This time, Simon Hawthorne also turned his head to look at Miles Yates. His expression was unreadable, and a faint, mocking curve touched his lips.
A certain kind of unspoken rivalry between men needed no words. The last time he went out of his way to drop Zoe Lancaster off at the company, he had kissed her right in front of Miles to warn the man that she was already taken. It was meant to nip any inappropriate thoughts in the bud. He had assumed a man of Miles’s status would at least have a sense of boundaries. But now—what exactly was Miles playing at?
Zoe, on the other hand, didn’t read too much into it. She was diligent and highly competent at her job. As her boss, Miles had every reason to appreciate an employee who brought in profits for the company.
Peyton Joyce smiled. "President Yates, isn’t what you just said a bit ambiguous?"
Zoe frowned and shot her a glance.
Miles beat her to the punch. "What kind of answer were you looking for, Miss Joyce?" His question seemed gentle and curious, but it carried an underlying edge of authority.
Acutely aware that she had been too eager, Peyton offered a soft apology. "I’m sorry. I just didn’t quite understand what you meant, President Yates."
Miles’s lips curled into a smile. Generously letting the matter drop, he said, "It’s fine. Appreciation is just appreciation—completely above board."
Peyton pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze to sip her tea, feeling as though a thorn had inexplicably pierced her heart. She wondered if his comment about being "above board" was a veiled jab at her. She couldn’t be sure.
Fortunately, the auction was about to begin.
Sean Sheffield arrived fashionably late. He found a seat behind Simon and cast a meaningful, amused glance at the woman sitting next to Simon, then at Zoe beside Miles. "How fascinating," he thought.
The third item up for auction was an emerald necklace. The craftsmanship was intricate and exquisite, with a starting bid of 2.8 million. The price wasn’t astronomically high, but the piece was undeniably stunning.
Zoe couldn’t help but murmur, "It’s beautiful."
Miles tilted his head to look at her. "Do you like it?"
She shrugged. "Beautiful things naturally attract admirers. But you can’t just expect to own everything you like. No amount of money in the world could sustain that."
Miles, however, disagreed. His tone was gentle but resolute. "If you like something, you should get it. Otherwise, looking back, it will only become a regret. And life shouldn’t have regrets."
Zoe blinked, not quite understanding his underlying meaning. But the very next second, he raised his paddle. "Three million."
Zoe’s eyes widened in surprise. She wondered if he was trying to win it for her.
A love for beautiful jewelry was in a woman’s nature, and Peyton was no exception. She turned to Simon. "Simon, I want this."
Sitting with his legs crossed, Simon didn’t particularly enjoy such events and typically responded with indifference. However, given their close proximity, he hadn’t missed Zoe’s murmur about liking the necklace. Yet right now, she clearly had a knight in shining armor by her side.
He absentmindedly rubbed his pinky ring and replied flatly, "Raise your paddle."
Peyton smiled sweetly and raised her paddle.
Simon’s voice rang out, cold and stern. "3.2 million."
Zoe frowned as she looked at him, wondering what on earth Simon was thinking. She turned back to Miles, having no desire to start a bidding war. "President Yates, it’s fine. You don’t need to do this. There are plenty of other good items."
Miles gave her a reassuring look. "It’s no trouble. The item itself is trivial; your happiness is what matters."
Zoe found his words a bit hard to digest. Even though Jules Yates had specifically asked Miles to look after her, she still felt she couldn’t accept such a heavy favor. "President Yates, I’m really fine."
But Miles was already raising his paddle again. "3.5 million."
In truth, the necklace was only worth around three million. The current price was already pushing its absolute limit. Peyton was well aware of this. She sighed, putting on a considerate and understanding front. "Simon, it’s okay. If Zoe really likes it, I can let her have it. Don’t put yourself in a difficult position."
Simon’s dark eyes were freezing, as if soaked in ice water. "I’m not in the habit of giving up something I’m determined to win."
Zoe didn’t miss his words. He was leaving her absolutely no dignity. Between her and Peyton, he would always prioritize Peyton. He would never choose her.
Peyton looked anxious. Seemingly unable to persuade Simon, she turned around to look at Sean, who had been lazily watching the spectacle unfold. "Sean, please talk some sense into Simon. I really don’t mind."
Sean let out a slow, deliberate chuckle. "If you didn’t mind, you shouldn’t have mentioned wanting it in the first place. Now that the war has started, how exactly do you expect it to end?"
Peyton pursed her lips, momentarily speechless.
Refusing to yield, Miles raised his paddle again without batting an eye. "Five million."
Zoe fell silent. At this point, it was no longer a squabble between her and Peyton. It had escalated into an all-out war between Miles and Simon. Outwardly, they played the part of amicable businessmen, but in reality, they were constantly locking horns. The underlying tensions of the corporate world were simply playing out on the auction floor. Knowing that any attempt to persuade him would be futile, she simply washed her hands of the matter and let them be.
Peyton studied Simon’s expression with a complex gaze. Though he kept his emotions carefully hidden, she could sense that he wasn’t necessarily fighting for her. She feared that he was doing this because of Zoe. A man’s pride allowed no trespass. She wondered whether he was determined because she liked the necklace, or because another man was throwing vast sums of money around for Zoe. She didn’t dare think too deeply about it.
Simon didn’t so much as blink. He was just about to call out another bid when Peyton grabbed his arm and said weakly, "Simon, I’m feeling a bit dizzy."
His rhythm interrupted, Simon immediately turned to check on her. "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?"
It wasn’t hard to see that he genuinely cared about Peyton’s well-being. Zoe cast a calm glance in their direction. Having long grown accustomed to the gnawing ache in her heart, she could easily maintain a facade of indifference.
Thanks to Peyton’s interruption, the gavel fell. The necklace was won by Miles. Yet Zoe wasn’t happy at all. Simon had only given up because of a single sentence from Peyton.
Miles gave a polite, measured nod toward Simon. "Thank you for yielding, Mr. Hawthorne."
Simon wasn’t nearly as gentlemanly or polite as Miles. Instead, he radiated an untouchable aura. His deep, dark eyes were so chilling that they easily stripped away one’s courage to maintain eye contact. A faint, haughty smile touched his lips. "President Yates, you should make sure you pick the right target when trying to win a woman’s favor, lest all your efforts amount to nothing."
Miles offered a faint smile. "Thank you for the reminder. I’ll keep that in mind."
The two men exchanged verbal blows, neither seeming to lose the upper hand. As a mere spectator, Sean was thoroughly entertained. He took a sip of his tea, only to grimace in distaste. His tone was thick with teasing banter. "I always thought this kind of drama was reserved for circles of women. Who would’ve thought that grown men could scheme and play mind games just as fiercely? Thank god I’m flying solo, without any of these headaches."
He was more than happy to watch the show. A bystander’s perspective was always the clearest. Was Simon really standing up for Peyton? Not necessarily.
Just as his words faded, footsteps approached from a short distance away, accompanied by a joyful shout: "Mr. Sheffield!"
Sean narrowed his eyes and turned to see Riley Lancaster lifting her dress as she hurried over.
Simon cast him a fleeting glance and leisurely dealt a dose of payback, his tone languid yet venomous. "Your very own bundle of headaches has arrived."