Third person's POV
Derek entered the auction venue with an upright posture and steady steps, blending into the bustling crowd.
The auction had not officially begun, but the venue was already filled with noise and excitement, a cacophony of excited and thrilled voices rising and falling.
"I heard there will be a stunning beauty featured tonight," one voice said.
"I've heard that too. It's said to be a rare sight," another chimed in.
"These past few days on the ship have been utterly boring. With the ship about to dock, we must seize the last chance for some real fun," a third voice added.
Everyone in the venue wore masks of various kinds, as if they were shields hiding their true selves.
However, in Derek's eyes, beneath those masks lay ugly and filthy faces, immersed in this sinful transaction, chasing twisted desires.
Derek had barely settled into his seat when a man approached hurriedly, his steps slightly rushed, his eyes filled with a mix of reverence and anxiety.
"Mr. Greenwood?" the man asked softly, his voice tinged with a hint of probing.
Derek, with his legs elegantly crossed, exuded an innate aura of authority, a stark contrast to the respectful and obedient demeanor he displayed in front of Tabitha.
"It's me," Derek replied, his voice deep and cold. Those two simple words seemed to carry an endless threat.
"This is for you," the man said, carefully handing over a letter.
Derek took the letter, opened it slowly, and familiar handwriting met his eyes.
When he read the contents, Forrest, who was keenly observing, noticed the veins on Derek's hand bulge instantly.
"My boss said that if you refuse, be prepared to see the mother and daughter become playthings in someone else's hands," the man conveyed Matilda's words with a trembling voice. The word "playthings" was like a sharp dagger, painfully piercing Derek's heart.
"You can tell her to clean herself up," Derek bit out, each word seeming to be squeezed from between his teeth.
"So you agree?" the man asked, puzzled.
Derek's lips curled into a cold, contemptuous smile, and he lightly uttered two words, "She'll die."
These seemingly simple words, spoken by Derek, carried a completely different weight.
Others might have taken it as an insignificant threat, but those who knew Derek understood that when he made such a statement, he meant business, and the situation would become extremely grave.
Forrest watched silently, praying that things wouldn't escalate.
With Derek's substantial financial resources, bidding on Tabitha and Ayla should not be difficult, but he was worried that Matilda would deliberately create obstacles, stir up trouble, and exacerbate the situation, making it uncontrollable.
The man conveyed Derek's words back to Matilda, who had changed into a gorgeous and flamboyant outfit and was sitting in front of a mirror, carefully applying lipstick.
Upon hearing Derek's reply, her facial expression contorted instantly, her eyes burning with rage.
She violently threw the lipstick in her hand at the mirror, shattering it with a loud "crack," as if it were her heart breaking from anger.
"What does he think he is?" Matilda roared in fury. However, deep down, she harbored an indescribable twisted emotion.
It seemed that people were naturally drawn to what they couldn't have, and the more unattainable it was, the more they desired it.
Now, even if she couldn't have Derek, she would destroy what he cherished to vent her resentment.
"You really don't need to get so upset with a man. With your charm, what man can't you have? Why insist on being at odds with him?" a subordinate tried to persuade Matilda.
"No, there's nothing in this world that I can't get, and people are no exception," Matilda's eyes revealed madness and determination.
Matilda's actions undoubtedly broke the rules of the ship. She had expected Derek to plead with her, but instead, he not only didn't plead but also made such a tough statement.
In her mind, rules were meant to be broken by her, and as long as she could achieve her goal, she didn't care about the consequences.
"The show begins, and that woman will be the finale!" Matilda ordered, her tone carrying excitement and anticipation.
"Yes, ma'am," the subordinate responded.
Matilda believed that Derek was just a man with a little money. After all, the one thing least lacking on this ship was wealthy people.
In her view, compared to the real big shots, Derek was not in the same league.
She was confident that once Tabitha took the stage, all men would go wild and compete to throw money.
She wanted Derek to watch as the woman he loved was auctioned off to someone else, to taste the pain of loss.
Derek, however, had long figured out Matilda's psychology.
He knew she would save Tabitha for the final appearance, which bought him some time.
He had to do everything possible during this time to ensure the safety of Tabitha and Ayla.
The auction officially began, and Matilda sat in the most conspicuous seat in the venue, her face wearing a triumphant and mad smile. She personally rang the bell to start the auction, and a sinful and conspiratorial game thus commenced.
Meanwhile, in the city center thousands of miles away, a mysterious man sat in a dimly lit room.
In front of him was a large screen clearly magnifying the live scene of the auction venue.
He sat there quietly, his eyes deep and calm, as if everything was under his control.
The real show had just begun.