The loss of her necklace in the previous competition had left Victoria Langley despondent for weeks. The weight of her disappointment dragged her down so severely that it affected her health—she found herself hospitalized multiple times, all because she couldn’t shake the crushing melancholy.

Later, Alexander Blackwood had assured her he would replace it with something even more exquisite than the heirloom that had once belonged to Amy Sinclair’s mother. His promise had been firm. "It will surpass it—never fall short."

Now, as she stared at the mesmerizing Poseidon’s Lament displayed before her, Victoria finally understood.

Tears shimmered in her eyes, her voice trembling with emotion. "Alex, you really didn’t have to go this far for me."

Alexander’s dark, unwavering gaze settled on her. "Poseidon’s Lament, paired with your performance of Siren’s Melody, will be nothing short of perfection."

Truthfully, Victoria had only wanted Amy’s mother’s necklace out of spite. But compared to the breathtaking masterpiece before her now, that old trinket seemed laughably insignificant.

Her mind was wholly consumed by Poseidon’s Lament. She could already envision herself on stage—the dazzling sapphire resting against her collarbone, Siren’s Melody cradled in her hands—how utterly radiant she would appear.

Unlike the other auction pieces, Poseidon’s Lament was in a class of its own, opening at a staggering two million. While earlier items had minimum increments of ten thousand, this one demanded raises of no less than a hundred thousand.

Many of tonight’s attendees had come solely for this necklace. Realistically, it shouldn’t exceed ten million, but judging by the feverish atmosphere, even that estimate seemed optimistic. The price could easily skyrocket to twenty.

Sure enough, the bids surged rapidly to eight million.

Alexander had remained silent—until now.

Then, in that calm, commanding tone that brooked no argument, he spoke. "Ten million."

The room froze.

Alexander wasn’t just another bidder—he was the undisputed king of Newhaven’s business empire. Who would dare challenge him? Even his rivals wouldn’t openly oppose him tonight. After all, today’s competitor could be tomorrow’s ally.

With a single word, he silenced the room—an unspoken decree.

Normally, the auctioneer would attempt to stir up excitement before the final countdown. But with Alexander’s bid, the outcome was inevitable. The auctioneer wasted no time.

"Ten million, going once."

"Ten million, going twice—"

Just as the gavel was about to fall, a clear, melodic voice cut through the silence.

"Twenty million."

Gasps rippled through the crowd as every head turned toward the bidder.

Twenty million? She had just doubled the price in one move!

This wasn’t a trivial raise—she had escalated it by ten million in a single breath.

Amy Sinclair sat with serene composure, unfazed by the stares. The necklace was stunning, but its true worth barely touched ten million. Was she truly so enamored with it—or was there another motive at play?

All eyes flicked back to Alexander. The unspoken question hung in the air—was Amy truly bold enough to defy him?

Alexander’s gaze darkened as he turned to study her. Then, after a brief, knowing glance at Nathan Prescott, Nathan snapped out of his shock and caught the silent command. Hesitantly, he raised his paddle. "Twenty-five million."

Nathan knew that if the necklace ended up in his hands, Alexander would cover the cost. But even so, the earlier bravado had evaporated. This was real money—no one could treat it lightly.

Alexander wasn’t having Nathan bid because he couldn’t afford it. He wanted to see if Amy was baiting them into driving the price higher. After all, the necklace was already selling for more than double its value.

But this time, Amy—who usually knew when to retreat—didn’t back down.

Instead, she raised the stakes even higher.