Chapter <b>67 </b>


    Alexei handed her a cup of coffee and dropped a name.


    Natasha looked a bit surprised. “Wait, it’s him?”


    She thought, ‘You really can’t judge people by first impressions.


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    ‘I always thought the one in the Turner family who couldn’t keep it together would be Lucia since she made the biggest fussst time.’


    Downstairs, the auction had already kicked off. Natasha leaned on her hand, eyeing the item. It was a pair of antique emerald earrings.


    Alexei nced over. “If you see something you like, just bid for it. But nothing here is worth it tonight. Next time, I’ll take you to a proper auction.”


    Natasha grinned. “Don’t me me if I go wild, then.”


    Alexei shrugged. “Suit yourself.”


    If Lisa were there, she’d point out that the emerald hairpin Natasha wore with her pale blue handmade dress was probably worth more than everything being auctioned tonight.


    Anyway, Alexei was a big spender. Natasha had long stopped being surprised by it.


    Too bad Natasha was so pampered. Lisa’s dream of recruiting her as her bestie’s model was a lost cause.


    Still, Lisa felt that she could give it a shot and invite Natasha to the next show.


    Though Natasha had Alexei’s permission, she didn’t rush to make a move.


    The auction hall was circr, with all the VIP boxes on the second floor and most of the windows left open.


    She nced out the window, scanning for any familiar faces.


    The twins from the Turner family were probably just there to have some fun with their


    parents.


    They’d been eager to please Natasha carlier, but with Alexei by her side, they didn’t dare get too friendly.


    Now, they were just helping their parents bid a few times, huddled together and whispering about something.


    <b>5:20 </b>pm


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    Lucia was there with her husband’s family, the Estrada family. Her son, Wally Estrada, looked like a mouse spotting a cat when he saw Natasha.


    At that family dinner, he’d only nced at her a few times. Not only did Natasha ssh drink in his eyes, but the next day, he got mysteriously roughed up.


    Whoever did it left no trace. He couldn’t even get back at anyone.


    Now, seeing these two scary troublemakers, he didn’t even dare look at them.


    Lucia shot her useless son a few dirty looks.


    Then there were Cheryl Turner and Sasha Turner. They arrivedte and went straight over to chat with the other branch of the Turner family.


    Cade Turner wasn’t with his mom and sister. Instead, he went into another box with a middle–aged man who looked like a client.


    The Turner family was scattered all over, each with their own agenda.


    Natasha leaned back with a rxed smile,pletely unbothered by the others.


    She let Olivia and Lucas snap up a few trinkets first, but when the pricier lots finally hit the stage and the bidding heated up, she finally made her move.


    “800 thousand dors,” Natasha called out.


    Lucas saw who he was up against and was ready to bow out.


    But when Olivia caught the shy, self–satisfied look Natasha shot her way, her mood soured. She stopped Lucas.


    “I million dors,” Olivia called out.


    Lucas looked at her in surprise.


    Olivia gave him a wry smile. “Lucas, I doubt Natasha actually cares about that vase, but we have to burn through this money no matter what.”


    Emmanuel and Andrew sent them there just to throw cash around at this charity event. They want them to make a big, shy scene while they were at it.


    The stuff they bid on earlier was just filler. The real action was all waiting for the big–ticket itemsing up.


    If Natasha swooped in and grabbed those items, and they ended up not being able to spend


    5:21 pm


    those case, this whole show they had been plotting would be a total joke.


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    Salvaging their reputation was one thing, but what got to her was Natasha now having the upper hand and openly provoking her.


    In the past, Olivia had always been the one who could look down on Natasha.


    That look Natasha just gave her really hit a nerve.


    Even if it was just a small auction, Olivia refused to lose.


    To persuade Lucas, Olivia softened her voice and said, “Actually, there’s something else I’m worried about. You know Natasha doesn’t have that kind of money.


    “Even if she wins the bid, Mr. Turner will be the one footing the bill. And between them…”


    She hesitated, sounding conflicted. “If a man and a woman get tangled up with money but aren’t together, people will talk.


    “It could getplicated down the line.”


