Chapter 1665:
Rosanna froze. To these people, money was nothing more than numbers on a screen—a game they played effortlessly. It was completely beyond her comprehension, both financially and mentally. She had only three billion in cash, and in her rivalry with Maia she had already spent it all, even owing the auction house one billion more. How could she possibly compete for this crown jewel?
“Damn it!”
Her teeth bit into her lip. Reluctance and frustration darkened her gaze. She glanced toward Maia, lounging casually in the third row, spinning her paddle lazily, completely unhurried. Rosanna sneered inwardly. What was the act for? After blowing thirty billion on that unfinished building, Maia must be broke. Her heart must be bleeding watching this slip away.
Just when it seemed the bidding battle would peak among the conglomerates—with the price nearing ninety billion—Maia, silent until now, sat upright.
She didn’t glance at a single competitor. She simply lifted her paddle.
In that instant, she transformed from a casual spectator into a commanding queen of the room. Her red lips parted slightly as she uttered a number that froze everyone in place.
“One hundred billion.”
Poр𝗎l𝗮r 𝗌𝘁о𝗋i𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝗻 𝗴𝘢ln𝗈ve𝘭ѕ.co𝘮
It was as if a bomb had detonated in the auction hall. A stunned silence followed, broken only by an explosive chorus of gasps.
“One hundred billion?”
“She’s lost her freaking mind!”
“Who is this woman? Does her family print money?”
“I recognize her—that’s Maia Watson! The chief designer at MCN!”
“What? That’s Maia Watson?”
The representatives from rival consortiums, locked in fierce bidding just moments ago, now sat frozen, exchanging bewildered looks. Their hands, still gripping paddles, hovered motionless in midair.
One hundred billion dollars. Pouring that much of any group’s liquid capital into a single building would be financial suicide.
The hall sank into stunned silence.
Maia’s calm, detached voice cut through the quiet. “Anyone else care to bid?” Her gaze swept the room, and wherever it landed, tycoons looked away. This was a number no one could touch.
But just as the auctioneer—trembling with barely contained excitement—raised his gavel to bring it down, a shrill scream shattered the tension.
“I don’t believe it!” Rosanna shot up from her front-row seat and stabbed a finger at Maia, her face contorted with jealousy and rage beneath her mask. “Maia! Drop the act! One hundred billion? Do you honestly have that kind of money?”
“You just dropped thirty billion on Future City, and now you’re throwing around another hundred billion? Who do you think you are—the richest person on this planet?”
Rosanna’s voice rang out, sharp and grating as it echoed through the hall. She spun around to face the stunned crowd, her tone turning inflammatory. “Everyone, don’t be fooled! She’s nothing but a designer at MCN. Sure, she’s made some money over the years, but there’s no way she can pull a hundred and thirty billion in cash out of thin air! This is clearly fraudulent bidding—she’s sabotaging the integrity of this auction!”
The moment the words left her mouth, the crowd—which had been momentarily cowed by Maia’s commanding presence—began exchanging wary glances.
One hundred and thirty billion in liquid capital. Even the most powerful financial magnates in the country would struggle to mobilize that kind of cash on short notice. How could a young woman possibly command such wealth?
“Actually, she has a point…”
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