Chapter 180 - Billionaire's Circle

At Sky’s residence,

Adam and George arrived. Kelly was in the living room obviously waiting for Adam. As a courtesy of his grandma’s presence, Adam walked closer to Kelly and leaned to kiss her but Kelly quickly lifted her hand to block him from coming closer to her.

“Adam, don’t you know that your mom was out the whole day?” Kelly’s expression was intimidating and was perplexed with Arabella’s absence in the house. Since she didn’t want to get out of her son’s life, Kelly’s plan was to start making her life horrible in the house by putting her in her right place. She was patiently waiting for Arabella to arrive but she didn't. Her anger heightened for failing her plan on the first day.

Adam stood up bravely looking at her. He already knew what his grandma was up to.

“Where could she be? With another man perhaps?” Kelly frowned while talking. Her delicate face got wrinkles showed up while badmouthing Arabella.

George remained in his bowed position but he was already chilling inside because of the scene with the Madame.

“My mom is not like that.” Adam suddenly answered with a strong defending tone. He would not allow anyone even his grandmother to slander his mother for he knew the truth of how his mother had cared for him. She had done everything for them to survive living without his father. He even witnessed his mother's every cry but she didn't complain.

“How do you know?” Kelly’s tone was provoking. “You are just a kid.” She added with sarcasm.

“Because she is my mother.” Adam bravely answered. “She took care of me selflessly. Cook my favorite food and put me to bed every night in her loving embrace.” Adam added with a soft tone not wanting to argue but still wanting to defend his mother.

Hearing him defending his mother, Kelly looked at Adam indignantly. George was alarmed.

“Madame, Mr. and Mrs. Sky went on a business trip by Mr. Sky’s order.” George couldn’t help but in before the tension would surge up between the grandmother and the grandchild.

Kelly didn’t say a word but she rolled her eyes at George. A chill came down to his spine with Kelly’s gaze. George bowed down again to show respect to her. Recognizing there’s another party in the scene, Kelly walked away.

F City.

The uproar surged up with the crowd’s excitement and eagerness to get not only the necklace but also Arabella.

Arabella shivered in her spot. She didn’t know what to do. Running away was her best option but how could she flee with the necklace on her neck and with the security men around the hall? They might consider her as a thief with her running with the diamond necklace. Her eyes swept on the crowd’s faces. Gentlemen were like drooling at her. They looked at her like they were already stripping her. Her heartbeat was racing fast as she was extremely nervous about what’s gonna happen to her after the bidding.

Would someone take her home?

OMG! She had to escape the place. She still had to go back to Adam but how could she possibly do that if she would run away from Bill? What if Bill would leave the city without her? That would be more of a problem for her.

“$600 million! The item and the model!” Someone shouted at the back raising his bidding paddle. Arabella was stunned. The man looked at her with full of desire. She felt very nervous about what’s gonna happened to her if the man would win.

“$800 million! With the model.” Another man shouted on her left side. The uproar never faded.

Arabella’s knees had softened. She looked at Bill for help but Bill was busy with some two chicks. She didn’t notice where these two girls appeared to him. Maybe he was just waiting for her to stand up or maybe Bill instructed the host to call her in front so he would have her seat occupied with another woman.

At that time, she wanted to hit him. She was in front like a limited-edition item that everyone wanted to buy while he was sitting uncomfortably and pleasurably with two women in his side. Arabella clenched her fists hard as her eyes glared daggers at him.

“1 billion!” The uproar stopped hearing another amount. All eyes landed on the owner of the voice.

Mr. Clinton.

“I want the item and the model of course. Hahaha…” Mr. Clinton laughed as he claimed like he had already won the bidding. His sticky stare was not leaving Arabella. He seemed confident that no one would go beyond his bid.

Arabella felt very surprised by the people inside. They didn’t mind about the money they released as long as they get what they wanted.

Then she remembered one person.

So, Bill Sky.

‘No! Not with Mr. Clinton.’ Arabella’s thought was messy. Looking at Mr. Clinton her spikes raised. He was staring at her like a hungry cunning wolf wanting to devour her. ‘Not with the pervert!’ Her instinct refused nervously.

“$1.5 Billion! Take all.” Another man with a deep voice sounded sitting in the third row. Everyone was stunned recognizing the man who raised his bidding paddle.

Mr. Eric Grant.

He was a self-made billionaire at a young age. In the billionaire’s circle, he was known to be the phoenix. This title was given to him as he maintained his low profile but he owned not just a country but countries where his conglomerate stood up and expanded everywhere.

He was also one of the VIPs but he opted to sit at the back. Mr. Grant was always mysterious and intimidating because of his silence. Only a few people in the circle with the precise business proposals were able to talk to him as he was known as a decent man.

At this moment, everyone was shocked by Mr. Eric Grant’s participation as he never attended the auction session before.

“Hahaha.” Mr. Clinton laughed with the unexpected participation of Mr. Grant. It seemed not only him eyeing the beauty in front of them. With Mr. Grant's participation, Mr. Clinton already knew that he had to stop otherwise he would lose more than billions to compete with Eric Grant.

“It seemed our Eric Grant would take home the enchantress.” The eldest in the group remarked fondly.

The crowd laughed at his words.

