Chapter 66

Claire felt a flicker of anxiety and a dip in confidence.

Eliana had pulled every string she could, leveraging her connections to secure two invitations-meant originally for Claie and Grace. After all, one was her daughter, and the other was the doctor who had saved her life.Grace was expected to play a critical role in her upcoming treatment and recovery.

But Gianna? What exactly was her contribution?Though she had brought up the Rejuvenation Pill, she hadn't done anything meaningful.

Eliana's original intention had been for Claire and Grace to attend together. However, a close friend of hers had offered a favor, mentioning that even without an official invitation, it was still possible to bring one extra person along.

The downside was that anyone entering without an invitation would be seen as riding someone else's coattails-hardly a flattering position.

Claire and Gianna shared a good relationship,and Claire couldn't bring herself to let Gianna be the one left out. Besides, Gianna had always carried herself

with pride, and her ego would never tolerate being the tag-along guest.

And so, Grace was the one who ended up without an invitation.

"You heard everything, right? Even if you don't have an invitation, there's still a seat for you, so don't stress,"Gianna said in mockery.

Seeing Grace's lack of reaction, she assumed she was flustered. A sense of petty satisfaction swelled in her chest. Finally, a chance to get even-for the way Grace had outshone her at the hospital.

But then, Grace merely offered a dispassionate,"If you're done talking, let's go." Then she strode calmly toward the auction entrance. These two were really overreacting.

All this drama-was it truly worth it over something as trivial as an invitation?

"Don't..."

Gianna began, ready to launch into another round of veiled jabs. But before she could finish, Grace brushed past her, retrieving a sleek black card encrusted with shimmering diamonds.

The staff member at the entrance immediately straightened. He received the card with both hands,

his posture turning deferential.

"You are our most esteemed Supreme VIP client.Please proceed to the second-floor private room."

Second-floor private room?! Gianna and Claire froze in place, utterly stunned. Although it was their first time here, they knew well enough what the second-floor private rooms meant-they were reserved for the auction house's top-tier clientele, requiring a quarterly spend of over ten million to qualify. In terms of wealth and status, those who were allowed access to the private rooms were in a different league.

The private rooms on the second floor were already extremely remarkable, with the exception of the greatest private room on the third floor.

Above that, the only private room on the third floor was legendary-exclusively held for the head of the Pearson family.

Grace came in, and the two of them hurried after her.They had assumed Grace was tagging along under their privilege. Now it was clear-they were the ones riding hers.

"This is so luxurious," Claire whispered in awe.

No wonder it was a room for a Supreme VIP.It wasn't particularly large, yet everything inside-every tile,every decorative piece-spoke of elegance and

wealth.

A massive floor-to-ceiling glass window stood at the front, crafted from a special one-way material. They could see everything in the auction hall, while no one below could see them.

Gianna and Claire, despite their polished upbringing in high society, now looked like wide-eyed villagers visiting the city for the first time, marveling at every detail.

Just being in that room made them feel like the most important people in the world. They began taking selfies for Instagram, each photo paired with a showy caption.

Soon,the auction officially began.

Gianna and Claire leaned forward, intrigued by the rare items presented-but neither dared place a bid. They needed to conserve every coin for the Rejuvenation Pill.

Grace, on the other hand, reclined in her seat,expression unreadable. Her thoughts were elsewhere.She was already considering whether she should lower the price of the Rejuvenation Pill herself.

After all, this was the Holden family's money, and Eliana's husband wasn't contributing a single dime.Grace had no desire to profit from her father's wealth.

"It's starting! The Rejuvenation Pill is up for auction!"

Gianna and Claire instantly perked up, visibly thrilled and ready for a heated bidding war.

Even though the starting price had been lowered to one hundred thousand per pill, it skyrocketed almost instantly-soaring to one million, then five million,and soon ten million-with no signs of slowing down.

The Holden family had allocated a budget of fifty million for this auction. But at this rate, even securing one pill seemed nearly impossible.

Grace hadn't expected the pills she crafted to attract such overwhelming demand.

Still, it wasn't surprising. These rare, life-saving pills were a godsend for the sick--and a magnet for the rich.

If spending tens of millions could offer even the slimmest chance of outrunning death, then to these wealthy elites, it was money well spent.

"Fifty million!" Claire shouted through gritted teeth,her voice trembling with determination. She had to get at least one pill.

But then came a cool, clear voice from the third floor -elegant and poised. "One hundred million dollars."

One hundred million for just one pill? It was madness.

Gianna and Claire sat frozen, their minds reeling. At last, they felt the sheer intensity of the competition at these elite auctions.

This time, they were hopelessly outbid-completely out of their league.