The Unexpected Bid

Chloe stared up at his handsome, stoic face, desperate and humiliated. She clung fiercely to the belief that Gideon’s towering presence would act as an impenetrable shield against Eastport's mockery. She waited for the warm embrace of his protection to pull her from the wreckage.

Instead, her fragile hopes shattered. His dark eyes swept over her without a trace of pity.

"Dalton, throw them out," Gideon commanded.

The icy words rang out through the cool night air. The sheer coldness in his voice offered no room for negotiation. Chloe froze. Dalton and Gideon's ruthless security detail moved forward, grabbing the sputtering Kensingtons and roughly escorting them away.

Surrounding onlookers whispered malicious remarks. Their mocking stares left Chloe feeling exposed. As the venue doors shut her out, she seethed with a toxic thirst for revenge against Valerie.

That very night, her ultimate humiliation escalated into a vicious viral spectacle. High-definition footage of Chloe falling to her knees and bowing flooded the internet. Clips of the family being unceremoniously evicted and pelted with rotting garbage by unseen assailants in the street dominated social media. Every single piece of it was secretly orchestrated and ruthlessly pushed by Gideon's hushed, iron-clad orders to his men.

Inside the heavily guarded VIP room on the second floor of the Aurum Auction House, the atmosphere was a mix of tension and reckless amusement. Jaxon and Wyatt sank into the luxurious leather sofas, leaning in to boldly tease Gideon about Valerie’s mysterious child.

"Instant fatherhood, isn't it great?" Wyatt laughed out loud, oblivious to the danger he was courting.

Gideon's dark gaze slowly shifted to him. The air in the room instantly turned lethal and suffocatingly cold.

"Dalton, take these two down to the basement for some sparring practice," Gideon ordered smoothly. His tone brooked no argument.

Terrified at the sudden prospect of spending a month bedridden from Dalton's brutal combat skills, the two men paled. Their arrogant laughter died in their throats. They shrank back into the cushions, frantically begging for mercy, but Gideon's expression remained dark and unyielding.

Downstairs in the grand, velvet-draped main hall, the auction progressed. Valerie ignored the whispers around her. Her focus remained laser-sharp, fixed solely on the final, most anticipated item of the night: the legendary Bamboo Reishi. It was a life-saving necessity for Leo's delicate health. She could not leave without it.

When the auctioneer finally presented the rare herb, Valerie bypassed the modest starting price. She raised her elegant paddle. Her voice rang out clear and unwavering.

"One million dollars!"

The jump in price silenced the room. Competition was initially sparse. No one dared challenge such an aggressive opening bid.

Then, a deep, cold, authoritative voice echoed ominously from the shadowed balcony of the second floor.

"Four million dollars!"

Valerie didn't flinch. She recognized that voice anywhere.

"Ten million dollars!" she countered icily, her eyes fixed straight ahead on the stage.

"20 million dollars!" Gideon followed. His tone carried a taunting, aggressive dominance.

Valerie gripped her paddle. She was determined to crush him beneath the weight of her hidden wealth. The item was barely worth a fraction of this, but she would not lose.

"40 million dollars!" her voice rang fiercely through the silent hall.

In the private room above, Gideon's wealthy friends sat in stunned, breathless silence. They exchanged bewildered glances. Who on earth could possibly be secretly sponsoring her? Seven years ago, Gideon had personally sent her to prison. She was a ruined, penniless woman cast out by her own family. The sheer scale of her current wealth sent a chill down their spines.

Gideon's handsome expression remained an unreadable, stony mask as the auctioneer’s hammer finally fell, awarding the priceless medicinal herb to Valerie. However, his mind raced with dark, calculated thoughts.

"Dalton, thoroughly investigate everything about her past seven years," he commanded in a low, dangerous whisper. His eyes never left Valerie's figure below.

As the auction concluded, elite attendees began to exit the grand hall. Gideon made his way through the velvet-lined corridors toward the private lounge area. He stopped abruptly. Carter Brooks stood near the plush seating, gently holding Leo's hand and conversing warmly with Valerie.

*Seven years apart, and she's become even more formidable,* Gideon thought. His internal demeanor grew freezing and predatory at the sight of another man standing so near her.

Stepping forward, his tailored suit cut a striking figure in the dim light. He closed the distance between them. Valerie met his intense, guarded stare with an equal coldness.

Without breaking eye contact with Gideon, Valerie firmly and quietly instructed Carter. "Please take Leo away from here."

"Valerie, I won't leave you," little Leo protested instantly. His small fists clenched tight. The boy was deeply wary that the tall, imposing bad guy might try to bully his mother again.

Valerie gave him a subtle, reassuring nod. Trusting her silent command, the boy obediently followed Carter toward the exit. But before disappearing down the ornate corridor, Leo stopped. He shot a fierce warning glare directly at the rapidly approaching man.

As soon as Carter and Leo disappeared from view, Gideon stood still before Valerie. His tall frame cast a long, heavy shadow over her. His piercing, dark gaze locked intensely onto hers, searching for any flicker of the woman he once knew.

Valerie knew exactly who this imposing figure was. He was the undisputed Prince of Eastport, the ruthless head of the Prescott Group, and the former, beloved fiancé of the body she now inhabited.

Yet, inside her mind, her inherited memories of him were an echoing blank. She had no idea how deeply, or in what specific ways, this man had wounded the original host.

However, the mere sight of his face triggered something deep within her chest. Her physical heart ached with a residual, phantom pain. It was a lingering scar from a tragic past she could not remember. She frowned slightly. Her deep discomfort and instinctive aversion showed in the sudden tightening of her delicate features.

The high-stakes tension between them crackled in the quiet lounge. Years of unresolved history hung heavy in the air, culminating in this long-awaited reunion. Gideon took a step closer, his dark eyes sweeping over her face.