Third person's POV
In this social circle, it was well known that Baxter Rios was always keen on various entertainment activities and was notorious for his indulgence in them.
The Rios family was wealthy and had a deep foundation that left many in awe. However, when it came to certain matters, Mr. Rios was known to be particularly stubborn.
Derek was deeply concerned. He really didn't want to get entangled with the Rios family.
He was well aware that once things got out of control, the elder of the Rios family, Spike Rios, would become an extremely troublesome problem.
Standing in the corner, his brows furrowed and his eyes filled with worry, he occasionally looked warily towards the direction of the bidding.
At this moment, Derek's hands unconsciously clenched and relaxed, his inner unease surging like tidal waves.
At this time, only Mr. Rios was still continuously raising the bid, and just for the cost of unmasking, it had soared all the way to forty million dollars.
This outrageous price made everyone present gasp in astonishment.
Baxter heard the ever-increasing price, and his face turned red with anger, his eyes bulging as he roared furiously, "Who is the fuck that's competing with me?"
As he shouted, he slammed his bidding card heavily on the table, causing the wine glasses on the table to shake and the wine to almost spill.
His assistant quickly stepped forward to explain, "Mr. Rios, we have already sent people to investigate, but his identity is too mysterious, and we can't figure out who he is. Every time you bid, he immediately follows up without hesitation. It seems they are determined to win. How about we stop for now and save our energy for what comes later?"
"Alright, I'll see if this woman is really worth forty million and whether that big fool will be angry in the end," he said, raising his head with a hint of mockery on his face but also a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes.
In the end, the price was firmly set at forty million dollars.
The entire venue was in an uproar, and everyone was whispering to each other, full of curiosity about who the big fool was willing to spend such a huge amount of money for a kiss.
Many people huddled together, speculating on all sorts of possibilities.
Some shook their heads in disbelief, while others excitedly discussed with their companions, their eyes sparkling with gossip.
There were also some troublemakers waiting to watch the show, hoping to see the other party unable to come up with the money and make a fool of themselves. However, they were surprised when the person waved their hand calmly, and the attendant quickly handed over a check.
The action was smooth and natural, without any hesitation.
The attendant presented the check with an upright posture and a serious and professional expression.
Matilda stood on the side, glanced contemptuously at Derek who was standing there unmoved, and thought to herself.
In her view, all of this was Derek's own doing!
She folded her arms across her chest, her fingers unconsciously tapping on her arm, as if playing a rhythm.
Tabitha, in her dazed state, also roughly understood what was happening in front of her. Her gaze fell on the strange man who was invited to the stage.
Her body began to shrink uncontrollably, her hands tightly gripping the silver chains on her body. As she moved, the chains made a clear collision sound.
Her lips trembled slightly, and her voice was filled with fear as she shouted, "No! Don't come over!"
Her feet also moved unconsciously backward, trying to create distance from the man.
The man walked steadily to the cage, took the key from the staff, and slowly opened the lock.
The cage was relatively spacious, and although the man was tall, he only needed to bend over slightly to enter smoothly.
The man's action of opening the lock was calm and skilled, his eyes focused and calm.
Under the anticipation and gaze of everyone, the man walked to Tabitha and squatted down slowly.
His movements were gentle, as if afraid to startle her.
When the man squatted down, his knees touched the ground gently, his body remained balanced, and his gaze was always on Tabitha.
Tabitha's eyes were full of fear and unease. The thought of kissing a strange man in public made her feel as if the end of the world was coming, a feeling worse than death.
The man quickly blocked everyone's view with his back. He lowered his head slightly, his face close to Tabitha's ear, and said in a very low voice, almost only audible to Tabitha, "Ms. Hartley, don't be afraid."
His voice was deep and magnetic, carrying a soothing power.
Just this sentence, and Tabitha immediately understood that he was the person Wilmot had sent to rescue her.
Her originally rapid and panicked heart gradually stabilized, and her breathing was no longer so urgent.
But she still had doubts in her heart. 'Where did Wilmot get the forty million dollars?'
"Unveil, unveil!" The crowd began to make a fuss, and the voices became louder and higher. Everyone was eager to stretch their necks to see what the beauty looked like.
The man's action of removing the mask was extremely gentle, as if he was dealing with a rare treasure.
Tabitha knew that the person in front of her was here to save her, so she cooperated very well and did not struggle at all.
The moment the mask slowly fell from Tabitha's face, those who were planning to complain a few words instantly closed their mouths, their faces full of astonishment.
They widened their eyes and slightly opened their mouths, as if shocked by the beauty in front of them.
Baxter was eating grapes and was so shocked by the scene in front of him that he even forgot to spit out the grape skin and swallowed it directly.
"My God! So stunning, but why does it feel a bit familiar?"