Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 107

At once, someone piped up, "Serena, why did you bid against Tyler tonight? Is it because you're in love with him? And what does that make Mr. Christian, then?"

Christian bristled at that—what did they mean, "what does that make him"? As if he were just some useless third wheel.

He, Christian, had never been so humiliated in his life!

"If you can't ask a decent question, then don't ask at all! Get lost!" he snapped.

But nobody paid him the slightest attention. He was left to fume in impotent rage while every camera, microphone, and flashbulb zeroed in on Emilia.

Emilia knew she wasn't getting out of there without saying something. She drew a breath and said, "I bid against Mr. Erickson simply because I wanted that item. That's all. There's nothing more to it."

But the crowd didn't buy it, not for a second.

Christian barked from the sidelines, "Believe it or don't! Either way, it's the truth! Serena only saw Tyler once a few days ago at the Voice of the Divine event. Other than that, they haven't had any contact at all. You people will say anything, won't you?"

A reporter shot back, "Mr. Christian, are you getting defensive?"

Damn it!

Christian was about to lose it and punch someone.

While chaos erupted over there, across the room, another storm was brewing.

At the center of it all, surrounded by a sea of reporters, Tyler radiated an icy aura that warned people to keep their distance. His reputation and status alone kept the crowd from getting too close, leaving just enough space around him.

Tyler positioned himself protectively in front of Vivienne.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Vivienne began, her smile warm but tinged with a hint of frailty. "Tyler and I attended this charity event together simply to support children in need. That's all there is to it."

"As for whether it's high-profile or low-profile…" She swept her gaze across the cameras and let out a soft laugh. "With Tyler around, even the quietest entrance becomes a headline. There's no need to dwell on it."

"And about the tanzanite," she continued, "yes, I did want to bid on it at first. Its estimated value was a million, but then Tyler made a generous donation and won it for twenty-five million. He did it for charity, nothing more. Please, don't read too much into it."

"This evening, I asked Tyler to accompany me so we could raise awareness for the children. That's all there is to it—please, don't overthink or speculate."

Vivienne smiled, the effort clearly costing her. "After all, I'm already living on borrowed time. I just wanted to do something meaningful while I still can."

"As for Serena, she and I simply happened to like the same piece. There's no need to pit us against each other or stir up drama."

Vivienne spoke with perfect grace, and finished by bowing to the reporters. But as she straightened, her legs buckled and she suddenly collapsed to the floor.