Chapter 3

At 7:00 PM, I led Seraphina into the ultra-luxurious underground auction house located nine floors beneath Manhattan's financial district.

Here, money could buy absolutely anything.

"Welcome, VIP guests. Right this way to the private third-floor suite," the hostess said, her eyes widening the moment I showed her my gold crest.

This crest wasn't something you could buy with mere money. It represented absolute wealth and power. There were fewer than five people in the world who had access to the third-floor suites.

The billionaires sitting on the first floor were worth tens of millions, yet they were only fit to sit in the common gallery.

"Eat up, sweetie." I placed a plate of exquisite macarons in front of Seraphina. The private suite was stocked with expensive delicacies and vintage champagne worth tens of thousands.

Through the one-way glass, I looked down at the first floor.

Sure enough, Chloe and Julian were sitting in the crowd. Chloe was surrounded by her classmates from Pinecrest Academy, looking like a smug queen.

Seeing her flawless, glowing skin and her brand-new haute couture dress, and then looking at my emaciated daughter, a wave of hot anger surged through me.

The auction began. Chloe announced it was her birthday and that she would bid on gifts for all her classmates.

Every time she raised her paddle, I bid higher.

"Who is in the third-floor suite? Why do they keep outbidding me? Don't they know who the Sterling family is?!"

Chloe hissed, her face flushed with anger as a million-dollar diamond necklace she wanted was bid up to five million.

"Don't worry, babe. Money is just a number. Once the auction is over, I’ll find out who they are and teach them a lesson," Julian consoled her smoothly, pulling out my Black Card to reassure her.

Seraphina looked at me nervously, seeing that I was bidding up prices but not actually buying anything.

I smiled, thinking she wanted something. I pulled out a small black velvet box like a magic trick.

"The trash down there isn't worth our time. This is the real birthday gift I prepared for you."

"Open it."

She opened it with trembling hands. Inside lay a breathtaking diamond necklace once worn by a British royal princess.

It was priceless. Everything in tonight’s auction combined couldn't buy a single diamond on it.

"It’s too beautiful... I don't deserve this," Seraphina whispered, afraid to even touch it.

I took the necklace out and clasped it around her neck. "Only you deserve this, my princess."

She touched the diamonds, tears in her eyes, and hugged me tightly for the first time.

"Thank you, Mom." Thank you for not giving up on me.

My heart softened, and I vowed that anyone who had ever hurt her would pay a thousand-fold.

After a while, I stepped out to take an urgent business call. When I returned, I saw Seraphina downstairs, surrounded by a hostile crowd.

"Seraphina, Chloe didn't even invite you. How thick-skinned do you have to be to crash her party?"

"The heiress of the Sterling family invited us here to see the world, but that doesn't include a street rat like you!"

"Look at the trash around her neck. What fake plastic diamonds!" A short-haired girl snarled, ripping the necklace off Seraphina’s neck. The sharp tug left a bleeding scrape on my daughter's collarbone.

"She’s still dreaming of being a rich girl! How pathetic to pretend you're a Sterling, haha!"

A jock-type boy laughed, and the rest of the group joined in, throwing insults like "bitch" and "imposter" at her.

In the chaos, someone kicked away Seraphina’s crutches. Several hands pushed her, and she collapsed hard onto the floor.

Seeing this, I instantly knew where all the bruises on my daughter's body had come from.