Chapter 60

Faith was stunned by Kyle’s words, surprised that the painting conveyed such a profound story. If Kyle was telling the truth, this final masterpiece would be invaluable.

Kyle shrugged lightly. “Believe it or not, that’s up to you. But since you enjoy studying paintings, buying them for research or just for pleasure wouldn’t hurt.” He added, “What matters most is that you like it!”

His comment left many in the room visibly unsettled. To Kyle, spending over a million dollars seemed as trivial as loose change. More infuriating to some was his playful flirtation with Faith. Spending over ten million dollars simply because she liked it? How outrageous! But they didn't know that Kyle truly had the means to back it up.

Faith lowered her head, biting her lip, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Her heart brimmed with happiness. She loved Kyle deeply, more than anything. But since Kyle hadn’t chosen her, she couldn’t bring herself to interfere in his relationship with Belle; she could only silently bless them from afar.

Now, however, Kyle’s actions toward her seemed to fill the void left by her unfulfilled love. Even risking her life to find him had been worth it. Their relationship, though lacking a definitive label, had grown much closer. She believed that once Kyle overcame his inner struggles, they could be together and live happily.

She tugged lightly at Kyle’s sleeve. “I believe you, and yes, I like it. But it’s just too expensive. We could always find something else to study.”

Kyle directly raised the bid to 60 million dollars, always staying one step ahead. To outsiders, it might have seemed like he was deliberately targeting Belle. By now, Belle’s eyes were practically blazing with anger. “That damned Kyle! I can’t believe this! He’s doing it on purpose; he raises the price by leaps and bounds, acting like he’s swimming in money!”

She clenched her teeth in frustration. “How did I not see before how shameless he was? Leaving him was the best decision I ever made.”

Belle’s voice, trembling with anger, cut through the room. “41 million dollars!”

“50 million dollars,” Kyle responded calmly, without a moment’s pause. “51 million dollars!”

Belle was so furious she nearly stood up, but Chloe quickly tugged at her sleeve to stop her. Losing composure in such a setting would only invite ridicule. Before Chloe could finish, Belle interrupted through gritted teeth. “No way! I want everyone to see that this shameless ex-convict is nothing but a pretentious fraud who can’t pay his way!”

Seeing Belle’s agitation, Chloe quickly tried to calm her down. “Belle, think this through. This is the Rivas family’s event. If things get out of hand, it will cause trouble for them, and damage their reputation. Besides, once the Rivas family realizes Kyle can’t afford to pay, even if Mr. Rivas tries to smooth things over, Ms. Rivas will be displeased. Kyle will burn through all his goodwill, and we’ll have plenty of opportunities to deal with him later.”

Belle seemed to regain some composure, biting her lip as she nodded reluctantly. Chloe was right—starting a public feud with Kyle here would look bad.

Still, Belle’s face was tight with frustration. “Fine. I’ll make one last bid. If Kyle still insists on outbidding me, I’ll let him have it. Let’s see how he digs himself out of this mess.”

“55 million dollars,” Belle’s voice rang out clearly, drawing all eyes to her. She looked pointedly at Kyle, raising her voice for effect. “It seems you really like this painting, sir. But the price has far exceeded its actual value. Will you still continue? I should remind you that this auction requires payment in cash. It’s one thing to embarrass yourself, but causing a disruption at a Rivas family event could have serious consequences. Can you handle that?”

The room buzzed with murmurs. Everyone knew Belle Cotton; she was a prominent figure in Redonia. While spending tens of millions was a significant sum, it was still within her means. But who was Kyle Archer? Where had he come from?

Kyle calmly raised his paddle. “60 million dollars.”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Kyle, who appeared utterly composed.

“Whether it’s worth this price is your concern,” he said calmly. “What matters is that the woman next to me enjoys studying art. So, I’m buying it for her. If it makes her happy, spending a billion would be worth it.”

Kyle wasn’t being reckless or wasteful. To him, the painting genuinely held this value.