Chapter 449

Olivia

Dianna’s final artwork, her most rare piece, was unveiled on the stage and elicited a gasp from the audience. My eyes widened slightly as I took in the beautiful abstract piece, a swirl of shapes and colors that almost seemed to resemble a landscape, but not quite.

“Ladies and gentlemen, ” the auctioneer announced, “the final work of art by the incomparable Dianna Miller. Let the bidding begin.”

Beside me, Dianna drew in a sharp breath and clutched her necklace. I glanced at her, then at Nathan, who gave my waist a squeeze.

“Here we go,” Nathan whispered.

All at once, the auction hall began to fly into a frenzy of bidding. The auctioneer could barely keep up, his voice rising in pitch and cadence as his hands flew to point out the cacophony of bidders.

“I’m hearing five thousand… ten thousand… twelve… fifteen thousand!”

A woman dressed in furs and pearls near the front shot up from her seat, waving her bidding card dramatically. “Twenty thousand!” she cried out.

“Twenty-two thousand!” another bidder, a man wearing a designer suit, countered almost immediately.

The bidding continued, with each rising number causing my heart to pound in my chest in a way that it hadn’t ever before. I looked over at Dianna, who still stood there clutching her necklace, her mouth slightly agape with shock.

Nathan’s hand found mine, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. “This is unbelievable,” he murmured as he leaned closer to me.

I nodded, too stunned to speak. All I could think about was how that goal of $100,000 was growing closer and closer. Up ahead, the Alphas continued to sit in their seats, their backs turned to us; but I could see them leaning close together, whispering beneath the din of the bidding.

I hoped that they would be proven wrong tonight. This wasn’t just a silly passion project; it was business. Successful business.

“Thirty thousand dollars!” The final bid echoed through the hall, silencing the crowd. A collective gasp rippled through the room, and for a moment, everything seemed to stand still.

“Going once…” the auctioneer called out. “Going twice… sold to the highest bidder!”

The gavel came down, echoing through the hall.

Then, applause erupted, loud and thunderous. I turned to Dianna, whose face was a picture of stunned joy. “Did you ever imagine?” I asked, my voice coming out in a rush.

Dianna shook her head. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “Never in my wildest dreams,” she whispered. “Especially not for that painting.”

Suddenly, Nathan’s hand cupped my cheek, turning me to face him. I met his soft blue-green eyes, and I couldn’t help but grin.

“Well, that was everything,” he said softly. “Now, to wait for the count to come back.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. “Do you think we made it to $100,000? I lost track.”

Nathan nodded. “I sure hope so. But I think we made it.” With that, he leaned down and kissed me gently on the lips. I let myself lean into him, suddenly feeling exhausted after everything that had happened.

When we finally pulled apart, Nathan leaned down and whispered in my ear, his breath warm. “I’m taking you on that honeymoon next week. Just wait, I’ll buy the tickets tonight.”

I blushed at the thought, a dreamy smile on my face. “A beach,” I mused out loud. “Just relaxing, forgetting the world for a while.”

Nathan smirked, and I could see a flicker of something dance through his eyes, something lustful. In that moment, it was just us; I could only imagine how much we both needed that honeymoon.

Then, we were greeted by the sounds of our friends’ voices. Angela came running forward, holding several champagne flutes and a bottle of sparkling apple juice.

“I think this warrants a toast,” she said, holding up the bottle. “Non-alcoholic, of course, for our pregnant Luna.”

I blushed. “Thanks. I appreciate the thought.”

Angela and Levi poured the drinks and passed the glasses around. We all stood in a circle: me and Nathan, Angela and Levi, the PR team, Clint, and, of course, Dianna.

“To an incredible night,” Nathan announced, raising his glass.

“To Dianna, the true star of the evening,” I added, turning to look at Dianna. “Your presence turned the tide.”

Dianna blushed, her eyes softening. “Thank you, Olivia. I’m just glad I could help. And I hope to be more involved in community programs in the future.”

Clint, who had been quietly admiring Dianna from a distance, finally spoke up. “Dianna, I’ve always been a big fan of your work. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Dianna’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, but she smiled, seemingly pleased. “Thank you, um…”

“Clint,” he clarified with a warm smile.

Dianna’s blush grew. “Thank you, Clint. That means a lot to me.”

Their conversation drifted into art and inspiration, and I watched as they slowly wandered off, their heads close together, engrossed in their conversation. There was an unmistakable spark between them, and I turned to Nathan with a smirk.

“Well, they seem to have hit it off,” I murmured.

Nathan smirked. “Clint’s been eyeing her since she walked in here. Didn’t think I’d ever see the old coot actually look at a woman in that way.”

I couldn’t help but smile. The night seemed to be a raving success, not just with the auction, but with new beginnings as well. I hoped that Clint and Dianna would enjoy each other’s company; maybe they both needed it.

Angela strutted over to me and put her arm around my shoulders. “Can you believe it, Liv?” she asked, sipping her sparkling juice. “Thirty thousand for one painting?”

I shook my head, still in disbelief. “No, I can’t believe it,” I admitted. “I still feel like I’m imagining things.”

Nathan was beaming. “Well, you’re not,” he teased. “This is very real, my love. And it’s thanks to you.”

I blushed. “No, I didn’t—”

“To our Luna,” Benjamin said, raising his glass again. “The best addition to the PR team we could have hoped for.”

“I must say, Luna, I’m surprised.”

I froze at the sound of the familiar voice. We all turned, and there she was: Vanessa, standing there, looking a little… sheepish.

“Vanessa,” I said softly. “You came.”

She paused, clearing her throat before she nodded. “I did,” she said. “And… I wanted to apologize. This auction was clearly a success thanks to you. I should have believed in you.”

“Vanessa, you don’t need to—”

“I want to,” she interrupted. “I’m sorry, Olivia. And to the rest of the PR team. I was angry, and I shouldn’t have stormed out like that.”

The PR team was silent, glancing at each other with surprised expressions on their faces. Then, Ashley stepped forward, holding her arms out. “Give us a hug, Vanessa.”

Vanessa’s face turned red, but she didn’t turn down the hug. I watched with a smile on my face as the close-knit team piled in together, putting aside their differences. Something about it gave me hope; hope that maybe we could be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Together.

But then, a subtle shift occurred. The light-hearted chatter of our group was interrupted by Nathan’s secretary, who approached with a hurried pace. She leaned in, whispering something into Nathan’s ear.

I watched as Nathan’s face drained of color, his expression turning to one of concern.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart starting to race.

Nathan looked at me, his eyes filled with an emotion that filled me with a sense of dread. “We were so close, Olivia. But we’re still $500 short of our goal.”

The words hit me like a freight train. “$500?” I blurted out. “Surely that’s not enough to cause issues…”

“You would be wrong, Luna.”

Nathan and I turned, our hearts sinking as we saw the Alphas standing behind us, their faces stern and cold.