The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 10

Lavinia froze. Her gaze instinctively dropped to the scuffed tips of her modest lambskin heels.

After a long, agonizing silence, she offered a faint smile and looked up at him. "Understood. I get it, Mr. Harper."

Her eyes looked like a midnight spring reflecting the cold moonlight.

Garnett was momentarily taken aback.

A voice echoed from the stage. Sigrid had stepped up to host the auction. The spotlight hit her perfectly, making her champagne dress glow with a soft, ethereal light. Everyone's attention was immediately captivated.

Garnett's gaze also shifted to the stage, locking onto the woman in the spotlight without blinking.

Before he realized it, he had stood up and gravitated toward Sigrid.

For the rest of the evening, Garnett worked the room, schmoozing with executives without Lavinia by his side.

At some point, Sigrid had joined him. The two of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder, holding wine glasses, laughing effortlessly—looking for all the world like a deeply in love pair of soulmates.

No one in the room found it strange. No one even bothered to look in Lavinia's direction.

Standing in the corner, watching their picture-perfect silhouettes and the envious looks from the crowd, Lavinia suddenly understood. In the world of high society, you survived on your own merits.

In everyone's eyes, Sigrid was the woman who truly deserved to stand beside Garnett.

***

The final segment of the gala was a charity jewelry auction. All proceeds were slated for local philanthropic organizations.

Sigrid, Tobin, and Garnett were huddled together, flipping through the auction catalog.

Sigrid trailed her perfectly manicured finger over a page showcasing a set of white pearls. "This set is gorgeous," she murmured softly.

As she spoke, she cast an effortless, fleeting glance at Garnett.

Tobin elbowed Garnett's arm. "Garnett, if Sigrid likes it, bid on it for her. A classic pearl string like that suits her perfectly."

When the white pearls went up for bid, paddles shot into the air. The price skyrocketed.

Garnett sat up straight, his finger resting on his paddle, radiating absolute determination to win.

*He's not doing this for me,* Lavinia thought. *He's doing it for his ego.*

But a split second before the gavel dropped, the auctioneer suddenly threw his hand up and announced with a massive grin, "My apologies, ladies and gentlemen! This set of pearls has just been purchased outright at an astronomical price by a Mr. X! This gentleman has requested that the jewels be gifted to the most beautiful woman in the room tonight!"

The entire ballroom erupted into gasps and furious whispers. Everyone desperately tried to guess the identity of this mysterious Mr. X and exactly who would be receiving this massive honor.

The auctioneer's eyes swept across the room, finally locking onto the dim corner. His voice echoed through the microphone, "Would Miss Lavinia Joplin please come to the stage to accept this gift!"

Lavinia froze completely. She instinctively looked up at Garnett.

Even though she didn't want the jewelry, a pathetic, self-deluding sliver of hope flared in her chest.

Was it him? Did he secretly arrange this so she wouldn't be embarrassed?