Chapter 448

Olivia

“Oh my god,” Nathan whispered, his eyes widening as his grip on my waist tightened. “It can’t be…”

I was speechless. The moment that Dianna Miller had stepped into the grand hall of the Council building, the room had fallen into a hush. Her heels clicked slowly on the floor, echoing throughout the room. Even the auctioneer had fallen silent.

Her presence, as enigmatic as her paintings, sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd. I felt a surge of hope when I looked into her eyes—her arrival could change everything. No, it would change everything.

As she approached, I saw the nerves in her eyes, the uncertainty of a woman more accustomed to the solitude of her studio than the bustle of a crowded event.

Yet, she walked with a grace that hid her nervousness. When she reached Nathan and me, I didn’t hesitate; I wrapped her in a tight hug, gratitude flooding my voice as I whispered in her ear, “Dianna, thank you so much for coming. You have no idea what this means to us.”

Dianna returned the embrace, albeit briefly, a faint smile touching her lips as she pulled away. “I couldn’t stay away,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I kept thinking about what you were trying to achieve, against all odds... and I realized that I had to support you. It’s not easy being a woman in a world set against us by men. The least we can do is stand together, as women.”

Her words struck a chord in me, causing me to be taken aback. “Dianna, I… Thank you,” I managed, my voice low. “I don’t know what else to say. Just… thank you.”

Dianna nodded, her hand trembling a bit as she clutched her purse. The auctioneer, clearing his throat in the microphone, continued his work.

“Now, where was I… ten thousand for the speedboat. Do we have any other bidders?”

“Twelve thousand!”

“Thirteen thousand!”

“I hear a thirteen thousand… going once… going twice…”

The auction continued, but my mind was still stuck on Dianna, who stood stoically beside me. Something had shifted when she had arrived; the Alphas, still sitting in their front-row seats, were now whispering to each other.

And as word began to spread involving Dianna’s arrival, the atmosphere in the room shifted palpably, too. Many of the guests who had trickled out began to return, their curiosity piqued. The hall soon buzzed with renewed energy, the air thick with anticipation.

Nathan leaned in, his voice filled with awe as he nodded his head toward all of the filled seats. “Look at this, Olivia. She’s turned the whole night around.”

I nodded, tears brimming in my eyes. There wasn’t a single seat left, and now people were standing wherever they could.

“We might actually do this,” I whispered, allowing myself to have that brief moment of hope.

My gaze drifted to the Alphas once again, who were leaning toward each other and nodding as they whispered. I couldn’t see their faces, but I hoped that they were embarrassed.

During the intermission, I offered Dianna a glass of champagne. “Dianna, I really can’t express how much this means to us,” I said. “Really. You may have saved this evening just by being here.”

Dianna took the glass, her hand slightly trembling. I imagined that it was incredibly difficult for her to go out in public, especially like this, in a decade. “Of course,” she managed, taking a sip of her glass. “Besides, I suppose it was about time for me to come out of my shell.”

I paused then, sipping my own champagne. “If you don’t mind me asking,” I said after a moment, “what made you start staying at home?”

She was silent for a moment before she answered, her finger running around the rim of her champagne flute. “I, um…” she swallowed.

“You don’t have to tell me,” I reassured her.

But Dianna shook her head. “No. It’s alright. It’s just… well, after my husband died, I suppose I lost interest in the outside world,” she said, a faraway look passing over her face. “He was the love of my life, and it felt as though all of the color drained from the world.”

As she spoke, I felt tears begin to prick at the backs of my eyes. “So you shut out the world.”

She nodded. “I did. For ten years, I never set foot beyond the confines of my property. Even walking out to the mailbox was a chore. I had all of my groceries delivered, always peeking through the curtains and waiting for the delivery person to drive away before I would scurry out to grab the bags.”

“But,” she continued, “you’ve helped me realize how it’s important to be a part of something bigger. At the end of the day, I’m a part of this pack, too. And when I saw your determination, the look in your eyes that spoke of a woman who was nothing short of persistent, well… I knew I couldn’t stay hidden away forever.”

“You’re so brave,” I murmured, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “Really, it’s so amazing that you came here.”

Dianna chuckled then. “Brave? More like a coward,” she said. “I’m ashamed of myself for the way I’ve lived these past ten years, if one can even call it living. My husband would be rolling in his grave.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but it was then that I noticed Nathan, engaged in an animated conversation with one of the Alphas. Something seemed wrong.

A sense of dread washed over me in that moment. I excused myself from Dianna and made my way toward them, catching snippets of their conversation as I approached.

“We’re trying our best,” Nathan was saying, his voice laced with a mixture of frustration and determination. “I promise you, this auction won’t disappoint.”

“It had better not, youngling,” the Alpha hissed. “We’ve come all this way, gone out on a limb for you…”

As I approached, the Alpha turned his glare toward me, his eyes cold and calculating. After a brief, tense moment, he excused himself with a curt nod and walked away without finishing his sentence.

“Nathan, what was that about?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as my heart pounded with apprehension.

Nathan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The Alphas. They’re skeptical. They don’t think we’ll meet the $100,000 goal. I was trying to reassure them, but…”

His words trailed off, but I understood. The doubt in their eyes was a challenge, a mountain we had yet to climb. But I was resolute. “It’s like they want us to fail,” I muttered, clutching my champagne glass more tightly than I intended. “But we won’t.”

Nathan’s expression softened, and he pulled me close, pressing a warm kiss to my forehead. “Just know that, whatever happens tonight, I’m still taking you on that honeymoon.”

“But we’ll win,” I said, pulling back slightly to meet his gaze. “You don’t need to reassure me.”

Nathan looked at me for a moment, looking as though he might say something else, but he finally closed his mouth and nodded.

The auction resumed, the energy in the room reaching new heights. Each bid brought us closer to our goal, the excitement palpable.

Rare items and exclusive experiences went under the hammer, each commanding impressive prices. The crowd was now fully engaged, their enthusiasm reignited by Dianna’s presence and the tantalizing items on offer.

As the evening progressed, the sense of triumph grew. We were closing in on our goal, each bid a step closer to victory. forty thousand, forty-five thousand, sixty thousand… It was so close I could touch it.

Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for arrived. After her first two paintings sold for high prices, Dianna’s final painting was brought forward on the stage, the auctioneer’s voice booming through the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, ”he announced, his voice echoing through the hall, “the final work of art by the incomparable Dianna Miller. Let the bidding begin.”