?Chapter 352:


    The auctioneer continued, “If the owner weren’t facing financial hardship, this piece would never have seen the light of day. It’s a treasured family heirloom—precious and irreceable.”


    The moment he finished, a paddle shot up in the audience. The bid came from the second floor. All Ste could make out was a paddle with a number on it.


    “Number thirteen—three hundred million. Do I hear a higher bid?” the auctioneer called.


    The crowd buzzed in disbelief—three hundred million? That wasn’t pocket change. Only a handful of people could even afford to y at that level.


    From her seat at the back, Ste quietly clicked her tongue. Who would drop that much on a fake? Did they have so much money they didn’t care about throwing it away?


    Even though she was almost sure it wasn’t real, she knew these kinds of auctions had serious backers. She wasn’t dumb enough to let it slip that she had the original.


    If the buyer had any brains, they’d verify the piece afterward.


    Either way, it had nothing to do with her.


    Meanwhile, the item was brought up to the VIP room on the second floor.


    William sat with the item in hand, examining it with a careful eye. The color… the patterns… it all looked eerily close to what he remembered.


    Luca stood beside him, dumbfounded. “Three hundred million? That’s not worth it. You could pick up a piece like this at a crafts store for half a million tops.”


    William, however, didn’t say a word. He just kept his eyes fixed on the piece, his expression unreadable.


    Years ago, he’d only seen it for a moment. It wasn’t enough to tell if what he saw then, and what he held now, were the same.


    The auctioneer had said the seller needed the money. Was that why she was selling this now—had she been struggling all this time?


    William’s gaze sharpened. “Track down the seller. Immediately.”


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    As the auction wrapped up, Ste and Sharon made their way out. When they reached the stairwell, they crossed paths with Williaming down from the second floor.


    William’s expression shifted the moment he saw her.


    But he looked away just as quickly, avoiding her gaze altogether.


    Ste could tell something wasn’t right. He looked like a child caught red-handed.


    It wasn’t hard for her to guess he’d been up to something upstairs that he didn’t want her to know about. Still, in a way, it was better this way.


    At least he didn’te up with some excuse or try to mislead her. Keeping his distance was probably for the best.


    With Sharon walking beside her, Ste quietly made her way through the crowd and soon slipped out of William’s sight.


    Sharon had driven them that day and dropped her off at her dorm.


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