It was a bookmark made of gold, a historical item from the National

Museum of Mipburg whose collection had fallen in private hands. The bookmark was very thin and delicate, fashioned in the shape of a leaf, and engraved with rather elaborate patterns.

The starting bid was ten thousand. Erica was interested and was about to raise the bidding sign, but Phoebe was one step ahead of her.

“Thirty thousand!" Phoebe said.

Erica was deliberating as to whether to raise the price or not. Someone else took advantage of her silence and shouted, "Fifty thousand!"

She knew she had to act now. She raised the bid sign and said, “Sixty thousand!"

A smile flashed across Matthew's eyes. ‘Ah, something she's interested in.'

However, next to her, Phoebe stared at the item displayed onstage and increased the price again.

“Eighty thousand!"

Erica turned her head to stare at the woman who had just bid against her. She felt this woman was competing against her deliberately, outbidding her at every turn. Was it real, or just an illusion?

So she did something that was a bit out of character. Erica decided to let Phoebe have the final bid. Phoebe was pregnant. Why should she compete against a pregnant woman?

At last, the deal was closed at eighty thousand dollars and Phoebe got the bookmark.

The second item that aroused Erica's interest was a butterfly brooch.

The starting price was one hundred thousand. As soon as she raised the bidding sign, Phoebe decided to step in and raise the price.

"One hundred and fifty thousand!" Phoebe declared.

Erica was surprised. But she chalked it up to sheer coincidence. She wasn't that paranoid, after all. It was an auction, right? And people went to auctions to bid on things.

And the same thing happened with the third item. Erica's suspicions were confirmed. She was sure that Phoebe was deliberately trying to outbid her. One time is coincidence, twice is suspect. Three times is deliberate.

She gritted her teeth, her anger boiling in her heart. Finally, she asked Matthew, “Do you care how much I spend here?"

The man looked into her eyes, and he could tell that the girl was obviously angry. Although he didn't know why she was so angry, he still answered her question.

“That depends.”

“Well... How about this? There are about twelve items left. Can you bid on them and give them to me?"

Erica was angry, so her voice was a little louder than normal. Phoebe heard every word she said.

She looked at Erica in disbelief and exclaimed, “Erica, are you nuts?

You trying to drive Matthew into the poorhouse?"

Erica glanced at her coldly.