?Chapter 345:


    Smug smiles spread among the audience as they grasped the situation, anticipating the drama that might unfold.


    Onstage, Zayn surveyed the room, his gavel poised as he reiterated the current offer, saying, “Three hundred and eighty million, going once…”


    Out of nowhere, a captivating voice dered, “Five hundred million!” The attendees gasped and turned to identify the speaker.


    The bidder was a woman with striking red hair in a strapless dress, her presence radiating a bold charisma unlike the typical representatives of top-level members. Everyone was abuzz, eager to learn the identity of this daring woman.


    The red-haired woman faced the crowd’s intense stares with poise, her mysterious smile leaving her motives undisclosed. Zayn nearly let the gavel slip from his grasp, shocked, but his professional training quickly regained hisposure.


    He cleared his throat, steadying himself before asking, “Does anyone have a bid over five hundred million?”


    Jacob confidently raised his paddle, dering, “Six hundred million!”


    Without skipping a beat, the red-haired woman responded, “Seven hundred million.”


    Jacob nced over at her as she sat in his row, her smile brimming with challenge as she waved yfully. A slight crease formed on Jacob’s forehead. After receiving a quick directive through his earpiece, he confidently eximed, “Eight hundred million!” The bidding frenzy escted, shocking Zayn.


    While the typical increments were ten million, these two escted by a staggering hundred million each time. This was truly a disy where money did all the talking.


    The woman’s lips twisted into a bright smile as she called out confidently, “Nine hundred million.”


    From a secluded VIP room, Corrine watched with a hint of chill in her gaze.


    “Looks like tonight might not go as you hoped,” Nate said.


    With a defiant lift of her eyebrows, Corrine’s face took on an expression of fierce determination.


    “We’ll just see about that.”


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    She then reached for herptop, swiftly transferring a billion to her ount, ready for the next move.


    In another VIP room, the blond man watched the bidding unfold with surprise. He mused to himself about the hidden depths of those involved.


    “Lyhaton does have quite a few powerhouses,” he said quietly, his smile subtle and unreadable.


    “Yet, some still underestimate what’s ahead.”


    His crew-cutpanion felt a surge of sympathy for the opposing bidder. His boss was known for always securing his desires.


    Going against his boss was a daring, maybe even reckless, decision.


    At the auction, the tense standoff between the red-haired woman and Jacob persisted.


    “One billion!” the red-haired woman announced confidently, her posture defiant.


    A chill seemed to pass over Jacob’s features, his gaze turning cold. This sum was way beyond what Corrine had allocated for the auction. Regardless of the red-haired woman’s intentions—whether spiteful or sincere—the bid now surpassed Corrine’s financial limit.


    His stare intensified as he looked at her.


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