Chapter 27 Bring a Bed, Go All Out

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Bring a Bed, Go All Out

Ivy Hawthorne’s voice was low, fortunately. Sophie Winslow worried that Ivy’s sharp tongue would eventually cost her dearly.

She knew Julian Sterling wasn’t the type to bicker with women, but Stella Sutton was different. If Stella overheard them and threw a fit, Julian wouldn’t ignore her feelings, and the situation would become impossible to defuse. Silently, Sophie handed Ivy a glass of mango juice, gesturing for her to give her mouth a break.

Ivy’s chest literally ached from anger. Knowing Sophie was just looking out for her, she still couldn’t resist dropping one last venomous remark. "If she loves showing off so much, why doesn’t she just drag a bed onto the stage and go at it? Wouldn’t that get her way more attention?"

She was seriously worried Sophie would give herself a tumor from bottling up her anger today, but Sophie had already managed to find her inner peace. She shifted her gaze back to the front.

Since it was a piece favored by Maeve Walsh, Julian was incredibly generous, decisively driving up the price with an air of inevitability. Gasps echoed through the crowd in waves. Sophie was forced to watch the entire spectacle of Julian spoiling Stella rotten. Envious whispers drifted from every direction, piercing her ears at every opportunity.

"I’ve never heard of Mr. Sterling having any female companions before. This Miss Sutton is probably going to be the lady of the house."

"She’s Mr. Sterling’s only exception. If we run into this Miss Sutton at other events, we’d better treat her with respect."

"Look, are they using matching couple’s phone cases?"

Sophie instinctively glanced at the table in front of them. Whether intentionally or not, Stella had placed her phone face down on the table, exposing its back. Meanwhile, Julian, a man with a thousand matters to attend to, answered calls from time to time, leaving his phone case equally visible.

She truly hadn’t expected it. She never imagined a man like Julian would indulge Stella by using matching couples’ items—especially over something as trivial as a phone case. He used to despise phone cases, claiming they ruined the feel of the device. The incident with the license plate was still fresh in her mind; Julian had been so disgusted that he changed the number that very same day.

Back when she still harbored romantic fantasies, she had bought them a pair of matching couples’ watches. At the time, Julian merely spared them a fleeting glance before asking, "Sophie, how old are you?" The implication being that she was still playing at silly, childish games.

Yet now...

Sophie took a sip of her mango juice. Once again, she lamented the fact that some people were just treated differently. Having lost all interest, she no longer wanted to watch her husband put on a loving display with another woman and simply wanted to leave.

The auctioneer introduced the next item on stage, instantly capturing Sophie’s attention. It was a piece of top-tier Warm Jade, about the size of a ping-pong ball. Carved into the shape of a Peace Lock, its intricate design was breathtakingly exquisite.

Having grown up in an antique shop, Sophie naturally knew the value of such goods. A piece of Warm Jade like this was incredibly rare—something you could only encounter by chance, not seek out. Wearing it long-term was even highly beneficial to one’s health.

Her heart immediately began to race. Her eyes sparkled with awe and delight. She wanted to win it for Lydia; it was perfect for a young child. Unsurprisingly, the starting price was steep: five million. Sophie reached for her paddle without a second thought.

But Stella, sitting in the front row, beat her to it. "Six million."

Sophie’s brow furrowed instantly as she looked ahead. Stella just so happened to catch her in her peripheral vision, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on her lips. For some inexplicable reason, a nerve snapped inside Sophie. Her expression finally turned ice-cold.

"Seven million." She followed up the bid without a hint of hesitation.

This time, Julian casually glanced over at her. He was probably thinking how dare she try to snatch something away from his beloved woman.

Unfazed, Stella raised her paddle again. "Ten million."

Since it concerned Lydia, Sophie refused to back down. She bid again. "Eleven million."

"Twenty million," Stella countered.

WHOA—

Gasps echoed through the crowd, rising and falling in waves. People murmured in awe at Stella’s tyrannical display of wealth. Stella turned back to look at Sophie. Her tone sounded polite, but it dripped with condescension. "Miss, your bids are so stingy. We aren’t even in the same league. You can’t afford to keep up with me, and you certainly can’t outbid me. I advise you to give up."

Sophie’s eyes were clear and chilling. She almost wanted to laugh. This woman was happily blowing her husband’s money to bask in the spotlight. And now she was using Julian’s wealth—and the arrogance that came from having his full backing—to "advise" her to quit?

