Ella met Eden's gaze, and for a brief moment, they locked eyes. Then, simultaneously, they both shifted their focus. Eden swiftly approached the host and asked, "Do we have a deal or not?"

The host, who was also watching the fun, was snapped back to reality. "Oh! Yes– $30 million going once?"

"Going twice!"

"Three times!"

"Sold! Congratulations, Mr. Dillon!"

The entire room erupted in applause as Eden ascended the stage and openly took the jewel. The sapphire was housed in a delicate glass jewelry box, emitting a brilliant blue glow under the lights, captivating the entire audience.

To everyone's surprise, Eden walked over to Lucien and Ella. Lucien frowned, presuming that Eden was intentionally showing off. However, much to his astonishment, Eden handed the jewel directly to Ella, saying, "For you."

The entire room was left in shock, with jaws dropping in amazement. It was rumored that Eden never followed the rules and enjoyed pushing his luck, but this simple act took everyone by surprise.

Ella gazed at Eden, unsure of how to respond.

"Do you not like it? Isn't this what you wanted?" Eden inquired.

The tone held a distinct quality, with a touch of unspoken ambiguity, causing Ella's heart to flutter with inexplicable emotions.

Lucien made a frustrated sound. "Ella doesn't–"

Eden pushed the jewelry box directly into Ella's hands, and without any hesitation, she accepted it. Lucien watched Ella in disbelief as she spoke, "If Mr. Dillon insists, I'll graciously accept it."

Eden flashed a wicked smile that could captivate any woman. With a glint in his eye, he teasingly said to Lucien, "What was that you said about being the bigger man?"

Eden's remark was a clear satire of the hypocritical words Lucien had spoken. Lucien's face darkened in response, unable to hide his anger. "Get out," he growled at Eden. Eden's smile remained unwavering as he turned and left the scene.

At that moment, Ella couldn't help but feel like she had given something away. She watched Eden walk away, and she had to admit that despite his audacity, the effortless dominance suited him well.

Was this how he managed to steal the hearts of so many women?

"When did Eden become so... dreamy?!" Cendy, who was usually a bit tongue-tied, couldn't help but blurt out her thoughts at that moment. Upon hearing her comment, Lucien's expression grew even more unpleasant. In contrast, Ella smiled softly in response.

Despite Lucien's constant boasting of being distinct from other wealthy individuals, he often came across as arrogant and pretentious, looking down on others. The outside world, however, praised him highly, considering him as America's once-in-a-millennium talent, with a family background and academic record so flawless that it made people wonder if he was God's favorite.

Later, Ella realized that his 'gifts' were just a result of his external conditions. The Williams Family raised Lucien with exceptional privilege since childhood. He grew up surrounded by a halo of wealth and opportunities, leading him down an ambitious path. Every time, he accepted those things as if he earned them and genuinely believed in his superiority.

The stunt Eden just pulled was a figurative slap to the face that left him reeling.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Cendy felt like she had spoken at a bad time. She quickly tried to excuse herself, saying, "Ella, it's getting late. I'll head back first."

Ella nodded, "Be careful..."

Cendy reassured her, "I will."

The charity banquet eventually concluded, and one by one, attendees left the venue. Lucien, despite harboring upset in his heart, swallowed his emotions and accompanied Ella back home.

Inside the car, there was an uncomfortable silence. Ella didn't initiate a conversation and seemed to be lost in her thoughts, occasionally glancing at the Crown Sapphire in her possession. Lucien, on the other hand, remained silent, visibly seething with anger.

As Lucien's mind raced, he could already envision how the media might describe him in their reports the following day. The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he became. He glanced at Ella, and his tone was noticeably harsh as he asked, "How could you accept Eden's gift?!"

Ella had the impulse to reply, 'Because I'm not the one being humiliated,' but she held back those words. Instead, she responded, "My mom's birthday is coming up, and she has always admired this sapphire, so I want to give it to her as a gift."

"But still–"

"I was planning to bid on it myself," Ella interrupted, her frustration evident. "But you stopped me."

Lucien was taken aback. He thought that when she put up her hand, she was expecting him to pay for it…

Ella replied blandly, "Before coming to the banquet, I told my father that I wanted to bid on the jewel to surprise my mom, and he agreed it was a good idea. He didn't give me a spending limit – he just wanted me to get it."

Lucien felt somewhat embarrassed, and it took a moment before he responded, "I also stopped you because I was afraid that bastard Eden was setting you up to overpay for it…"

Ella bit her tongue and decided not to call him out on his lie.

Ella calmly stated, "Since Eden doesn't care for it, there's nothing wrong with me taking it."

"But you still accepted something from that loser–"

"Lucien, I've never heard you insult someone like that before. What happened?" Ella asked with an innocent look on her face.

Lucien was slightly stunned.

"You've been calling Eden awful things all night… It's not like you. I didn't think you'd ever speak that way." Ella looked disappointed.

Lucien quickly tried to explain himself, "I'm also a little angry because he deliberately tried to get under my skin tonight. If you don't want to hear me talk like that, then don't bring him up."

Ella only nodded.

Lucien, though initially filled with anger, had to suppress his emotions due to her wordless response.

Unbeknownst to him, Ella couldn't help but sneer inwardly. If he wanted to be a hypocrite, she would let him play that role for the rest of his life.

—

Lucien sent Ella back to the Ford Family villa. The moment Ella got out of the car to go back, she was startled by the low voice calling out, "Ms. Ford."

She looked indignantly at Eden. He stood under the streetlight, leaning gracefully against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Are you always this god awful?" Ella said without humor.

"Cheating is always like that," he quipped.

"Who said anything about cheating?!" Ella felt her carefully maintained facade nearly crumble from this one man.

"I thought you did," Eden tilted his head. "Didn't you ask me to steal you away on your wedding day?"

She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to beat him to death with a stick!

"Since that isn't the case, give me back my card," Eden's words turned cold.

Ella took a deep breath and tried to stay calm as she said, "Wait for me for a moment."

Eden nodded slightly, then watched as Ella disappeared inside her home to retrieve his credit card. In a few minutes, she returned and handed it to him.

Eden took it without a word and turned to leave.

"The money for the sapphire," Ella called out. "I'll transfer it to you later."

"No need," Eden waved her off. "I might've exaggerated before. Money isn't a problem at all."

"Wha– Do you have no shame?!" Ella scowled.

If it wasn't a problem, why was he so insistent she give the card back?

"Goodnight, Ms. Ford," Eden said, ignoring her jab. He slipped into his flashy red sports car and sped off in style.

Ella couldn't put her finger on it, but there was always a feeling that Eden was completely different from the way he presented himself.

Was it an illusion?

No.

Deep down, Eden was hiding something.

And this deeply hidden man, at the moment, while driving, playfully looked at the card between his fingers. On his face, one could never tell what he was really thinking.

His phone suddenly rang, and his eyebrow twitched at the interruption. He answers the call through his dash, "Jonas."

"Winston's back."

"Uh-huh," Eden answered casually.

He already knew that.

"I heard you dropped $30 million dollars tonight just to get a smile from a redhead?" Jonas couldn't help but gossip.

The corners of Eden's mouth lifted, "That's love for you."

Jonas didn't respond. Was this some kind of fucking joke? The man who never stayed with the same woman for longer than a couple days was telling him he was in love?

Could a guy like him even fall in love?

Damn it.

He didn’t need to rub his rizz in Jonas’ face!