“50 million!”
The auctioneer announced the price with astonishment, “This bid of 50 million comes from Caitlin!”
Everyone was stunned and turned to look at Caitlin, who held the paddle confidently. Jonathan’s face turned as dark as a pot bottom. He had finally decided to participate in this charity event to clean up his reputation, but now his daughter was deliberately going against him?
This was infuriating!
The Lewis family quickly realized that Caitlin was doing this on purpose. Jasmine, seething with anger, couldn’t help but shout from two rows away, “Caitlin, you’re bidding 50 million? Do you even have that much money? Don’t pretend to be rich!”
Molly, never one to hold back, retorted sharply, “What’s it to you? My little brother isn’t short on cash!”
The Xenos family, watching from the side, also noticed Caitlin’s astronomical bid. Elder Xenos assumed that Caitlin, like him, was genuinely a fan of O’Brien’s artwork.
Madison and Yasmin, on the other hand, sneered, “Tch, using the Vanderbilt name to steal the limelight. How disgusting.”
Meanwhile, Benjamin and Nolan exchanged glances, their eyes glinting with interest. They felt that Caitlin might not be an ordinary person after all.
“No higher bid than 50 million? Alright! 50 million once! 50 million twice! 50 million three times! Sold!”
When the auctioneer’s gavel fell, it officially marked the highest price ever recorded for an art auction in the modern art scene, with O’Brien’s live painting fetching 50 million.
O’Brien himself sat off to the side, appearing calm, but inside, his mind was racing. Though he maintained his composure, he was secretly ecstatic.
The auctioneer then invited Caitlin onto the stage, “I think this lady Caitlin must either be a loyal fan of O’Brien or a philanthropist with a big heart. Let’s welcome Caitlin and O’Brien to the stage!”
Caitlin stood and walked up to the stage, and O’Brien followed, eyeing her up and down. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride-after all, how many artists could boast of such a beautiful female fan?
The auctioneer quickly took the microphone and asked, “Caitlin, may I ask why you placed such a high bid?”
Caitlin took the microphone and spoke coolly, “I know that O’Brien is regarded as a cutting-edge contemporary artist, and his paintings have great potential for appreciation. Also, I believe that contributing to charity through this auction is something that we all should do.”
The auctioneer led the applause, “Well said, Caitlin! You two should shake hands and get to know each other. Next up, the artwork transfer ceremony.”
O’Brien, eager to make the moment even more memorable, extended his hand to Caitlin for a handshake. But Caitlin didn’t even look at him, and he was left hanging awkwardly, his hand slowly retracting in embarrassment.
Soon, a staff member brought the donation agreement to the stage, and Caitlin signed it without hesitation. The auctioneer glanced at the document and was taken aback. “Caitlin, you’re donating in the name of Mr. Sebastian, the president of Vanderbilt Enterprises?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Sebastian is my husband, and you can refer to me as Mrs. Vanderbilt. My husband is passionate about philanthropy, but he couldn’t attend today, so I’m here on his behalf. The 50 million is for this artwork, and he is also donating another 50 million directly to the charity foundation for the Hope Project.”
Caitlin’s words caused the entire room to gasp in disbelief. Caitlin wasn’t just bidding on behalf of herself-she was using her husband’s name! And Mr. Vanderbilt was extremely generous, donating a total of 100 million!
The crowd was stunned. It was an unprecedented level of extravagance.
“Wonderful! Let’s give a round of applause to Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt for their incredible generosity!” The applause was deafening. Even those who were reluctant to clap couldn’t help but join in.
Benjamin and Nolan exchanged impressed glances, clearly admiring Caitlin’s boldness. They recorded the moment on their phones.
Meanwhile, Xavi, disguised in a wig and blending into the crowd, had also captured the scene on camera. His mind raced as he thought: *Would Mr. Vanderbilt believe this if I told him? Caitlin is using his name to make this bid, and her spending is absolutely outrageous!*
But what Xavi didn’t know was that if Mr. Vanderbilt found out the real reason behind Caitlin’s extravagant purchase-that she did it just to get her hands on one of O’Brien’s paintings-he would probably be furious!
After the agreement was signed, the deal was complete. The auctioneer joyfully announced, “Mrs. Vanderbilt, the artwork is officially yours! Would you and the artist like to take a photo together?”
At most auctions, after signing the deal and transferring the artwork, the buyer and the artist would pose for a photo together. However, Caitlin gave O’Brien a quick, cold glance before responding flatly, “No need. I don’t want to take a photo with someone just out for fame.”
Her words made the entire room freeze. The auctioneer and O’Brien were left speechless. The artist had been expecting a moment of glory, but now he was left embarrassed, unsure of how to respond.
The audience was also puzzled. One moment Caitlin had spent 50 million on O’Brien’s work, and the next she was dismissing him as a mere fame-chaser. What was going on?
Caitlin then turned her attention to the painting, giving it a critical look. “I’ve seen all of O’Brien’s past works, but I’ve never seen anything as flashy as this. Could you explain why today’s style is so different?”
O’Brien was caught off guard. He looked around, and even Elder Xenos was curious about the reason behind the change in style.
After a moment, O’Brien regained his composure and calmly responded, “Well, being in New York today, I’m in a good mood. So, I decided to use bolder, warmer tones. A slight shift in style is only natural.”
“Really? But I think this isn’t O’Brien’s style at all!” Caitlin’s words cut through the tension in the room, causing an awkward silence.
Everyone was watching in stunned silence. What had just happened? One moment, O’Brien had been basking in pride, but the next, Caitlin had made him look ridiculous.
The auctioneer, now struggling to control the situation, turned to the curator, Louis, for help.
Louis quickly rushed up to the stage, took the microphone, and asked, “Mrs. Vanderbilt, is there a problem with the artwork?”
Caitlin’s expression turned icy. “Yes, there’s a huge problem! I believe this isn’t O’Brien’s real work, and it’s certainly not worth 50 million!”
With that, Caitlin grabbed a hairpin from her hair and sliced across the painting.
*Riiiip! Riiiip!*
She slashed several times, and the pristine artwork was soon ruined, torn apart right before everyone’s eyes.
“Hey, how dare you ruin my work?!” O’Brien screamed, his face red with fury. He had just sold his piece for 50 million, the perfect opportunity to cement his reputation-and now it was all destroyed!
The entire room was in shock. Did Caitlin really just destroy the 50 million-dollar painting?
Everyone was stunned, and Xavi, too, was in complete disbelief. Caitlin had spent 50 million, just to slash a few lines through the painting? What was going on?