2025-01-22 18:01:17Hamilton glared at Roman as he walked away. Did he think this was a joke? How dare he say he would bid for the ring?
“Don’t listen to him, Hamilton. He’s just bluffing. He has no money to bid with. He’ll just embarrass himself.” One of his female admirers said to him.
He smiled at her, realising she was right. There was no need to worry. They mingled for a little while before it was time to begin the auction.
The first item on the list was a vase that was crafted by an artist who was late. It was among his final works before he passed away, and that made it valuable. About ten people bid on it before it was finally sold for eight hundred thousand dollars.
Next was a pearl earring set that belonged to a matriarch of a foreign country, and had been recently acquired after being displayed in a museum for two years.
Hamilton immediately saw a chance to flaunt his wealth, and bid for the earring.
“The starting bid for the earrings is three hundred thousand dollars.” The auctioneer announced with a smile, after giving a brief narration of the item’s history.
“Four hundred thousand!” Hamilton called out immediately.
“Four hundred thousand and fifty!”
“Five hundred thousand!”
“Six hundred thousand!” Hamilton called out again with his bidding pad raised.
“Six hundred and twenty thousand!”
They bid for about a minute before Hamilton finally won with a two million dollar bid.
“A beautiful piece for my queen.” He announced proudly as he stood, and bowed while people in the hall applauded him for his generosity.
Haylee smiled because of her gift, and tried to sneak a glance at Roman to see if he was watching her. For some reason she couldn’t understand, she wanted his attention on her, not on Annabel.
Roman was not looking anywhere close to her direction, and that made her smile falter. Even with her new gift, she wasn’t happy. The bidding continued for several other different items like paintings, sculptures, and some other jewellery pieces.
When a diamond bracelet was put on auction, Hamilton bid again. This time he won the bid for the necklace with a final price of five million dollars.
Haylee still looked in Roman’s direction, hoping the high price would have caught his attention. But she was disappointed to see that he was discussing with Annabel.
Annabel smiled at Roman and even put her hand on his chest. This made Haylee shift around in her seat out of discomfort. Despite her new jewellery, she was finding it hard to smile.
Hamilton sat back after bidding for the bracelet. His worry had been for nothing. Roman hadn’t bid on a single item at the auction. Maybe he had hoped that Annabel would pay for him, and she changed her mind at the last minute.
He wasn’t seated in the same place as Roman, else he would have found an opportunity to mock the man for daring to believe he could outbid Hamilton.
Then he realised that he didn’t need to be close to Roman to humiliate him. That was when he spoke up. He made sure his voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the auction hall.
“Roman, I thought you said you could buy the auction house. Why haven’t bid on anything since the auction started? Has your magic money suddenly disappeared?” He asked smugly.
Everyone in the hall began to laugh and whisper about Roman.
“What he wants hasn’t been brought up yet. Enjoy fighting for the other items. He’s only here for the ring.” Annabel responded.
“Has he also lost his voice? Why can’t he speak for himself?” A male guest asked and more people chuckled.
Roman remained calmly seated. He just put a hand on Annabel’s arm to keep her from responding to the man’s words. He leaned down to whisper in her ears,
“They’re not worth it, Anna. Don’t waste your energy.”
Roman leaned back on his seat, and Annabel did the same. She was more calm now, but being so close to Roman was making her heart beat faster than usual.
“I wonder how much she’s paying you for your services in her bed.” Someone seated behind Roman and Annabel said and that caused another round of laughter.
Annabel frowned and Roman entwined his fingers with hers to prevent her from doing something rash.
“They’re basically calling you a prostitute. Do you really want me to just ignore them?” She whispered to him and he nodded.
“There’s nothing you will say to them that will make them change their opinions of me. But remember that actions speak louder than words.” He winked at her and she smiled.
She admired his confidence, and his ability to remain cool under pressure.
After a few more minutes, the auctioneer finally brought out the antique ring. Roman didn’t pay attention to the history narration that was given, because he was too focused on the ring’s engravings. He felt a strong pull to it, and a brief memory flash that made him more determined to get it.