"Thirty million," Sophie said, refusing to engage in a verbal spat. She only wanted to secure the gift for Lydia.

This time, Stella finally frowned. Thirty million was clearly far beyond the actual value of this Peace Lock. She looked at Julian. "I want to give this to Seth, but this price..."

Julian tore his gaze away from Sophie. "It’s a gift for a child. The symbolism is what matters. The price is irrelevant."

Stella understood his meaning immediately. In a flash, the corners of her lips curled upward. Casting a sidelong glance at Sophie, she proudly raised her paddle. "Fifty million!"

She knew Julian would foot the bill for whatever she desired! Sophie, naturally, also understood the unspoken implication that Julian would side with Stella no matter what. If it came down to a bidding war, there was no way she could ever match them financially. It would only end in her own humiliation—a truth she knew all too well. Still, she didn’t want to let Stella be too smug, nor did she want to let Julian off too easily.

Even knowing she couldn’t win, Sophie raised the price once more. "Eighty million."

At this point, it was no longer just an auction. The crowd consisted of prominent, seasoned veterans of the auction block, and everyone could tell that Sophie was deliberately driving up the price. Stella knew it too, and her expression turned frighteningly cold.

"Sophie, this is so childish," Stella snapped. "Yes, Julian is generous with me, but I won’t allow you to disrupt the market like this."

Sophie stared right back at her. "If you don’t have the stomach for it, then forfeit."

Ivy nearly burst out laughing. Sophie might have seemed easy to get along with on a normal day, but when it came to people she despised, that little mouth of hers could be absolutely venomous.

Stella pursed her lips. She was genuinely annoyed now. After all, she was well aware that this piece of Warm Jade was worth thirty million at most. If she kept bidding...

"One hundred million."

A deep, icy voice sliced through the tension-filled standoff. Shocked gasps erupted once more. The crowd stared toward the front in absolute disbelief.

Sophie’s heart sank as her gaze fell upon Julian, who hadn’t uttered a single word until now. His cold, meticulously chiseled features bore the unmistakable air of absolute finality. After a brief moment of stunned silence, Stella found it impossible to conceal her smile.

How could she not know? Julian was backing her up! He had single-handedly crushed Sophie’s attempt to stand against her.

Sophie understood. The entire audience of bidders who had watched the spectacle understood too. Instantly, numerous gazes—a mix of pity and strange amusement—fell upon Sophie. She even heard someone nearby whispering in hushed tones, "She really overestimated herself. Who does she think she is? Miss Sutton’s boyfriend is a powerhouse like Mr. Sterling! How dare a nobody like her try to compete?"

Ivy’s face twisted in sheer rage. She slammed her hands on the table, ready to leap up and curse them out, but Sophie stopped her.

"We are not losing face here!" Ivy hissed through gritted teeth. "I still have plenty of savings. Let’s fight him to the bitter end!" She couldn’t stand watching Sophie get bullied by Julian like this!

"There’s no need."

Sophie knew the truth. Now that Julian had stepped in, it was over. He was dead set on backing Stella to the very end. Why should she subject herself to further humiliation?

PFFT...

A scoff echoed from behind them. Turning around, they saw Finn Lockwood, who had arrived at some unknown point. He looked at Sophie with mock sympathy. "A wise man submits to circumstance. Julian is just trying to win a smile from a beauty, so why don’t you just let him have his way?"

His words were steeped in sadistic amusement. He had banked on the fact that Sophie wouldn’t publicly expose herself as Julian’s actual wife. After all, doing so would smear the Sterling Family’s name, and offending the Sterling Family would only ensure a far worse fate for her. Did she really think the Sterlings were some benevolent, kind-hearted clan?

Sophie didn’t take the bait. She merely glanced at the aloof, noble figure of Julian sitting in the front row. It would be a lie to say her heart hadn’t grown cold.

Her health had been poor while she was pregnant with Lydia. As a result, Lydia was born over a month premature and was constantly sickly. It took a long time of careful nurturing before the child finally showed signs of improvement. That was why she had wanted this protective, health-boosting Warm Jade so desperately. Yet she never anticipated such a tragic outcome. Julian—the child’s own biological father—had ruthlessly snatched it away just to gift it to another woman.

The auction finally came to an end. Julian was immediately swarmed by people wanting to exchange pleasantries.

Taking advantage of the free moment, Stella turned her head, her lips curling into a triumphant smile. "Sophie, thank you for showing me just how important I am in Julian’s heart."