Chapter 6

Olivia's POV

The next evening, I went to the Seattle Auction House alone.

Ethan had called me in the afternoon, saying he had a business dinner and couldn't make it home.

I had heard Amber’s faint coughing in the background over the phone, but I just replied with a quiet, "Okay."

I didn't ask.

Asking would only bring more polished lies.

The auction hall was bright, filled with Seattle's elite dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns.

I sat in the back row, my hat pulled low, quietly flipping through the catalog.

When I reached item seventeen, my fingers stopped.

It was a vintage emerald brooch.

Waterdrop shaped, bordered with delicate diamonds, with a tiny letter "O" engraved on the back.

Before my mother passed away, she had left this brooch to me.

But when my family went bankrupt years ago, our estate was seized, and many belongings were scattered. I had spent years searching for this brooch to no avail.

My chest tightened as I stared at the page.

How did Amber find out about this?

Once the auction started, I kept my bidding paddle down.

When the emerald brooch was finally brought to the stage and the auctioneer announced the opening bid, the light in the VIP balcony on the second floor lit up instantly.

"One million dollars."

Whispers broke out around me.

"Mr. Ethan is bidding."

"It must be for his wife. Their anniversary was just yesterday, right?"

I looked up at the private balcony.

The glass was tinted, obscuring the people inside, but I could make out Ethan's sharp, stern silhouette sitting on the leather sofa.

My phone buzzed.

A text from Ethan:

【Heading home tonight. I bought a surprise for you.】

Looking at the text, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

If I hadn't seen those videos, if Amber hadn't rubbed it in my face, I would have truly believed Ethan bought this because he remembered my mother.

A second later, Amber’s text popped up:

【Don't get ahead of yourself. Want to guess who will actually be wearing this tonight?】

I raised my head.

The door to the private balcony on the second floor opened slightly.

Amber stood in the shadow, smirking down at me.

She was wearing Ethan's suit jacket over a sleek, low-cut silk dress, her hand resting protectively over her stomach.

I suddenly realized Amber didn't care about the brooch.

She was just here to stomp on the very last piece of my heart.

The bidding ended quickly.

Ethan secured the brooch for three million dollars.

When the hammer fell, my eyes welled up, but I forced myself to sit still.

Half an hour later, the auction went on intermission.

I got up to use the restroom. As I walked down the side hallway, I heard Amber's soft laughter coming from a private lounge.

The door wasn't fully closed.

I stopped.

Through the crack, Ethan was sitting on the sofa, his brow furrowed with slight impatience.

Amber, however, was leaning close, pulling his hand to rest on her belly.

"Ethan, I think the baby just moved."

Ethan said softly, "It's only been six weeks, Amber. It doesn't move yet."

Amber pouted. "But I just want you to feel him."

Standing outside the door, I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice.

Ethan didn't pull his hand away.

The hand that had once held mine by my hospital bed, swearing he didn't care about having children, was now being pressed onto another woman's stomach.

I couldn't look anymore. I turned and walked away.

By the time I got back to the estate, the living room lights were on.

Ethan arrived thirty minutes after me, carrying a beautifully wrapped jewelry box.

"Have you been waiting long?" He walked over, his voice unusually tender. "Open it."

I looked down.

Inside the box was not my mother's emerald brooch.

It was a brand-new diamond necklace—exorbitantly expensive, dazzling, and completely foreign.

Ethan said, "I thought this suited you better. The brooch was too old and worn out. I had my assistant take it to a specialist for restoration first."

I looked him in the eye. "Where is the brooch?"

Ethan hesitated for a fraction of a second. "I'll give it to you in a few days."

I felt a sudden, profound exhaustion.

Even his lies were getting lazy.

My phone vibrated.

It was a location drop from Amber.

Seattle Auction House, Underground Parking, Section B.

Accompanied by a text:

【Your mother's brooch is on me. Do you have the guts to come see?】

I slowly closed the jewelry box.

"I feel a bit suffocated. I'm going out for a walk."

Ethan stood up. "I'll go with you."

"No need."

I grabbed my coat and headed out the door.

This time, I was going to see exactly how disgusting Ethan could truly get.