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“Why do you even need that ring?” I ask.

He snaps his head towards me, eyes narrowing into slits. “Shut it.”

Elijah’s voice casts a silence through the room, his gaze locked on Oliver. “Let’s end this. It’s for charity, after all, right?” He raises his paddle. “Half a million.”

For a ring? I gulp, my throat dry.

Oliver glances at me, his eyes twitching. The other bidders have long since dropped out, leaving only Elijah and Oliver, and Elijah raised the bid by a huge amount.

The room is deathly silent, awaiting Oliver’s response. He opens his mouth, but no words come out. The seconds tick by as his gaze darts around the room at the other guests.

Elijah sits with his arms crossed, a smug smirk on his face, waiting.

Oliver grits his teeth and shakes his head once. “No bid.”

A ripple of surprise moves through the crowd. Elijah inclines his head, eyes glinting with victory as the auctioneer bangs his gavel. “Sold to Mr. Elijah Milton! And this was our last item for tonight. Thank you very much, and have a beautiful evening.”

Beside me, Oliver seethes as Elijah talks to the auctioneer.

“Excuse me.” He steps away from me to take a call.

At last, I have some breathing room, or so I thought, because Elijah approaches me, his confident stride catching me off guard.

Chapter 38

“What are you doing?” I glance around. “If Oliver sees us, he’ll suspect something.”

Elijah gives me that infuriating smirk of his, the one that never fails to make my knees weak. Holding my hand, he slips off the gaudy diamond ring Oliver forced me to wear.

“Don’t.”

The protest dies on my lips as Elijah slides on the breathtaking alexandrite ring he just won. The band is delicate yet strong, perfectly complementing the mesmerizing stone that seems to shift the color before my eyes.

Elijah’s smoldering gaze locks with mine. “Alexandrite, a chameleon among gemstones. By day, it mirrors your captivating emerald eyes. By twilight, it morphs into a ruby, echoing the strong passion I always see in you.”

My breath catches at his poetic words.

“Until I can put a real engagement ring on your finger, my little gem.” He brushes his lips tenderly over my knuckles.

“I’m fine with this one.”

“Play along.” With a wicked smile, Elijah steps back.

“What do you—”

“Leave my wife alone,” Oliver’s voice sounds from behind me.

“Your wife? Not for much longer,” Elijah says.

Oliver grips my arm, fingers digging deep into my skin until I wince in pain.

“Careful.” Elijah takes a menacing step closer, his hands balled up into fists. “You don’t want to leave bruises where everyone can see.”

I hold up my hand. “Let me.”

“Yes, stay out of it,” Oliver says. “This is none of your business. Not anymore.”

Anger flares within me. “Don’t touch me like that. You don’t own me.”

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