Betrayed, Then Back For Blood - Chapter 92: Chapter 92

Ashton didn't say anything after hearing that. He just looked quietly at Briar with a half-smiling, half-amused expression.
Briar said nothing.
She thought, 'What's with that aggrieved look? Don't think that just because you're looking at me like that, I'll feel guilty. I...'
Briar said, "Let me treat you to a late-night supper after this."
Ashton leaned in and asked in his deep, magnetic voice, "You're treating?"
Briar sighed. "Yeah, I'm treating."
She'd already been caught red-handed. She had no choice.
Only then did Ashton smile. "Alright. Invite your two friends too."
Briar's eyes dropped slightly. Her eyelashes just happened to cover the flash of caution in her eyes. "Okay."
From an outsider's perspective, all they saw was the notoriously cold and aloof scion, voluntarily sitting next to a young girl, leaning in close, speaking with their heads practically touching. That alone was enough to shock everyone present.
If it weren't for the auction house rules forbidding the use of electronic devices to take pictures, some people would've risked being flagged by Ashton's bodyguards just to snap a photo of the moment.
If that photo got out, it would shock many people.
Still, out of fear of Ashton's reputation, most people only dared sneak glances from the corners of their eyes. No one stared directly.
Even so, Briar could still sense the countless eyes on her from all directions.
Luckily, at that moment, music started playing from the stage. The auction was officially beginning.
Briar acted like her attention had been diverted, staring at the stage like a curious little newbie.
"Distinguished guests, welcome to tonight's event. The auction will begin shortly. Please bid respectfully and compete fairly."
"Now, let's bring out our first item. An ancient yellow-green glazed ceramic vase from the 1700s. I believe many of you are already familiar with this item's history, so we won't go into too much detail. We'll start the bidding at 1.2 million dollars."
The host's sweet voice echoed through every corner of the auction hall.
With such a high starting price for the first item, everyone's anticipation for the auction only increased.
Everyone knew that the underground auction house only presented authentic items. As soon as the host finished, people started bidding.
"1.3 million dollars!"
"1.4 million dollars!"
"1.5 million dollars!"
The guests here were all wealthy tycoons from Shoneport or other cities. They had fought tooth and nail to obtain membership to the auction house, and none of them planned to leave empty-handed. The bidding quickly became fierce.
Briar listened and watched with curiosity, perfectly playing the role of an innocent and inexperienced young girl.
Ashton, watching her fascinated expression, handed her his bidding paddle. "Do you like it? If you do, we can bid too. The highest estimated price is around 2.8 million dollars. As long as it doesn't exceed 3 million dollars, feel free to bid."
On the side, Brandon and Morton couldn't help twitching at the corners of their mouths.
The top price was 2.8 million dollars, and Ashton was willing to shell out more money just to please Briar.
As expected, chasing a girl was expensive. And this was before Ashton even made his feelings clear.
Fortunately, for someone with assets in the hundreds of millions, 3 million dollars was nothing to Ashton.
Briar shook her head. "I don't like fragile things like vases."
Ashton then pulled out the auction catalog. "Then which item caught your eye?"
Briar didn't hesitate. She flipped to the last page and pointed at the picture of the frostworm. "I like this one."
Ashton nodded. "Alright, it's yours then."
The frostworm was a rare medicinal ingredient. Since the girl was studying traditional medicine, it wasn't surprising that she wanted it.
"The starting price is 3 million dollars. Estimated highest bid around 15 million dollars..."
As he spoke, Ashton was about to pull out his card when suddenly, a soft, cool hand rested on the back of his. His movements paused, and he turned to meet Briar's bright eyes. She didn't seem to notice the subtle stiffness in his body. Smiling sweetly, she said, "Mr. Wade, I brought money."
Then, she pulled her hand back, opened her backpack, and took out the bank card she'd been using as a bookmark in her medical textbook. She waved it in front of him. "There's 18 million dollars in here. It's enough."
Ashton's gaze lingered on her fingers holding the card. "This... Are you trying to distance yourself from me?"
"Nope." Briar shook her head and leaned in mysteriously, lowering her voice to explain, "The frostworm can be used to improve Mr. Griffin Wade's health. I plan to buy it, then sell it to you, for a tidy profit."
At the last words, "tidy profit," her eyes crinkled with laughter.
Ashton was amused by the little money-grubber's greedy expression. He nodded. "Alright. I'll wait for it."
It was the first time someone had tried to openly scam Ashton, and yet he was in a great mood.
Brandon, listening from the side, almost covered his face in secondhand embarrassment.
There was no doubt. Ashton was totally on his way to becoming a hopeless romantic.