After dealing with Morgan and Clarissa, Leo turned and scooped Sophia up like a princess, then headed towards the door. The security guards blocking the way quickly made room for him. These people were just here to earn a living and had no intention of risking their lives to do their duty.
Once Leo left, the captain of the security team shouted anxiously, “Quick, take Mr. Christy and Ms. Clarissa to the hospital!”
Mirror Reflections was in chaos.
Leo placed Sophia in the car, laying her down on the back seat. He then took out a silver needle he had on him and inserted it into three different acupoints on Sophia’s body. Afterward, he channeled a bit of spiritual power into Sophia, completely purging any traces of the drug from her system. When he removed the needles, Sophia quickly regained consciousness. Seeing Leo in front of her, she immediately clung to him, tears streaming down her face.
Leo patted her back gently and consoled her with soft words.
Once Sophia had calmed down from her fear, Leo drove Sophia back home in his Audi.
Inside the car, Sophia redirected her gaze from Leo’s profile and softly said, “Leo, thank you.”
Leo smiled faintly. “Sophia, you’re my wife, and protecting you is my duty.”
Sophia’s heart warmed. After today’s ordeal, her heart felt completely filled with Leo.
“Sophia, in the future, if there are any social events, you can call me or Lydia to go with you, alright?”
Leo didn’t want a repeat of today. If he had arrived a bit later, Sophia might have been harassed by that beast.
Sophia nodded solemnly. “I’ll listen to you.”
Back at home, Martin was examining the antiques he had recently acquired, and Jessica was absent, probably out playing mahjong again.
Seeing Leo and Sophia return, Martin quickly said to Leo, “Leo, your mom has a terrible temper. It’s better for you to come back.”
Leo replied, “Dad, Mom is still angry right now. I’ll come back when she cools down.”
“Ignore her. Tonight, you stay at home. Tomorrow, I’ll take you and Sophia to an auction.”
“An auction?” Leo and Sophia exchanged glances, puzzled by his sudden interest in auctions.
Martin explained, “It’s an antique auction. Since you found a genuine calligraphy last time, I want you to help me with this auction.”
Understanding his father-in-law’s request, Leo agreed.
The next day, it was Saturday. To avoid conflict between Leo and Jessica, Martin and the young couple left the villa early in the morning. After having breakfast outside, they headed to the auction venue.
The auction was held in the grand hall on the eighth floor of the Century Grand Hotel. It was a spacious and luxurious venue that could accommodate over a thousand people.
The entire auction event followed a schedule: antique auctions in the morning at nine o’clock, followed by lunch, and then gemstone auctions in the afternoon at two o’clock.
About half an hour before nine o’clock, the hall was already filled with attendees, most of whom were upper-class people. They held wine glasses in their hands and engaged in conversations with each other in small groups.
This auction was not just about buying and selling; it was also a social gathering for the upper echelons of society.
According to their assigned seat numbers, Leo and others took their seats in the third row with consecutive seat numbers.
Today, Leo was dressed in a stylish suit, looking quite handsome. Sophia wore a white silk fishtail gown with a single shoulder strap, making her stand out even more. Her light makeup enhanced her beautiful eyes, adding a touch of liveliness and charm. Although they had been together for four years, Leo felt he would never tire of Sophia’s beauty.
Noticing Leo’s gaze, Sophia rewarded him with a sweet smile. That smile could almost melt Leo’s heart.
Sophia’s beauty and grace made other women in the hall pale in comparison. Many single men wanted to strike up a conversation with her, but when they saw the ring on her right hand and the man beside her, their hopes quickly dimmed. They might not have met Leo, but they assumed that a man who could be with such a beautiful woman had an extraordinary status.
If they knew Leo’s actual status as a mere freeloading son-in-law, they might be astonished.
The clock quickly struck nine, and the routine at the auction was the same as always. After the host’s opening remarks, the auction officially began.
Sitting beside Leo, Martin discreetly nudged Leo’s hand and whispered, “Leo, today I’ve prepared three million dollars in funds. If you spot something good, be sure to let me know. And please, don’t let your mom find out about today.”
With Jessica, Martin’s excuse was that they were taking Leo and Sophia to browse the antique street.
Hearing Martin’s words, Sophia couldn’t help but smile, her own dad had quite a stash of hidden money.
Leo smiled and nodded.
In the first round of auctions, there were a total of five antiques that Leo had been keeping an eye on, but nothing piqued his interest.
These five antiques were all quite ordinary, and the final premiums were a bit too high, not worth bidding on.
After the first round of auctions, there was a fifteen-minute break for attendees to discuss and socialize. Leo noticed that Mr. Tyler was also present at today’s auction. During the break, many people gathered around him, seeking his expertise.
“Mr. Tyler, could you please take a look at this painting for me?” a man handed a painting to Mr. Tyler.
As the man fully unfolded the painting, Leo’s eyes lit up, and he quietly moved closer to Mr. Tyler.
Mr. Tyler accepted the painting, and the man anxiously said, “Mr. Tyler, I bought this painting for a hundred thousand. The seller claimed it came from the palace and has high collectible value. Could you evaluate it for me?”
Mr. Tyler placed the painting on the table and used his handheld magnifying glass to examine it carefully. The man was nervous, awaiting the authoritative assessment.
In just a minute or two, Mr. Tyler folded up his magnifying glass and said, “Judging from the materials used in this painting, it does indeed have its origins within the imperial court, likely dating back to 600 years ago. However, the artist who created this painting seems to lack some skill, so its value as a collectible isn’t particularly high. The highest price it could fetch is around sixty thousand, tops.”