“We will start the bidding for this ring at twenty five million dollars, making it the most expensive item on auction today.” The auctioneer announced.
“Thirty million!”
“Thirty three million!.”
While a few others called out their bids, Hamilton turned to watch Roman. When he saw that Roman was still quiet, not joining the bid, he chuckled to himself. Roman had indeed been talking nonsense when he said he wanted the ring.
Hamilton saw this as his chance to impress Haylee and everyone else in the hall. Someone said fifty million and Hamilton raised his bidding pad.
“Eighty million dollars.” He said confidently.
There were gasps and looks of admiration from the guests and even the auctioneer because of Hamilton’s high offer. Even Haylee was shocked that he bid that much money for the ring
Hamilton’s ego got even bigger, and he enjoyed the attention he got from the crowd.
“Eighty million, going once. Going twice,” Before the auctioneer could give the bid to Hamilton, Roman spoke up.
“Two hundred million dollars!”
The auctioneer nearly tripped as he heard such a high bid. There was a sudden silence in the hall, with people’s faces frozen with different expressions of shock.
Then the silence was broken when almost everyone began to speak at once. Murmurs of disbelief, and astonishment went through the crowd like a shock wave.
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Highest Bid
Hamilton was pissed off because Roman dared to bid for the ring.“You’re being so confident because you have Miss Annabel seated beside you. Trying to take advantage of her will not work at this auction. You seem to be unaware of the rules, and that could get you in trouble.” He said to Roman.“Don’t act like you’re concerned for my well being.” Roman scoffed at Hamilton.“And he’s well aware of the rule that no one can pay on behalf of another person once they bid on an item. The person who pays must be the same person who bids. I gave him the list of rules before we came.” Annabel said with a smirk as she looked in Hamilton’s direction.“And does he know what will happen to him when he fails to pay for the item with such a high bid?” Hamilton asked.He didn’t get a response to his question because the auctioneer began to speak again.“Two hundred million, going once. Going twice,”“Two hundred and ten million.” Hamilton said as he raised his bidding pad.He immediately put his hand
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Blacklisted
This time, the reaction to Roman’s high bid was not silence. The whole room erupted in an uproar of voices, all trying to speak at the same time. Everyone wanted to find out what gave Roman the audacity to announce such a high bid. Hamilton sat back and gave up.“Five hundred million, going once. Going twice!” The auctioneer paused for a few seconds, then said, “Sold to Mr Roman. Congratulations, the ring is yours.”Suddenly, Hamilton smirked. He realised that he hadn’t lost. Roman fell for his trick. He almost let his pride make him forget his initial reason for raising the bid. He wanted to trap Roman into bidding more than he could handle, so Roman could get in trouble with the owner of the auction house. This was a win-win situation for him. He just had to stand back, and watch Roman face the consequences.“I can’t believe he made such a high bid.” Haylee said to herself with a frustrated sigh.But Hamilton heard her because they were seated so close together. He responded to her
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Young Master
Hamilton’s face turned ghastly pale as all the blood drained from his face. If his family was kicked out of the business association, it would be a big blow to their finances. And everyone would blame him for it.“Sir, forgive my offence. Whatever I did to offend you, please have mercy, sir.” Hamilton immediately dropped to his knees to beg.“You don’t even have an idea what you’re apologising for.” Kade said with a disgusted expression on his face as he stared down at Hamilton like he was an insignificant bug.“I must have spoken out of turn. Or maybe it’s something else. Whatever I did, sir, please forgive me. Spare my family. Please.”Kade just scoffed, and turned away to give the guards new orders.“Take him out of here. If he resists, then drag him out. I don’t care, as long as you get him out of my sight.”Hamilton moved forward on his knees and tried to grab Kade’s legs, but he was forcefully dragged away by the guards, while still screaming for mercy.They dumped him in the al
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE To The VIP Ward
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE His Diagnosis
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Acupuncture Technique
