Secrets & Lies

Million Dollar Donation| 26

A month later...

When the auction finally began on Sunday evening I was beyond ready to drop out of it. I tried to be as compliant as possible with everyone there but boy were they getting on my nerves. Almost everyone was prissy or uptight or annoying.

"Nyla you'll be up last. If you want to mingle with a few people before the auction starts you're more than welcome." Lucien told me. I nodded and gracefully exited the dressing room.

I had only gotten my hair and makeup done and I was wearing a pre-auction evening gown. I went down the hallway of the hotel we were in and entered the ballroom in search of anyone I knew. I managed to get Jace and Kayla a ticket so they should be floating around here somewhere.

"You seem tense."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Sebastian came up behind me pressing his hand to the small of my back and whispering in my ear. "Don't do that, you scared me." I huffed.

"My apologies, love."

"You alright." He asked as he escorted me through the crowd. I nodded as I smiled at some of the people we passed. "You look rather ravishing tonight. I'm gonna go broke trying to outbid everyone else."

I felt my cheeks warm after his comment. "As long as it doesn't cut into my check." I joked.

He laughed a genuine laugh. The kind that made me take a second to really look at him. He had a nose ring and adorable dimples. Even though he was an attractive man, he was not the kinda guy you'd want to get into bed with and I don't mean just literally. "Of course not."

As a waiter walked by with a tray of champagne glasses Sebastian snagged two. He passed me the glass and took a slow sip while he watched me. I took a sip myself and started to scan the crowd again. "Looking for someone?"

"Not really, just trying to spot some familiar faces."

He didn't get to reply before a woman in a black evening gown approached. "Hi, Mr. Romano, I'm Sharon with Forbes magazine. You look exquisite tonight. Can I get your take on all this?"

"I'm just happy to be here and hoping to donate as much as I can. Wouldn't have attended if it wasn't for my assistant here." He said. Sharon turned her attention to me and I quickly swallowed the rest of my drink. "You look extremely familiar." She commented.

"You've probably seen me in some random picture behind him while carrying an iPad or something," I said seriously. She laughed way too loudly and nodded. "Did you convince him to come?"

"Not really. I just reminded him that his attendance and donation would be appreciated."

She nodded and jotted down some words on her notepad. She thanked us for our time before disappearing into the crowd. "I hate these damn events." Sebastian huffed as he undid the top two buttons of his shirt. "Who are you telling." I sighed.

Eventually, I left Sebastian to look for Kayla and Jace. I wasn't even sure what either of them was wearing since I couldn't be with them during the dressing process. After searching through the crowd for a while, I decided to

*
About an hour later I was standing on stage beside a bunch of models both male and female. It was almost my turn but I was damn near falling asleep where I stood. "Next up we have Nyla Carter, 23 years old, standing at five feet and five inches. Take my word for it, She's a catch. If I were out there I'd be bidding for her." Lucien said into the microphone.

I smiled as I stepped forward. I found a couple of familiar faces in the crowd. Kayla and Jace standing off the side, Sebastian at his table probably drunk by now, and I even saw Javier sitting at his table. "Let's start the bidding at $1,000."

Several hands went up surprisingly. "$1,000 to the gentlemen in the red, can I get $1500." Kayla and Jace put there paddle up making me laugh a little.

I felt like I had been standing up there for a while as the bidding price got higher and higher. "$10,000!" Kayla called out. She winked at me and I smiled in response. "$20,000!"

Jace and Kayla got the bid up to $75,000 surprisingly. They both made plenty of money but I was surprised at how much they were willing to put up.

I was hoping the bidding would stop soon. "$100,000." Someone shouted in the crowd.

"$100,000, can I got $150,000?"

"$200,000!" This time it was Javier who spoke. I didn't even know he was here. This was the first offer he'd made all night. "$400,000!" Sebastian called out. I could see the drunken challenge in his eyes from where I stood. He certainly wouldn't let Javier outbid him.

"$500,000!" Jace shouted. Sebastian wasn't going to let Javier win but knowing Jace and Kayla they'd want to get me out of the situation. So the Four of them went back and forth. Hopefully, they stop at 600k. "$750,000." Javier challenged.

"A million."

I damn near fell off the stage. A million dollars???? Sebastian must be really drunk or finally lost his marbles. No one dared to challenge his bid. "And sold to Sebastian Romano."