Page 46 of Spice and Revenge

Beside him, Alessandro grunts a greeting towards me. Ever since I saw him talking to Lorena, we haven’t been on close speaking terms.

Francesca is the only one who looks bored to be here. When she sees me, she rolls her eyes before handing Alessandro a stack of dollars.

“You guys made a bet? Really?” I shoot them an unimpressed look.

“Hey, I wasn’t part of the bet,” Gio says, puffing out smoke from his mouth.

“I was so sure you wouldn’t come,” she says as Alessandro counts his money.

Glasses clink, and sounds of champagne bottles pop, as conversation flies through the room.

Just then, Marco appears on the stage with a dazzling smile and a microphone in hand.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a truly captivating auction experience. Tonight, we present a collection of extraordinary items that shroud themselves in mystery. Each treasure is concealed within a box, an enigmatic veil of anonymity.”

I roll my eyes.

“On the stage with me, we have boxes of vibrant red, lush green, sleek black, shimmering gold, and radiant silver. These boxes hold secrets waiting to be unveiled, treasures awaiting their fortunate owners.”

He pauses and digests the eager hoots and calls of approval from the guests.

With a knowing smirk my way, he continues. “We can all assume how this goes. The winners of the bid will retire to an exclusive room where your box awaits you. Then, you can unveil and enjoy.”

“I think you should participate,” Gio whispers beside me.

“Prepare to embark on a journey of intrigue and anticipation as we delve into the unknown. Behind each box lies a hidden gem awaiting discovery. Let the bidding commence!”

The auction begins, first for the silver box.

“Five hundred dollars,” a scrawny voice calls from across the room.

We all turn to see an old man raising his paddle with shaky hands. Beside me, Giovanni chuckles.

“Seems like Grandpa wants to spice up his sex life.”

Everyone laughs. Even I can’t resist a chuckle.

“We are starting off strong with five hundred dollars!” Marco exclaims with a smile.

The bid continues until it is finally sold for two thousand dollars.

As the silver box is wheeled out of the stage, the next in line is the black box. As Marco’s voice resonates through the room, I feel a sudden surge within me, especially as three different men raise their paddles at the same time.

“Looks like the competition is getting tougher,” Marco says with a big smile. He is totally enjoying this.

“Who will be the first to seize this enigmatic prize? Let’s hear from the first…”

“I bid ten thousand dollars,” my voice booms across the room, interrupting Marco.

A hushed silence falls over the room. Everyone around me exchanges shocked glances, cranking their heads to look at me.

“You just have to do the most, don’t you?” Francesca mutters, whipping out another wad of cash and handing it over to a grinning Alessandro.

“They had a bet on whether you would bid above five thousand,” Gio explains, humor lacing his tone.

“Thanks to you, I just lost a thousand bucks,” Francesca mutters, glaring at me.

I chuckle. “I’ll make it up to you.”

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