Chapter 71
It was the night of the Blue Moon’s Semi-Annual Auction event. So far, everything Lorenzo had planned out for the evening had gone according to plan. He had a special dress made and delivered to the house to surprise Eleanor along with a match sapphire set of jewels to accompany the ensemble.
He also made it a point to instruct a few of the maids to assist Eleanor with both her hair and makeup. He wanted her to look as well as feel as priceless as some of the pieces he knew were going to be sold at the auction.
Of course, in Lorenzo’s mind, no one could ever put a price on someone such as Eleanor. She was the most beautiful and intelligent woman he’d ever known. And he was determined to show her off to the world that night.
As usual, she claimed that it was all far too much. But Lorenzo was heavily insistent upon it all.
When it finally came time for them to head off to their specially made dinner reservations, Lorenzo waited patiently for her at the bottom of the main staircase. Many of the staff members had purposely stopped what they were doing in order to catch a quick glimpse at their luna.
The Alpha stole a quick glance at his watch. “Eleanor, are you re—”
“Yes.”
He snapped his head up and stared openly at the stunning sight before him. His heart slammed violently in his chest as he gaped up at her. “Oh my God.”
Standing there, in a dark, midnight blue, shimmering gown that accented every one of her curves was his fated mate. He struggled to find the words that could possibly describe just how gorgeous she looked.
‘Fuck the auction,’ he thought blatantly. He wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of so many other men being able to see her like. He had half a mind to drag Eleanor back upstairs and spend the duration of the night entangled in each other’s arms, making love.
Her mouth curved into a knowing smile. “It’s not often I see you at a loss for words, Mr. Sinclair.”
Lorenzo paid no mind to the others who were standing around, chuckling quietly to themselves. He reached out to take Eleanor’s hand and the two headed out to the car.
Once they made it to the restaurant, the head waiter immediately seated them at one of the private tables in the back that overlooked the gorgeous skyline of the city. He placed their orders and gradually sipped their house-chosen wine.
“Alright. So, tell me exactly why you’re dragging me to this exclusive auction tonight,” Eleanor said with a smile. “Because I sure as hell don’t believe the whole ‘romantic night-out’ ordeal you mentioned earlier.”
He gave a small smile and a curt nod. It was true. Although he adored the idea of having a real romantic night out with his luna, this evening had a whole other purpose behind it.
“I love that nothing ever gets past you,” he noted with a smirk. “You’re right. When I originally met to speak with Cruz, he’d filled me in on his plan to rid his brother of his title.”
Her brows drew together in confusion. “So, he gave you an invitation to an exclusive auction event?”
“Precisely,” he stated. “The plan is to attend the auction. I’m meant to bid on a special item that isn’t supposed to be part of the selling collection. Once I rightfully win the item, the auction is going to temporarily shut down. During that time, we’re going to be called into one of the offices where, surely enough, Cruz and his brother are going to be trying to negotiate the return price of the item.”
The corner of her mouth pulled into a smirk. “But, let me guess. Now that you essentially own the item yourself, you're going to sell it back to them for a price that is too high for them to afford?”
Lorenzo sent her a dazzling smile. “Exactly. God, I love how smart you are,” he said roughly. “But, yes. I’m meant to sell the item back to them at an obscene price. The trade is going to cause a huge decline in Blue Moon’s financial situation. A major setback like this is going to call his brother’s eligibility of being a proper Alpha well into question.”
The waiter finally came out with their dishes and let them know to call him over should they need anything else. The food looked divine as was unlike anything Eleanor had ever tasted. But as much as she wanted to enjoy her dinner, she was insistent on knowing the rest of this supposed plan.
“So then what?” she asked. “I suppose the alpha title will get passed on to Cruz, being that he’s technically the one to inherit the title next.”
“Yes. But to ensure his position, Sterling is going to essentially swoop in at the last moment and settle all the financial issues. From what Cruz told me regarding his brother, the guy is going to be rather greedy and persistent about the whole ordeal, making it all the more dramatic.”
“It sounds like Cruz is looking to create a scene,” she commented. “That’s what he wants, isn’t it? It’s better to make it visually appear that his brother is incapable of being subtle and professional.”
Again, Lorenzo nodded his head. “This is ultimately to make it look as though Cruz’s brother is incapable of being Alpha and has to force him to step down.”
Eleanor sagged back in her seat for a moment feeling slightly stunned. “Wow. Not to pat Cruz on the back, but...This plan seems rather ingenuous. I just can’t believe that he’s willing to risk putting Blue Moon’s financial status at risk just to pull this whole scheme off.”
Lorenzo rolled a brow and took a long sip of his wine.
“That’s just it. He’s not,” he said. “Cruz already handles Blue Moon’s finances. He’s told me that he can easily make it appear as though everything is plummeting when really it’s not. We’re merely placeholders to make it all appear believable.”
This left Eleanor truly shocked.
