You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 55

Sylvia's chest had initially tightened at the sight of Ashton, but his demeanor this time was agonizingly cold.

She had told him she wanted them to end things with dignity, and today, he was giving her exactly that—pure, dignified distance.

Sylvia and Julian were heading to the third floor to browse the boutiques, while Ashton and Reina pressed the button for the fourth floor, likely for a dinner reservation. Reina rested her hand lightly on Ashton's arm, and he didn't pull away. Their relationship seemed to be progressing flawlessly.

Julian accompanied Sylvia as she tried on several gowns. They settled on a stunning champagne-colored dress with silk roses trailing down the hem, but then Julian spotted a pearl-white piece he thought suited her even better.

Sylvia also helped Julian pick out a sapphire blue suit, which made his refined, elegant aura pop perfectly.

When Sylvia stepped out of the fitting room in the pearl-white gown, she looked like a beam of elegant moonlight. Julian stared at her, mesmerized for a long moment.

"You look breathtaking, Ms. Harlow," Julian praised without hesitation.

And so, that was the one they chose.

As they walked out of the boutique, Sylvia sensed something and instinctively glanced up toward the fourth floor. Her eyes locked directly onto Ashton's icy, detached gaze from the balcony above. The moment their eyes met, Ashton was the first to look away.

Seconds later, Reina stepped out of a restaurant, and the two of them linked arms as they headed toward the escalator.

Sylvia didn't want to run into them again. She used the restroom as an excuse to stall for a few minutes until the coast was clear.

That was the extent of their encounter. True to his word, Ashton didn't try to contact her afterward.

Thinking back to his flat gaze and indifferent tone, it seemed he had genuinely moved on.

Sylvia felt a wave of relief, yet a sharp twinge of melancholy lingered. She forced herself to stop thinking about him.

-

The day of the auction arrived quickly.

It was a high-profile charity event, slated to showcase numerous exquisite pieces. The scale was massive, requiring every guest to pass through three layers of security before entering.

Sylvia and Julian took their seats. In the distance sat Ashton and Reina, the ultimate golden couple. They looked strikingly perfect together, drawing the attention of the entire room. Their joint appearance seemed to cement the recent rumors of an impending Wyatt-Winslet marriage.

Sylvia noticed them but immediately looked away.

The auction soon began.

The auctioneer introduced the lots, expertly whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

Sylvia had assumed they were just there to enjoy the spectacle, but to her surprise, Julian took an interest in a bracelet and joined the bidding war.

The bracelet was a masterpiece, crafted with deep crimson rubies encircled by crushed diamonds, all set into a warm gold chain. It was an exquisite, mature piece.

The starting bid was set at one million dollars.

Julian paused for a split second before raising his paddle again. "Four point five."

"Eight million."

Ashton ruthlessly skyrocketed the item to a price bracket it had no business being in. What started at eight hundred thousand had instantly mutated into eight million. Its value was artificially magnified tenfold.

A dead silence blanketed the room. Everyone sensed the undeniable friction between the two men and silently watched the standoff.

Julian lowered his paddle and gave the auctioneer a polite nod, signaling his withdrawal.

There was no point in pushing further. Ashton had made it glaringly obvious he intended to walk away with that bracelet.

Continuing the bidding would just devolve into a petty ego clash.

Julian turned to Sylvia, a deep apology swimming in his ocean-like eyes. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to win that bracelet for you."

Sylvia shook her head gently. "It's okay, really. There's no need. I don't usually wear jewelry like that anyway."

The atmosphere slowly recovered its heat until a specific necklace was brought out, pushing the room's energy to its absolute peak.

It was a breathtakingly intricate daisy necklace.

The auctioneer took the stage. "This masterpiece is known as Cherished. Crafted from 18k white gold, it is entirely handmade with pavé-set diamonds, including fancy white diamonds, yellow diamonds, and rare vibrant jewels... The starting bid is eight million dollars."