Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 84

This was the first bid of the night from paddle number 888.

Vivienne was Tyler's guest, so the bidder holding number 888 was, in fact, Tyler himself.

Emilia glanced in their direction.

She wasn't the only one. Nearly every person in the room had turned to look at Vivienne.

The second-floor gallery was usually reserved for guests who valued their privacy, but even there, a few seats were positioned in full view for those who didn't mind being seen. Others preferred to remain in the shadows.

Tonight, Vivienne had chosen to sit in the spotlight.

Meanwhile, Tyler remained cloaked in darkness. From the ground floor, people could just make out his silhouette, but not the expression on his face.

Christian knew the tanzanite belonged to Emilia, and he also understood why she'd decided to put it up for auction. Seeing Vivienne place a bid, he had to restrain himself from storming over and causing a scene.

Emilia narrowed her eyes, watching Vivienne smile serenely across the room.

Tonight, she was determined to sell the tanzanite. It could go to anyone—anyone but Vivienne.

Back at Tyler's table, he looked over at Vivienne, who was holding up her paddle.

"Do you like it?" His voice was calm, his dark eyes unreadable.

Vivienne nodded with a bright smile.

Tyler said nothing more. He simply gazed down at the glittering tanzanite displayed below.

He remembered seeing that very stone before.

It was early March. He and Emilia had spotted it together.

They'd just survived another round of pressure from his grandparents about starting a family.

On their way back to the villa, his Aston Martin passed by the largest jewelry boutique in Alden City, and in the window, the tanzanite caught their eye.

But later that night, from the car to the villa, from the front door to the bedroom, they'd lost themselves in each other.

The memories flooded back: the heat of her breath, her scent, the softness of her skin, and the little beauty mark above her heart... He had always loved that.

Tyler closed his eyes for a second, his Adam's apple bobbing. When he opened them again, he reached for his glass and took a slow sip of wine.

He had no idea who had ended up with that tanzanite, or how it had made its way to this charity auction tonight.

As Tyler tried to collect himself, a sudden movement caught his eye—a pale, elegant hand emerged from the seats across the room, nails painted a pearly moon-white, mysterious and luminous against the light. The hand held up a numbered paddle.

"After the bid from number 888, paddle 823 has entered with a bid of nine hundred thousand!" the auctioneer announced.

Tyler and Vivienne both turned to look.

At that hand. At that seat.