    Her vague words were clearly hinting at some scandalous romantic rumors.


    Lucas’s face darkened.


    Olivia had definitely gotten through to him. The thought of Natasha spending another man’s money made him ufortable.


    He didn’t know what Alexei was really thinking. Besides, Lucas didn’t want to lose to him in


    front of Natasha.


    After Natasha upped her bid to 2.7 million dors, Lucas raised it to 3.3 million dors.


    He thought, ‘Natasha’s just out for revenge, messing with us on purpose.’


    But he had serious business to take care of tonight, and if she really wanted the thing, he could just hand it over to her as a present afterward.


    The price shot up to dozens of times what that vase was worth. No one in their right mind would go this far, not even for charity.


    The bidding war finally grabbed everyone’s attention in the hall.


    Anyone who’d heard the recent gossip was stretching their necks, dying to watch the drama


    unfold.


    <b>5:21 </b>pm


    ET 55 <b>vouchers </b>


    Sasha watched as Natasha called out her bids without even blinking and curled her lip. “Alexei really dotes on her.”


    The Turner family had reached new heights under Alexei’s leadership, but everyone else’s power was slowly being taken away, leaving them with nothing but a shiny facade.


    Over the past two years, Sasha’s parents had been tightening their belts more and more. Even getting a little extra pocket money was a struggle for her.


    There was no way she could throw around cash like this at an auction.


    As the price kept climbing, Olivia’s brows knitted tighter and tighter.


    She just couldn’t stomach the idea of losing to Natasha.


    But if they wanted to make a ssh, they couldn’t blow their whole budget on just one pricey


    item.


    Otherwise, they’d have nothing left for the rest of the auction.


    The whole room thought Natasha was about to win for sure.


    When the auctioneer called out 18 million dors, Natasha just stopped bidding.


    Alexei calmly refilled her coffee. “Not interested in beating him?”


    Natasha propped her chin on one hand, twirling her bidding paddle with the other.


    She said with a sly, fox–like grin, “Honestly, watching them burn through their cash is way more fun than actually winning.”


    She paused, then added, “Since they’ve already thrown their morals out the window, might as well let them spend more for charity.”


    She acted like she was doing a charity.


    Alexei let out a soft chuckle.


    He didn’t say a word, just absentmindedly peeled a grape and popped it into her mouth.


    He thought, ‘I brought the future Mrs. Turner here tonight just to let her enjoy the drama. As long as she’s happy, she can do whatever she wants.


    Natasha pulled the same trick again. She baited Lucas and Olivia into a bidding war, then dropped out and left them to suffer the pain of paying ridiculous prices for stuff that wasn’t


    even worth it.


    5:21 pm


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    Natasha and Alexei were a deadlybo. Natasha knew exactly how to mess with their enemies‘ heads, while he was a numbers whiz who could y the bidding game like a pro.


    Together, they never missed a beat.


    Olivia and Lucas had spent the money just like they’d nned, but somehow, they still felt like they’d lost.


    They’d already gone over budget.


    Besides what Emmanuel and Andrew had given them, they’d even had to cough up a bunch of their own cash.


    They could afford it, but it pained them to watch all that money go down the drain.


    Olivia’s smile was stiff. “Natasha’s always up to her old tricks.” <fn2b94> The rightful source is FindN0vel</fn2b94>


    Lucas just mped his mouth shut, not saying a word.


    Their box was right across from Natasha and Alexei’s, and they hadn’t bothered to hide anything. So Lucas had just seen Alexei feeding Natasha a grape.


    Even though he technically won, he was going crazy with jealousy.


    felt like he was the only one obsessing over a bunch of lifeless stuff on the auction block, while Alexei hadn’t even flinched the whole time.


    Clearly, he couldn’t care less about the oue.


    When the third–tost item, an emerald bracelet, came up on stage, Olivia ced her hand on Lucas’s.


    She said, “Lucas, Natasha’s just ying around. Let’s just let her have this one.”


    ‘Now that we’re not driving up the price, let’s see how Natasha puts on her little solo act. Olivia thought to herself.


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