Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
Have you ever seen a room full of hungry wolves? That\u2019s exactly what this place looked like, wolves dressed in fine clothing. all wearing polite smiles while their eyes gleamed with greed. Every single one of them was ready to tear another apart for the next glittering trinket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air inside the auction hall buzzed with tension and desperation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
People leaned forward in their seats, paddles clutched like weapons, eyes flicking between the auctioneer and the item on display, each calculating how much they could risk for the sake of pride.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll start this item at five thousand silver coins,\u201d the auctioneer announced, her voice slicing through the low hum of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFive thousand silver coins!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSix thousand!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEight thousand!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTen thousand silver coins!\u201d a short man shouted, his voice carrying across the hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tension built with every call, and just when it seemed the old man would win, an arrogant voice thundered across the hall, shattering the noise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne hundred gold coins!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every head snapped toward the source, and I knew who it was, there was only one voice that could sound that proud and that irritating at the same time. When I finally turned, I was right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane lounged in his chair, tilted slightly back, paddle still raised high, that infuriating smirk painted across his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside him, Sienna sat with hands folded delicately in her lap, the perfect picture of innocence and grace, while Cross remained quiet, eyes scanning the stage as if the entire commotion didn\u2019t even concern him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The whispers started immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my goddess, again? Another item?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s already bought five things!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs the temple that rich? He\u2019s acting like the auction house belongs to him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear, if I see that smug look again, I\u2019ll lose it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane didn\u2019t even twitch at the voices around him. He sat there as if they were nothing but wind. That man had skin thicker than iron in moments like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The auctioneer\u2019s smile widened the moment she heard the bid. \u201cOne hundred gold coins-going once\u2026 going twice\u2026 sold!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The gavel hit the podium with a sharp crack. Kane leaned back, satisfied, clearly pleased with himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna turned to him with that sweet smile that made everyone adore her. \u201cBrother, don\u2019t you think that\u2019s too expensive for a jade pendant? You\u2019ve been buying me so many things, I\u2019m starting to feel bad,\u201d she said softly, her voice laced with concern, as if she didn\u2019t already know exactly how her words would sound to everyone listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:43 Tue, Dec 23 MG\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane only chuckled, waving her concern away. His expression softened instantly, like he\u2019d forgotten the entire room existed. \u201cOf course not. That jade is rare, and it\u2019ll look beautiful on you. I have to spoil my little ter. You deserve everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head and turned away from the sight of them. If only he knew what kind of disaster the sister he cherished so much would bring to him one day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside me. Evelyn shifted slightly, her worried eyes glancing between me and them. I knew that look well. She thought I was jealous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned my gaze to her, and she quickly averted her eyes, pretending to adjust her dress. I sighed quietly, a small smile ghosting across my lips. Evelyn still thought I cared about things like attention or affection from my brothers. That part of me had died a long time ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They could dote on Sienna all they wanted. They could gift her the moon, crown her in gold, and call her divine. None of it mattered to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gave Evelyn a small nod, silently telling her I was fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turning my attention back to the stage, I leaned back in my chair. The auction had been going for over an hour now. A few impressive items had already been sold, Kane, of course, bought almost everything for Sienna. He didn\u2019t even blink when the price doubled or tripled. What a fool with too much money and too little sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other buyers also joined the bidding wars, their eyes glittering with greed or pride.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, I didn\u2019t lift a single finger to bid. Even though some of those items were tempting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Glowing Runestone, for instance, a stone capable of creating a protective barrier against danger. It was a useful tool. And then there was the Silver-Tipped Dagger, forged in the north under the silver moon, said to pierce through enchantments. I might have considered buying that one for my bodyguard, but Silas never used daggers. He preferred swords.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No, none of those attracted me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was waiting for that item I came for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou haven\u2019t auctioned for anything yet. Why?\u201d The deep, low voice came suddenly from my left, pulling me from my thoughts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked and turned my head. Oh. Right. The two men sitting at my table. I had completely forgotten they were even there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The one who spoke was the man in the black cloak, the silent one. The air around him seemed to hum slightly. His face was hidden, but his presence was dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even the man in the white cloak beside him looked surprised, his head tilting slightly as though hearing his companion speak was a rare event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Throughout the auction, the man in white had been the one making small remarks, his tone amused and casual. He was the one who had bought the Silver-Tipped Dagger, his eyes lighting up as if he\u2019d just found a new toy to test blood on. A fighter through and through. But the man in black hadn\u2019t said a single word until now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised an eyebrow at him. His voice\u2026 it didn\u2019t sound like that man. So it wasn\u2019t him. And yet, why did I get this uneasy feeling whenever I was near him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was subtle, that tension under my skin. A quiet hum, crawling at the back of my neck, telling me something wasn\u2019t right. Everything about him reminded me of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my jaw and quickly looked away, forcing the thought out of my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It couldn\u2019t be, but ever since the auction began, I could feel his eyes on me. That calm, heavy gaze that seemed to see too\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:43 Tue, Dec 23 IMG\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
.\u00a0<\/p>\n
much. I wasn\u2019t afraid, far from it, but my instincts didn\u2019t like his attention. It wasn\u2019t like the other man at the market, the one whose stare had felt oddly pleasant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That man\u2019s gaze had stirred something strange inside me, like warmth curling through my veins, a dangerous curiosity that made me want to look back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This one was the opposite.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With this man, I had the urge to fight him. To draw blood and grin while doing it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I caught myself glaring at him and exhaled, waving the thought away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could bury myself too deep in my thoughts, the man in white cloak spoke, his golden eyes gleaming with intrigue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned forward, resting his chin on his gloved hand, his elbow pressing lazily against the table. \u201cI\u2019m also curious,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy haven\u2019t you bought anything, miss? There were plenty of items any young lady would die for, jewels, silks, perfumes. Yet your eyes didn\u2019t shine once.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His lips curved slightly. \u201cIn fact, you looked bored. The only thing that caught your interest was that Silver-Tipped Dagger. You looked at it like a child discovering her favorite toy. So tell me\u2026\u201d He tilted his head, \u201cdo swords interest you more than jewels?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned my gaze toward him, meeting his eyes directly. I didn\u2019t like the way he was looking at me, as though I were some curious creature he wanted to prod and observe. But I had to admit, he was annoyingly perceptive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His words reminded me of someone I\u2019d once known.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A man with the same golden eyes and dangerous smile. An Alpha who lived for war, and chaos, who found beauty in the sound of a blade cutting through air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A crazy Alpha I\u2019d met briefly in one of my past lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t going to dwell on that either. I\u2019d met too many people in too many lives; not every echo of familiarity deserved my\u00a0<\/p>\n
attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The only reason I even paid attention to the man in black cloak, was because he reminded me of him, the man who took everything from me\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:43 Tue, Dec 23 MG<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Hope Is Not Optional \u2014 Manuel Flores 28 Chapter 28\u00a0 Chapter 28\u00a0 Selene\u00a0 Have you ever seen a room full […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-ruthless-tycoons-obsession-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27822\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}