Chapter 26 He Suddenly Appeared
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Chapter 26 He Suddenly Appeared
Isabelle stood there and paraphrased Brandon’s words inwardly, “You can’t hurt Tonya, even if Tonya and her mother want to kill you!”
She no long recognized the handsome man in front of her. Her heart turned cold.
She sneered, “Brandon, I guess you’re quite pleased with the restorative surgery.”
“What do you mean?”
Tonya glared at Isabelle and immediately changed the subject. “Isabelle, are you here to buy the landscape painting? I know you’re short on cash and also have a loser boyfriend. Do you need my help?”
A trace of disappointment flashed in Brandon’s eyes.
All of a sudden, someone exclaimed, “What? Isabelle’s boyfriend is a loser?”
Tonya explained innocently, “Don’t say that. Maybe Isabelle made the decision on the spur of the moment.”
“Unbelievable. She has stooped so low to mingle with the losers. She brought such a huge shame on the Spencer family.”
“Please, cut Isabelle some slack. Didn’t Becky see her have a shopping spree at the mall the other day? Perhaps, her boyfriend is rich! Bella, why don’t you let us meet your boyfriend?” Tonya tried to provoke Isabelle.
“What’s the good of meeting a loser? She’s just poor. I’m afraid she
Chapter 26 He Suddenly Appeared
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can’t even afford the starting price of the painting. Am I right, Isabelle?” Becky taunted.
The rich ladies sized up Isabelle with disdain.
Soon, the lights went dark. All the seats were taken. The auction commenced.
The first bidding item was the landscape painting.
The starting price was one million dollars.
Brandon was the first guest to raise the bidding paddle. “Two million!”
All ladies were green with envy. “Brandon is so generous. To make Tonya happy, he’s willing to double the price!”
Tonya was secretly pleased that Isabelle didn’t raise her paddle. Then she rose to her feet and said to the host, “Wait. My sister wants the painting. Let her bid.”
Tonya was speaking through a microphone. Everyone could hear her.
Everyone turned to look at Isabelle and waited for her to react.
Isabelle sat there, expressionless. Glenda only had eight hundred thousand dollars in cash. Indeed, it was not enough to bid on the painting.
Brandon directly raised the price to two million dollars. It was obvious that he and Tonya wanted to humiliate Isabelle.
“Isabelle, where is your loser boyfriend? Does he not even have ten thousand dollars?” Becky jeered.
The other ladies also laughed condescendingly.
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“If you don’t have money, don’t come here and make a fool out of yourself.”
The host frowned and ridiculed, “Ms. Spencer, if you aren’t going to make an offer, I’ll have you escorted out by the security guards!”
Tonya had a smug smile on her face.
In the next second, a magnetic, cold voice came from the dark. “She offers five million!”
Everyone was flabbergasted, including Isabelle. She recognized that charming voice and looked back!
Tall as a giraffe, the man walked toward her with his hands in his pockets. His gait was graceful, and his shoulders were broad. His mysterious mask made the ladies gasp. He gave off a mature and dangerous vibe, causing all the people present to feel intimidated and instantly clam up.
Everyone was holding their breath.
Isabelle blinked her almond–shaped eyes and gawked at him.
The man wended his way to her seat. In the dark, he bent over elegantly and seized her little wrist.
Isabelle felt warmth wrapped her around like a jacket.
While furrowing his brows, the man peered at Isabelle’s bony face. Her head was small, which made her look fragile, but her eyes were bright and shining with determination. He was relieved to find she didn’t get hurt.
Then, the man sat down and asked, “Am I late?”
Isabelle’s heart lurched.
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She didn’t know why she wanted to cry every time he showed up.
She guessed he only meant to ask how she was doing, so his restraint made her vulnerable.
Isabelle blinked and pursed her lips. “No, sir.”
“Just call me L.” he crooned.
“L.” Isabelle bit her lips. Her voice was filled with gratitude.
The man sat beside her, crossing his legs. Isabelle sneaked a look at him. She wondered why he wasn’t on a business trip.
She suspected he must’ve heard tonight’s incident from his chauffeur.
The man arched his eyebrows and raised the bidding paddle. “Does no one want to compete with me? Six million dollars!”
The room was in an uproar. The ladies were astounded. “Is that Isabelle’s loser boyfriend? He’s a Prince Charming!”
Becky was also taken aback by the man’s handsome appearance, but when she remembered how he embarrassed her at the club, she refuted, “Can’t you see he is wearing a mask? He must have a scarred and hideous face. He’s a thug! Outdo him, Mr. Hodge!”
Isabelle’s rumored loser boyfriend finally showed up. Brandon felt so jealous. He didn’t believe that Isabelle wouldn’t get a boyfriend.
But not a man who could offer six million dollars.
Brandon’s eyes were blazing with fury and defiance. He refused to believe Isabelle’s boyfriend was richer than him!
This loser must be pretending.
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Without hesitation, Brandon shouted, “Eight million dollars!”
“Ten million dollars.” His voice was as sweet as the red wine and as cold as the ice.
Brandon narrowed his eyes. “Twelve million dollars!”
“Fourteen million dollars.”
Isabelle noticed Mr. L didn’t even raise his head when he said those
numbers.
The painting was only worth five million dollars, but now he doubled its price. Isabelle said uncertainly, “Mr. L, stop upping the price. It’s not worth it.”
“I didn’t plan to buy it.”
“Huh?”
The man glanced at her and said indifferently, “I’m just helping ”
Isabelle was speechless.
She really wanted to give him a thumbs up for his clever plan.
“Twenty million dollars!” Mr. L kept raising the bidding paddle and shouted.
Brandon’s eyes bulged in anger. He checked the masked man beside Isabelle over and over again and was sure that man was ghastly- looking.
He couldn’t let a loser steal his thunder, so Brandon yelled, “Twenty- six million dollars!”
Mr. L went silent. He stroked his chin and stared at the host
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contemptuously.
The host was afraid the buyer would change his mind and quickly hit the table three times with his hammer. “Congratulations, Mr. Hodge! The landscape painting is sold to you at the price of twenty–six million dollars!”
Brandon sat down sulkily. Tonya was scared to say anything.
They both realized that they got played by that loser! Money didn’t grow on trees. It was extremely painful to spend twenty–six million dollars buying one painting.
Nevertheless, Tonya still felt proud. She strutted toward Isabelle and took a look at the masked man. Somehow, that loser still looked superior. His presence also made Isabelle shine and unattainable.
Tonya thought she was hallucinating, and he was just a kept man!
Tonya jeered at Isabelle, “Once a loser, always a loser. I’m ashamed of your dirty trick. I figure your boyfriend didn’t have one million dollars. let alone twenty–six!”
”
