Third Person's POV Damon realized at once who he was truly competing against, and he was ready to back down. But Celestine saw the triumphant, provocative gleam in Aysel's amber eyes and felt a wave of unease. She stopped Damon before he could yield. "Three million," Celestine called out. Damon glanced at her, surprised. She let out a helpless laugh. "Damon, Aysel doesn't necessarily care about this vase. But this coin... it must be spent." Alpha Blackwood and Alpha Remus had sent them to the charity auction to spend money publicly and conspicuously. The earlier, smaller bids were mere filler. The big pieces were reserved for later. If Aysel intercepted the bids and blocked them from spending, the carefully orchestrated spectacle would collapse into a joke. Reputation aside, Celestine could not endure Aysel looking down on her in such a commanding way. In the past, she had always been the one casting judgment from above; now Aysel's gaze pierced her like a fang. Even for a minor auction, Celestine refused to lose. She softened her voice to persuade Damon. "I have another concern. You know Aysel doesn't have that kind of money herself. Even if she wins, Magnus pays. And... if nothing comes of their bond but financial entanglement, the consequences could be messy." Her tone faltered slightly. "It could spark... rumors." Damon's expression darkened. Celestine had persuaded him; he could not bear to see Aysel take another Alpha's money. Magnus's intentions were unknowable, and Damon refused to be bested in front of her. When Aysel raised the bid to eight million, Damon countered with ten. He thought Aysel was vindictive, deliberately making things difficult. Yet he had other duties tonight, and if she truly desired the item, he could always give it to her later. The price skyrocketed, dozens of times the vase's value. Even for charity, this was excessive. Their struggle drew attention; whispers spread among the guests who had followed recent gossip. Watching Aysel bid without blinking, Sandy sneered. "He really does spoil her." The Sanchez family reached new heights under Magnus's hand, but power for the others had slowly receded, leaving only a veneer of influence.As the bids climbed, Celestine's brow furrowed. She could not bear to let Aysel win so easily. Yet for the sake of the staged display, they could not spend all their resources on a single item; overspending on subsequent pieces was a risk. When the auctioneer called 55 million, Aysel stopped. Magnus calmly refilled her tea. "Not interested in winning him?" Aysel propped her chin on one hand, fiddling with her paddle with the other. A sly fox-like smile tugged at her lips. "Watching them bleed coin is more fun than winning." She paused. "After all, they've lost their sense of morality; let's let some of it go to good use." Her expression radiated self-congratulation. Magnus chuckled softly, peeling a grape and feeding it to her without another word. Today, she was his future Lady, and her amusement was enough; he did not care how she played. Sure enough, Aysel repeated her trick, teasing Damon and Celestine into bidding absurdly high on worthless items. Aysel and Magnus were perfectly synchronized: one understood the enemies' psyche and played on it, the other was numerically precise, controlling the bids flawlessly. Damon and Celestine followed the plan and spent, but inexplicably, they felt humiliated. They had already exceeded the budget by several multiples, paying out of their own reserves in addition to Alpha Blackwood's and Alpha Remus's funds. It was not that they couldn't afford it, but it stung. Celestine's forced smile was tight. "Aysel is as mischievous as ever." Damon pressed his lips together, saying nothing. Their box faced Aysel and Magnus's directly. Damon had seen Magnus feeding her a grape without concern-a trivial act that ignited jealousy in him. Though he had won, Magnus had not so much as raised an eyebrow; the outcome did not matter to him. When the penultimate jade bracelet came up, Celestine rested her hand on Damon's. "Let her have this one. She's playful enough. Let her show off a little." But Aysel did not contest. Following the intensity of previous rounds, no one challenged her in the familiar box. She claimed the bracelet for just fifty thousand above the starting bid. In truth, Magnus had raised the paddle. When Aysel asked why, he said simply, "It suits your robe." Aysel looked at her pale aqua ceremonial tunic and the jade bracelet already on her wrist. Well, if the Alpha said so... Celestine did not expect her to actually follow through. She had assumed the intimacy between Aysel and Magnus was a ruse; in past rounds, Aysel had always yielded at the last moment. This time, she had gauged Magnus's limits perfectly, extracting what she wanted with minimal cost.Several rounds had totaled over two billion. The wealthiest wolves were clever; no one would frivolously spend such sums on a plaything. Yet the bracelet made Celestine hesitate-only briefly. Magnus was no ordinary heir; millions tossed aside were mere sparks for him. Aysel had likely sensed the limit and played advantageously. Unable to stand seeing Aysel effortlessly claim what she wanted, Celestine joined the fray again in the next round. Magnus did not care about millions, but what if Aysel spent tens or hundreds of millions overnight? He would not mind the coin, but he would see her impulsiveness, her greed. Any rift formed, and Aysel's security would crumble faster than she could anticipate. Thinking this, as Aysel approached the second-to-last lot, Celestine confidently bid 45 million. Aysel's brows furrowed, her face darkening. "Sixty million," she called. "Seventy million," Celestine countered. Damon realized something was amiss and tried to stop her. "This necklace isn't worth it." Celestine shook her head. "Relax. I don't need it. Aysel has gone too far today. I want her to learn not to act on whims in an auction." She patted his hand. "Even if she can't pay, the Moonvale Pack will cover her. This is just a lesson." Aysel, as ever, would only grow angry if anyone tried to intervene.