Delayed Passion: Miss Lynch's Unrequited Love-Chapter 79: Unconditionally Siding with Thea Lynch

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Unconditionally Siding with Thea Lynch

"Wow." Hearing this number, Sean Bell raised his hand and clapped, "I told you I’m not the craziest one here."

Thea Lynch ignored his sarcastic remark.

Sean leaned in and whispered to her, "Why do I feel like they’re not auctioning a painting anymore, but Third Brother himself?"

"..."

"Don’t you think it really looks like that?"

"Do you have to talk all the time?" Thea frowned.

Sean laughed, "Ask yourself, do you still want that painting? And her, I’m sure she’s not after the painting either."

"Am I not just paying your debt?" This all started because Sean provoked the other party first.

Sean quickly defended himself, "It’s really not because of me. Believe it or not, if I raised my paddle, she’d definitely not dare to follow."

"The battle between the authentic and the fake, tsk." Sean clicked his tongue, quite satisfied with the current situation.

Forty-five million was already ten million over the estimated price.

Yet Nina Sinclair still followed.

"What, giving up?" Seeing that Thea didn’t move, Sean raised an eyebrow.

Thea said nothing, staring blankly at the floor below, lost in thought.

Seeing her lack of action, Nina smirked, thinking she’d won.

But the next second, the auctioneer spoke up again, "Fifty million."

"!" Nina widened her eyes in the direction of Thea.

Thea hadn’t moved at all, wait, it wasn’t Thea...

Then who was it?

As she searched the room for the bidder, the auctioneer signaled with a smile, "Mr. Preston has bid fifty million. Fifty million going once."

"..."

Unlike Nina’s shock, Thea had noticed when Box 1 raised their paddle. Even though she didn’t know why Ian Preston had intervened, she was much calmer than Nina.

Composed as ever.

She raised her hand.

This time, the auctioneer was truly puzzled.

If it had been at the start, bidding against Ian Preston wasn’t a big deal. But at this critical moment, outbidding him after he called a high price wasn’t a wise move at all...

"Box 3, fifty-two million."

Instantly, the room was abuzz.

Downstairs, Nina had already stood up. She wanted to follow, but someone beside her spoke up just in time, "Do you dare to go against President Preston?!"

Nina’s breath hitched. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Right, why did Ian Preston suddenly intervene? For the painting? No... it was for Thea!!!

Others might not know, but she did.

Ian Preston was warning her to stop...

If she kept going, Ian Preston wouldn’t let her off easily.

"Fifty-two million going once, fifty-two million twice, fifty-two million... three times. Congratulations to Miss Lynch."

Hearing the auctioneer’s address, there was a stir downstairs, "So it really is the Lynch Family’s one!"

"No wonder President Preston relented. No, no, this isn’t just relenting, he’s clearly backing up the Lynch Family’s one."

"It’s been years since we’ve seen the Lynch Family’s one. I heard she recently returned to the country, and this is her first event since coming back, right?"

"Seems like it, didn’t you see the two Lords from the Bell and Preston families accompanying her? In the past, the one from the Bell Family never bothered with such events. Nor did President Preston."

"Nina is bold, doesn’t she see her status, daring to challenge the Lynch Family."

"Isn’t Nina President Preston’s fiancée?"

"She was dumped long ago. I heard she recently got close with Apex International’s President Wan; otherwise, how could she dare raise the bid today?"

"Even if she had President Preston as her backer, if he had to choose, without a doubt, he’d side with the Lynch Family."

"Her? She can’t even be compared as a choice against the Lynch Family’s one. That’s too flattering."

——

"Third Brother already bid, why keep up?" Sean was a bit surprised.

"Going back and forth, tsk, quite a bit of money."

Third Brother’s bid, if Thea wanted it, she could just ask him for it afterward.

Needless to say, he’d either sell it to her or even gift it without hesitation.

Sean didn’t believe Thea didn’t know this.

When bidding against Nina, she hesitated for a moment, but when bidding against Third Brother, she was decisive.

To this, Thea responded with three words: "None of your business."

Causing Sean to burst out laughing uncontrollably.

Ian’s assistant came over from the box. Seeing this, Thea stood up. She ignored Sean, who was still laughing, and without waiting for the assistant to speak, she walked directly towards the box.

Sean leaned lazily against the chair, with one hand covering his lips, his smile fading. His eyes followed Thea’s back closely until she entered the box and the assistant gently closed the door, blocking any prying eyes.

In the crowd, he wasn’t the only one watching Thea; many around were eagerly looking toward the box.

The auction continued, but Sean lost interest. After downing his drink, he stood up and headed downstairs.

Meanwhile, in the box.

"Third Brother." Without waiting for a response, Thea sat down in the empty seat next to him.

A single square redwood table separated them.

Unlike the champagne and wine on the tables outside, on Ian’s table, there was a pot of tea and two teacups.

One cup already had some tea missing.

Thea refilled Ian’s tea. After putting down the teapot, she finally ordered a serving for herself.

After taking a sip, her eyes lit up, captivated. She couldn’t help but take another sip.

After a moment, she spoke up to Ian, "Did Third Brother want that painting?"

"No."

"Then why did you suddenly jump in, starting at five million?"

"Why did you follow?"

"I was afraid someone else would take it." Thea laughed nervously.

"Someone else?" Hearing these words, Ian turned his gaze to her, "Besides you, who here would dare fight me for it?"

"It’s not that, I’m just afraid... you’d buy it and give it to some other girl."

When Thea said this, her face didn’t change color, nor did her heart skip a beat. She was deliberately provoking, not giving him an easy time.

They both knew exactly who she was referring to.

Ian’s brows furrowed, signs of anger emerging, "You think it’s for her?"

"Actually..."

He interrupted coldly, "Think carefully before you speak."

Thea: "..."

Rubbing her teacup on the table, Thea lowered her eyes sheepishly, "No."

Indeed, when Ian suddenly joined the bid, everyone understood what he meant.

Most likely a warning.

She was momentarily confused at first, but quickly grasped the situation.

"But I already got this far, I couldn’t just back out the moment you spoke up. I do have some pride to maintain."

"It doesn’t matter anyway, it’s all going to be donated in the end. For charity."

She added two million at the end, but it’s alright, not a complete waste.

"What’s really outrageous is that necklace Third Brother just bid on, right? Donated it himself, then bid to win it back."

"Never intended for it to be donated in the first place."

His plan was always to bid it back. "Moreover, had it fallen into her hands, wouldn’t you have overthought it again?"