Not long after it got to Raymond and valentina turn nobody where paying them attention.
However the mont Raymond pulled out his card, the air in the auction hall shifted.
Silence.
It was abrupt, unnatural—as if the very walls were holding their breath.
Every movent paused, every whisper died, every gaze locked onto the small, unassuming piece of plastic in Raymond’s hand.
A red card.
Just red—no markings, no symbols, no tiers.
And yet...
Without a word, the security guards straightened, their expressions shifting into sothing dangerously close to reverence.
One of them, an older man with years of experience in dealing with the wealthiest individuals in the world, bowed his head slightly before signaling another guard.
"This way, sir."
His voice held no hesitation. No questioning.
He didn’t even ask to confirm Raymond’s identity—as if the card itself had already done all the talking.
Valentina’s fingers curled slightly around the fabric of her dress, her heart hamring at the unexpected reaction. She had attended high-profile events before, had seen power in motion—but this?
This was sothing else entirely.
And then ca the whispers.
"What... what card was that?"
"I’ve never seen that before."
"It wasn’t gold... wasn’t silver... not even platinum..."
"Just... red?"
"What the hell does a red card even an?"
Confusion lted into awe, then curiosity, then the sinking realization that whatever it was... it had power beyond anything they understood.
Because the security hadn’t just let Raymond in.
They had treated him as if he was above everyone in the scene.
As if he belonged to a tier they didn’t even know existed.
And as Raymond and Valentina stepped forward, slipping past the stunned guests into the grand auction hall, not a single soul dared to stop them.
The mont Raymond and Valentina took their seats, the auctioneer stepped forward, microphone in hand, addressing the audience with practiced enthusiasm.
"Ladies and gentlen, welco to tonight’s exclusive auction, where only the finest and most extraordinary pieces are up for bidding. We are honored to have such esteed guests among us."
His voice was smooth, confident—a routine introduction designed to flatter the egos in the room. But amidst the welcoming speech, a sudden movent caught Valentina’s attention.
A man sitting near the front turned sharply in his seat.
His gaze landed on her—and imdiately, his expression shifted from polite indifference to pure shock.
Damien West.
A na well known among the Tier Two elites.
His family, the West Family, had a net worth nearing five billion dollars, placing them just below the city’s most powerful nas.
But that wasn’t the most important detail.
He had once been deeply infatuated with Valentina.
Long before her tragedy.
Long before she had disappeared into the shadows of disgrace and rejection.
Yet now...
Now, she sat before him—flawless, untouched by the scars that had once marked her.
She was even more breathtaking than before.
A beauty so striking that for a mont, he forgot to breathe.
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
Couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
It wasn’t just about admiration.
It was about regret.
How had he let her slip away?
How had he let himself believe she was truly gone?
His fingers trembled with excitent as he reached for his phone. His mind raced.
He needed to know everything. Where had she been?
how she got herself back? And most importantly...
Who the hell was the man sitting beside her?
Damien decided to call soone who could confirm everything, so he dialed Bernard’s number. Imdiately, Bernard’s phone rang, and after a few seconds, he answered.
"Hello?" Bernard’s voice ca through.
"Bernard, I just saw Valentina." Damien’s tone was sharp, filled with disbelief.
"She looks... different. Everything about her just looks so new. What happened? Is she really the sa Valentina I knew?"
Bernard sighed on the other end. "Yes, she’s the sa Valentina you knew."
"Did she do surgery?" Damien asked, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Bernard scoffed.
"Surgery? What kind of surgery would work in such a way? I’m telling you, it’s her."
"But three weeks ago, our family was pushing her out. She was done for. So what happened?"
"Yeah, three weeks ago, our family announced that who so ever marries her would be give hundred thousand dollars, and a guy ca in they got married, and to our surprise now, Valentina had gotten herself back," Bernard confird. "But then, she got married to so guy."
"What?" Damien’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone.
"Yeah, she got married. To so guy," Bernard repeated.
Damien’s fingers tightened around his phone.
"And who the hell is he?"
Bernard scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.
"That guy? The one who married Valentina? He’s completely out of his mind."
Damien narrowed his eyes. "What do you an?"
"I an he’s not right in the head," Bernard sneered.
"And he’s as poor as they co. But the funny part? The bastard is proud. Like, ridiculously proud. Acts like he owns the damn world when he’s got nothing. He’s completely useless, and our family is doing everything possible to get rid of him now."
At that mont Damien exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening.
"And you’re saying the family is trying to get rid of him?"
"Exactly,"Bernard confird.
"They know Valentina deserves better, and they’re doing everything to make sure she drops him. He doesn’t belong in her life."
Damien smirked slightly.
"Good. That’s what I needed to hear."
The call ended, but the wheels in Damien’s mind were already turning. His fingers tightened around his phone as his eyes flickered back toward Valentina, who sat gracefully beside Raymond, oblivious to his piercing gaze.
He couldn’t deny it—she was breathtaking. Even more so now than before. Seeing her now, flawless and composed, only made him regret the past even more. He should have made his move back then, but he had hesitated. And now, so nobody had taken his place.
But it wasn’t over.
Now that Bernard had confird the man was nothing special, Damien saw an opening. If Valentina had truly married a weak man because of the burnt scar, then it ant her heart wasn’t completely lost. He could still turn things around.
His best chance? Figuring out what she was here for. If she was at this auction, she had to be after sothing valuable. And if she wanted it, then he was going to make damn sure he got it first.
And when he did, Valentina would have no choice but to look his way.
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