“That’s right. I never knew our Eric Grant had grown up.” Another old man maliciously remarked. If most people in the circle were fond of women, Eric was the opposite type. He was the only person who attended the dinner without any partner. He never brought a woman to the event.

The crowd laughed again.

Amidst the laughing, Arabella looked at the last bidder. Her heart thumped very fast as he was looking at her too. Their eyes met. Among all the people there, he was the one who had no woman by his side. She saw something on him that she couldn’t tell.

He was handsome but she could see loneliness in his eyes. For some reason, her nervousness dissipated slowly. If she was not mistaken, she could tell that he’s a good man. Her instinct preferred to be him to win rather than to the cunning Mr. Clinton but somehow, she still felt nervous about the man who offered $1.5 billion for her.

‘Don’t be deceived by his eyes and look’

‘Buying you for $1.5 billion just to score at you. They saw you as a stripper.’

‘That man is one of them.’

Arabella reminded herself.

“$2 billion!” Suddenly the noise from the crowd stopped hearing someone raise the price up. Everyone turned their heads to see the owner of the voice.

Bill Sky.

“Wow! The fight of our young gentlemen. How exciting!” A man remarked fondly.

Arabella didn’t know how to feel. She could not say thank you to Bill as she was angry with him for putting her in the situation. He made him some kind of a stripper to everyone’s eyes. She thought the auction's last piece was the necklace but it turned out to be her.

“$2.5!” Unexpectedly, Eric raised his bidding paddle again. His expression was serious. The air filled with excitement and tension with the two young gentlemen competing with one beauty. Arabella could see women’s expressions in the room. Their eyes were staring jealousy at her. Her eyes swept across Bill and Eric.

She saw Bill was calm. He seemed like giving just a cent to the event. His confidence was screaming while the two girls were promiscuously hugging and kissing him. He let them but his eyes were fixated on Arabella.

Her eyes were full of disgust with the scene of Bill and the two women.

How could she let this dirty man be the father of her child? A sudden question flashed across her mind.

“3 billion!” When everyone was already settled for 2.5 billion, Bill raised his bidding paddle again. The crowd was in an awe of how much money Bill would be willing to give to the charity just for the girl in front.

It was too much to mention.

Everyone was eyeing for Eric to raise the price as he was the only one who could do that with the huge amount of money.

They were not talking of millions but billions.

Arabella was filled with tension and nervousness.

Bill was also waiting for Eric to raise his bidding paddle but he didn’t.

In a quick minute, the auction ended for $3 billion. Arabella sat down beside Bill when the two women went away after the auction. The drinking and talks continued.

Bill looked at her with deep dark eyes.

Arabella was still absorbing everything while trying to calm her nerves.

“I didn’t know that you are worth billions.” Bill sounded with an insulting tone. Arabella shot daggers at him and without any hesitation, she slapped him with all her might. The slap resonated in the room that making the crowd stop and it made them the center of attention.

Bill looked at her sharply. Unafraid, Arabella shot daggers at him. She could not hold her anger any longer. She didn’t expect that this day she would be in F city and be an item for the billionaires’ auction.

“Do you want to die?” With irritation in his voice, Bill asked while gripping her wrists tightly.

“F*ck you! Die alone you jerk!” She didn’t know where she found such courage to curse him directly to his face and in front of everyone. At this time, she didn’t fear anything. She didn’t care about the people around them even if they were the richest on the earth.

Her extreme anger would only fade if she could beat him again and again.

After she said her words, she swiftly ran away. She didn’t know where to go but she felt like running anywhere. Anywhere out of the event hall but her feet stopped outside. She remembered she was in a foreign place and Bill was the only one who could bring her back to Adam.

She saw a huge fountain in front of her. She went closer to it and heaved a heavy sigh trying to calm herself. Realizing that she could not go anywhere, she stayed in front of the fountain and let her worries and anger be drift together with the running water in the fountain.

“Are you okay?” Suddenly an explicit fragrance was in the air. Arabella looked at the owner of the deep voice.

She was stunned seeing the man.

The man was already beside her but she didn’t notice because of overly thinking about her messy situation.

“Sorry to interrupt you. I’m Eric… Eric Grant.” The man gave his hand to her. With so much hesitation from a stranger, she didn’t take it. “I’m sorry, these things are too absurd!” She said with a displeased tone.

“I know,” Eric answered while taking out his hand. He could tell by just one look that she was afraid that’s why he intentionally saved her from Mr. Clinton and let her back to her original partner. He knew Bill's pride was too high so he had to compete with the price before he surrendered her to him.

“I mean no harm,” Eric added seeing Arabella’s uneasiness with his presence.

“But you are one of them,” Arabella answered in dismay.

Eric laughed a little and shook his head. “Not everyone is like them.” He defended himself as he smiled. He became so approachable with his smile.

“I hope so. I don’t want to think all billionaires are perverts.” She was just talking to herself but Eric could clearly hear it.

Eric laughed more. He was entertained by her words.

“Don’t worry. I am mean every word I said.” He answered laughing. He didn’t expect that the girl in front of him would give him a good laugh. Admittedly, he was moved by her beauty when he first saw her entering the venue with Bill Sky. Of all women, Bill had brought, she was the only one who got his attention.

“Oh no!” Arabella suddenly exclaimed. “The… the necklace… I lost the necklace..” She added frightened.