How could he even have gotten poisoned? We mostly share all our meals together, so if it was poison, other people would be affected. Especially me. I still live at home with him.” Annabel’s aunt, Janice asked.“This type of poison is not given through food. It’s too complicated to explain now. When I succeed in taking it out, you’ll see for yourself.” Roman responded.“So how do we take it out? His condition is getting worse.”“That’s because the poisonous organism has started eating his heart. In one week, if nothing is done, he will die. But I can take out the poison. I just need heated needles.”“Needles? How would that help? A poison should have an antidote. Some type of herb or medicine, not a needle.” Annabel’s father said sceptically.“You’ll just have to trust me on this. Like I said before, the poison isn’t normal, so normal means won’t work to cure it. You’ve already tried other means of treatment, and it didn’t work. What do you have to lose?” He asked and the man sighed, r
Latest Chapter
Check Mate
Roman sat at the head of the conference table. Kade was standing beside him, with his arms crossed. Roman's law enforcement contact across from them. He placed a thick folder on the table.“This,” the detective said, sliding it toward Roman, “is everything you need.”Roman flipped the folder open. Proof of bribe to a federal judge, and a recorded confession from one of the court clerks, who had overheard the exchange and agreed to testify.Kade let out a low whistle. “They’re done.”He shut the folder and leaned back in his chair. The Vaughn siblings had thrown every dirty trick at him—kidnapping, smear campaigns, bribery. But this was their sloppiest move yet. A bribe like this was career-ending, not just for them but for their high-priced attorney as well.Roman turned to his legal team. “File this with the court first thing in the morning. I want the case dismissed immediately. Then, set up a press conference.”A murmur of agreement swept through the room as his team got to work.
Their Move
Kade stood by the window, with his arms crossed tight. He had been pacing for the last twenty minutes. He was frustrated. Across the room, Roman sat behind the glass desk. He had helped Reginald get a place to stay safely some days ago, amidst the war with the Vaughns. He could not afford to put the old man in harm's way. “They must think I’m an idiot,” Roman finally said. Kade turned. “I don’t even know if they think at all. Paying off more people to try and discredit you and their father.”Roman’s lips twitched. “That would explain why they played their hand so recklessly.” He leaned back in his chair and exhaled. “How far along are we with the evidence?”Kade’s frustration faded. “Far enough to bury them.”He strode over to the desk, placing his phone down and tapping the screen. A grainy audio clip played—static-filled but clear enough to make out voices.“Yeah, I got the money. Look, I did what they said—went on camera, told the whole story. Man, that Roman guy didn’t even see
False Narrative
The morning after the attempted kidnapping, Roman sat in his hotel suite, looking angry. If he hadn’t been trained, if he hadn’t had the heightened reflexes that came with his martial arts experience, he could’ve been in a dark basement somewhere, tied to a chair, waiting for a ransom call to be made. Even without his memory, his muscles remembered what his mind could not.Across from him, Kade stood with his arms folded. “You should’ve called me the second it happened,” he said, his voice low.Roman exhaled slowly. “It was late. And I didn’t want you flying off the handle before I had a plan.”Kade’s jaw clenched. “You mean before I handled it the way I should have? Because if I had been there, those bastards wouldn’t have left in one piece.”Roman almost smiled at that. Almost. But there was nothing funny about the situation. This was a line crossed. The Vaughn siblings had just made things personal.“They’re desperate,” Roman said, leaning forward. “We already knew that. The court
Kidnap Attempt
Roman and Reginald stepped out of the courthouse, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows on the pavement. They had just finished the first court hearing. The session had been tense, with Gabriel Langston throwing every trick he had at them, but they had held their ground. Still, as they made their way toward the car, Roman could see the worry on Reginald’s face.“They’re relentless,” the old man muttered, shaking his head. “I knew my children were greedy, but the lengths they’re willing to go…”Roman placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “They’re desperate. And desperate people make mistakes. We just have to stay ahead of them.”Once they reached the hotel, Roman immediately called his legal team for a follow-up meeting. Walter Bishop, sat across from him in the hotel suite’s lounge, his briefcase open with notes scattered across the coffee table.“They’re pushing the psychiatric evaluation angle hard,” Walter began. “If we don’t counter it properly, the judge might be swa
Court House
