Chapter 67

Everyone was stupefied. Except for Elisa and Mile, no one—not even Enzo—had witnessed Kyle's capabilities. Starting the bidding at ten million dollars was one thing; declaring he'd owe someone a favor was entirely different. The venue was filled with wealthy and famous businessmen. None needed a favor from Kyle, especially a stranger.

Elisa alone understood the immense value of Kyle owing a favor. She would have paid one hundred million, let alone ten million.

“I’m so mad I could laugh! Is Kyle out of his mind? I thought he'd pretend to be an expert, but this is straightforward and crude!”

“He says he’ll owe us one. Who needs it? His arrogance knows no bounds! He just reminded everyone we should respect the Rivas family, since it's their party.”

Belle was infuriated by Kyle's calmness on stage. Many shared her thought: Kyle was reminding everyone the Rivas family owned the event. Moreover, Elisa had already declared the calligraphy valuable; no one would contradict her.

Chloe nodded vigorously. “How much could this junk be worth? The venue is full of prestigious people; they wouldn't need a favor from him. But if we fail, and Kyle succeeds, no one will dare say anything because of the Rivas family.”

That bothered Belle most, but she was powerless. She had fanned the flames and couldn't now contradict Elisa or criticize Kyle. She would never do such a thing.

“Keep pretending. It'll end the same way. If he can't sell his calligraphy, he'll be humiliated. I refuse to believe anyone will bid ten million dollars.”

A chubby middle-aged man shouted, “Ten million dollars!” He sounded excited but visibly displeased. Everyone knew he was spending the money to curry favor with the Rivas family.

Many would have bid if the painting cost ten or twenty thousand dollars. But ten million? Whoever paid that was a fool.

Many stifled laughter, and the chubby man looked upset.

“Since it’s a charity auction, I’ll do it for the needy. Ten million and one hundred dollars!”

“You’re making the rest of us look bad. Ten million and five hundred dollars!”

“Heh. Ten million and ten thousand dollars!”

They were mocking Kyle. The starting price was ten million, but they only raised the bid by a few hundred dollars each time. Their offers were insulting, treating him like a joke.

Elius noted the last few bidders were very wealthy. The chubby man had assets worth five hundred million. Ten million was easily affordable. In fact, gaining the Rivas family's attention for ten million wasn't a bad investment.

Elisa nodded, satisfied. Everyone might have been sarcastic, but she only cared about the result.

“Oh, my dear Kyle. Let’s see how you wiggle out of this. Everyone’s treating you like a joke.”

Chloe laughed. “Look at Elisa’s face, Belle! It’s as white as a sheet! She’ll probably regret being with Kyle. Do you think she'll still insult him?”

“Let’s join the fun. Someone will keep bidding. We can’t miss this!” Belle rose, a sinister look on her face. “You took my painting, Mr. Archer. Now I’ll show you some support. You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”

“Ten million and one hundred thousand dollars!”

“We’re not stingy either. It’s for charity anyway. Whenever a pretty lady wants something, someone will go along with her. It doesn't matter who. Moreover, the business owners wanted the Rivas family's attention. Ten million was already a good deal; now they get Belle's attention too. It's significantly more worthwhile.” Belle commanded a lot of influence.

Chapter 68

Note: There were numerous grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation issues in the original text. The revised version corrects these and improves readability. Some phrasing has been adjusted for clarity and flow. There were also a few inconsistencies in names (e.g., "Failli" likely intended to be "Elisa"). These have been corrected based on context.