby, I'll get you another ring. Let it go." He said.
"No, I want that one. I'm not going to stand the embarrassment Lizzy is bringing. You have the money Lucas. Don't be stingy and raise your paddle."
"Twenty million dollars. Going once! Going twice!! And sold to the young lady in red." The auctioneer hit his gravel, finalizing the sale as his eyes beam in excitement.
Scarlett was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe Lizzy had just gotten the ring she wanted for her engagement.
"Dirty Lizzy. Fat and ugly Lizzy". Scarlett was beyond embarrassed. She stood up angrily and barged out of the auction house. Lucas followed her so he could calm her down.
Lizzy's lips curved into a smirk as she watched the rift between the couple. This was just the begining of her revenge. She'll make sure they regret everything they did to her.
Lucas followed Scarlett to the parking lot, trying to explain himself, but she didn't listen. She was seething with rage by what just transpired in the auction house.
When Scarlett got to the car, she turned and decided to give Lucas a listening ear.
"Why couldn't you do anything in there, Lucas? I told you how much I wanted that ring, but that gold digging bitch got it instead, and you just sat there without doing anything. You have the money. Why didn't you do something?" She yelled at him, hitting his chest.
"I couldn't do anything even if I wanted to. I need to win Mr Berlin over and get him to invest in my upcoming project. The company is a bit low on funds so I've been investing my personal savings. I can't spend more than that. I'm sorry, baby." Lucas explained in a solemn expression.
"Sorry is not going to fix it. That bitch has the ring I wanted. I had already told everyone that you'd be getting it for me. It would create a buzz on social media when I step on the runway wearing it. She just ruined everything." She groaned.
"I'll get you a replica of the ring. No one will know it's not the real one." Lucas said, trying to comfort her.
"I don't want a replica. Everyone would know it's not the real one. I want the real one." Scarlett half yelled.
She took a deep breath to calm herself. There was no use getting mad. She just needed to figure out how to get the ring back from Lizzy. An idea struck her.
"I think I know how to get the ring back." A sinister smile appeared on her lips as she thought about her evil plan.
"There is no way we'd get it back. It's already sold." Lucas was confused by Scarlett's words.
But when he saw the smile on her face, he knew there was a trick up her sleeves.
"Okay, fill me in on your plan." He said.
"We know Lizzy doesn't have the kind of money to purchase something that expensive. She is obviously leaching off
a wealthy guy, Vance Berlin. The Berlins and the Hunts are the wealthiest at the auction. But she was clinging onto a Berlin…"
"So Vance Berlin is paying for the ring?" Lucas finished her sentence. Scarlett gave him a knowing smirk.
"All we have to do is tell Vance what a gold digger she is and make him believe it, he'll dump her straight up." Scarlett smirked, contented with her plan.
Lucas was amazed by her thinking. He could also use the situation to his advantage. If he is the one who reveals Lizzy's true colours to Vance, it might bring them closer, and also guarantee that he'll be in Markus Berlin's good graces. It'd be faster to get Markus to be his partner. He pulled Scarlett in and kissed her deeply on the lips.
"I love how smart you are, sweetheart. Come on, let's do this."
Scarlett flashed him a smile and interlink her arm with his. They walked back into the auction house. The auction was already over by the time they got in.
Vance was talking to a few business partners when Scarlett and Lucas walked up to him. They exchanged pleasantries.
"Mr Berlin, I admire you as a business man. I know how smart you are in business and how far you've helped the Berlin Enterprise." Lucas started.
Vance gave him a tight smile. He wasn't comfortable talking to Lucas, but Lizzy had warned him not to do anything to her ex-husband. She wanted to exert revenge herself.
"But I have to say, you don't use the kind of logic outside the office. Especially with women." Lucas said.
Vance's eyebrows twitched in anger, but he managed to swallow his rage.
"And what do you mean by that?" He asked.
"I was talking about your date." Lucas gestured to Lizzy, who was talking with some business partners a few meters away from them.
"And what about her?"
"She has a lot of rumours surrounding her." Scarlett cut in "she has a reputation of leaching off very wealthy men and then dumping them. She is not a very good woman for a man of your status."
Vance stared at the both of them. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Do you both realize you're talking about my cousin?" He said.
Lucas and Scarlett exchanged looks. Lucas let out a small laugh.
"No sir, we're talking about the girl standing over there. I think her name is Lizzy. I'm not quite sure."
"Yes Lizzy. She is Markus Berlin's daughter and my cousin." Vance bit out, rage seething in him.
He walked away from them, leaving Lucas and Scarlett frozen on the spot.