“So,” Roman said, “the Vaughn kids are making their move. It only took a few days.”Walter looked up. “They’ve filed a formal complaint. They’re arguing that Reginald wasn’t of sound mind when he signed the deal. Similar to what we expected them to do. They want to discredit the contract.”Roman chuckled. “Desperate.”Reginald, sitting beside him, shook his head. “My children will do anything to get what they want.”Walter placed a file on the table. “Their main lawyer is Gabriel Langston. He’s not to be underestimated. Apart from him, there's a whole other team of hardened lawyers on their side. These ones usually fight dirty.”Roman’s expression darkened. “What’s our move?” he asked.Walter tapped the file. “We get ahead of them. We will arrange our own psychiatric evaluation for Reginald, proving he was in perfect health when he made the decision. And we keep things airtight. No leaks, no loose ends.”Roman nodded. “And if they go to the media?”“We counter with facts,” Walter said
A Favour Owed
The conference room had a cold efficiency to it. It was all polished wood, sleek black chairs, and a long glass table that reflected the glow of the lights on it. Roman sat at one end, calmly. Reginald sat beside him, looking slightly more tense, but there was a quiet steel in his eyes.Across from them sat Walter Bishop and his team, five of the best corporate lawyers in that country.Walter adjusted his tie before clearing his throat. “Gentlemen, let’s get straight to business.”A younger lawyer, a woman named Sienna Graves, leaned forward. “The Vaughns have filed a claim of coercion, and fraud against Mr Roman, and mental instability against Mr Vaughn.”Reginald let out a sharp laugh. “They’re calling me insane now?”Walter’s expression remained serious. “They don’t have proof, but they don’t need proof. They just need enough doubt to drag this case into the mud.”Roman exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “Classic distraction tactic. If they can’t win, they’ll make a mess.”
Lawyer Meetings
A few days after the incident with the Vaughn siblings, Roman decided it was time to go back to his country. He was packing his bags for his trip the next day. Little did he expect to be served that very day. Roman had barely zipped his suitcase when his phone buzzed.He glanced at the screen, expecting a message from Kade about finalizing his flight. Instead, he saw an email notification from an unknown legal firm. Frowning, he tapped it open. And then he laughed. Across the room, Reginald Vaughn looked up from his chair, confused.“What’s so funny?”Roman turned his phone around, holding it up for Reginald to see. “We’ve been served.”Reginald’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, reading the email. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair. His first instinct was anger. His second was worry.“They’re actually taking us to court?”Roman tossed his phone onto the bed, still smirking as he sat down. “Looks like it. Seems like I have
Siblings Plot
Roman remained silent as he guided his car through the city streets. Beside him, Reginald Vaughn sat silently with his face turned toward the window. His eyes were fixed on nothing in particular. The old man looked hollow. Like someone who had finally let go of something heavy, only to realize he had nothing left to hold. Roman stole a glance at him before turning his focus back to the road.“They really would’ve torn you apart back there,” he finally said.Reginald let out a soft chuckle, but there was no humor in it. “You saw that, huh?”“Saw it? I was two seconds away from throwing one of them through the damn window.”That got a real laugh out of Reginald, though it was brief. He exhaled and rubbed his face. He looked very tired. “I knew they’d be angry. But I didn’t expect…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Actually, no. That’s a lie. I did expect it. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.”Roman didn't reply immediately. He understood that feeling all too well. Trusting pe
Sending Them Away
For a moment, there was silence. The Vaughn siblings stood frozen as their minds struggled to process the reality of what had just happened.Everything — the wealth, the power, the company they had never lifted a finger to build but were expecting to reap from — was gone. And the man now sitting across from their father, calm, composed, completely unbothered by their presence, had taken it all.Elliot was the first to recover from the shock. He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as a sneer twisted his lips.“Unbelievable.” His voice was laced with mockery, but the underlying rage was impossible to miss. “This… this is crazy. It’s not right.”Damien scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know what I think?” He tilted his head at Roman, his eyes narrowing. “I think you’re nothing but a gold-digging bastard. You saw an old man who’s lost his edge, and you sunk your claws in, convincing him this was a ‘good deal.’”Celeste gave a slow, deliberate smirk, flipping her hair ove
