Chapter 34 - Callahan #2
Theo coughed into his hand, trying and failing to hide his amusement.
Dad didn’t look embarrassed in the slightest.
“That threat stands,” he said evenly.
My mother rolled her eyes before turning toward Vani. Her tone shifted almost immediately.
“Evania,” she smiled.
Vani looked at her calmly. “Yes?”
“I owe you an apology.”
That caught my attention. My mother never apologized to anyone.
“I handled things poorly when we first met,” she continued. “I made assumptions, and I allowed my pride to get in the way. Tonight only made things worse, regardless of how Victoria ended up here.”
Vani watched her quietly, her expression unreadable.
“I’m sorry,” my mother finished. “I would also like the opportunity to apologize properly.”
“How?” Vani asked.
“Breakfast,” my mother said quickly. “You can bring someone if you want to.”
Emily leaned forward slightly, clearly interested in the answer.
I glanced at Vani, expecting her to politely decline. Instead, she tilted her head thoughtfully.
Then she smiled. “Alright.”
My brows lifted in surprise.
“You’ll come?” my mother asked.
“Yes,” Vani said. “I’ll come.”
My mother visibly relaxed. “Good. Thank you.”
At that moment, the master of ceremonies stepped onto the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the MC announced into the microphone.
The room quieted almost immediately.
“Thank you all for joining us tonight. As many of you know, the highlight of the evening is our annual charity auction.”
Applause rippled through the ballroom.
“Every item tonight has been generously donated, and all proceeds will go directly toward supporting the foundation’s initiatives. Namely, the Holmes Children Shelter.”
The screen behind him lit up as the first item appeared.
“And now,” he continued with a smile, “let’s begin.”
The first few items passed quickly.
A painting.
A luxury vacation package.
A signed sports memorabilia collection.
Bidders raised their paddles around the room as the prices climbed higher and higher.
Vani leaned slightly toward me.
“This is dangerous,” she murmured.
“How so?”
“You gave me permission to spend your money.”
I smirked faintly. “And yet you haven’t bid on anything.”
“Patience,” she said.
Another item appeared on the screen.
Then the next one.
And then—
The necklace.
The moment it appeared under the spotlight, I recognized it.
A sapphire necklace surrounded by diamonds, delicate and elegant, the deep blue stone catching the light beautifully. I had seen it earlier during the preview display. I had wanted to give it to Vani the moment I saw it.
Unfortunately, it had already been entered into the auction, which meant the only way to get it now was to bid for it.
“That's beautiful,” Vani murmured softly.
The MC gestured toward it. “Our next item is a stunning sapphire and diamond necklace donated by Laurent Jewelers. Opening bid two hundred thousand dollars.”
I raised my paddle. “Two hundred thousand.”
Another bidder across the room lifted theirs.
“Two hundred fifty thousand.”
“Three hundred thousand.”
The bids continued to climb steadily.
Four hundred thousand.
Five hundred thousand.
Six hundred thousand.
I kept raising my paddle each time.
Then a voice came from the table beside us. “Eight hundred thousand.”
I turned my head. Victoria. She was sitting at the table next to ours, looking directly at me with a small, smug smile.
Vani followed my gaze.
“Oh,” she murmured.
The MC looked toward me.
“Nine hundred thousand?”
I raised my paddle again.
“Nine hundred thousand.”
Victoria lifted hers immediately.
“One million.”
A murmur spread through the room.
“Two million,” I said calmly.
Victoria didn’t hesitate. “Three million.”
Emily leaned forward across the table. “Does she even have that kind of money?” she whispered.
Theo smiled slightly. “Definitely.”
“Four million,” I said.
Victoria raised her paddle again. “Five million.”
The whispers around the ballroom grew louder. Vani leaned closer to me. “You know you could just buy me a necklace later,” she murmured quietly.
“I know.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“Because she thinks she can win with daddy's money.”
Victoria lifted her paddle again. “Six million.”
I didn’t even pause. “Ten million.”
The room went silent. The number echoed across the ballroom as people turned toward our table. Victoria stared at me. The confident look on her face faded, replaced with disbelief.
The MC blinked before recovering. “Ten million dollars,” he repeated.
He looked toward Victoria. “Any further bids?”
Victoria’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t lift her paddle again.
The MC raised the gavel. “Going once… Going twice…”
Victoria still didn’t move.
“Sold!” The gavel struck the podium.
“Ten million dollars to Mr. Callahan Sterling!”
Applause erupted across the ballroom. Victoria stood abruptly from her chair. Without saying a word, she turned and walked out. Vani looked at me slowly.
“You just spent ten million dollars on a necklace.”
I shrugged. “It’s for charity.”
She gave me a look that clearly said she didn’t believe that for a second. A staff member approached our table carrying the velvet box containing the necklace. They placed it in front of me before stepping away. I opened the box and carefully lifted the necklace out.
Then I looked at Vani. “May I?”
She blinked. “Right now?”
“Yes.”
After a moment, she turned slightly in her chair and lifted her hair away from her neck. I stood and fastened the necklace around her throat before sitting back down. The sapphire rested perfectly against her skin. She touched it lightly before looking at me again.
“You’re ridiculous,” she said softly.
“Probably,” I agreed. "But you love it."
The rest of the ball was spent having dinner, me doing an interview, and dancing with Vani on the dance floor.
Dinner passed quickly, the kind of polite, elegant affair expected at an event like this.
Conversation flowed easily between guests, the clink of glasses and quiet laughter filling the ballroom.
Vani sat beside me, calm and composed, as if nothing about tonight had rattled her.
If anything, she seemed amused by the entire spectacle.
I watched her more than I participated in the conversations around us.
Every so often, someone would approach our table to congratulate us, compliment the event, or offer a polite remark about the charity we were supporting tonight.
Vani handled it all with effortless grace.
She smiled when appropriate, laughed lightly when someone attempted a joke, and responded just enough to remain courteous without encouraging anyone to linger too long.
She was good at this.
Better than most of the people who had spent their entire lives in rooms like this.
Guests slowly drifted back toward their tables as the music faded, the evening beginning to wind down.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the MC announced, his voice carrying clearly across the ballroom. “Before we conclude tonight’s festivities, we have one final activity planned.”
A few curious murmurs passed through the crowd. Vani glanced at me, knowing what was coming now that the press was gone.
“We’ll be holding a special auction.” Guests exchanged curious glances. “And our auction item,” the MC continued cheerfully, “is a dinner date with the lovely Christina.”
All eyes turned toward Christina. She stood near one of the cocktail tables, clearly surprised but also pleased by the attention.
“Christina,” the MC called. “Would you join us on stage?”
Christina hesitated only briefly before making her way forward. She stepped onto the stage with a confident smile, smoothing her dress slightly as she faced the audience.
The MC turned toward her. “Before we begin the bidding,” he said, “it’s only fair that everyone knows exactly what they’re bidding on.”
Christina laughed lightly. “Well, now I’m curious.”
Behind them, the large screen flickered to life.
Her smile immediately faded when the first clip began playing. Christina stood with a small group of women, her voice clear through the speakers.
“I mean, honestly,” she said with a scoff, “did you see what she was wearing? Someone with her body type should really avoid tight dresses.”
A murmur passed through the ballroom.
Christina’s eyes widened. The MC continued as if nothing was wrong.
“One of Christina’s most notable qualities is gossiping,” he said cheerfully.
Another clip appeared.
“…and don’t even get me started on the way she eats,” Christina’s voice continued on the screen. “If I looked like that, I’d never touch dessert.”
More whispers spread through the crowd while Christina looked horrified.
“Stop,” she said quickly.
But the MC continued. “And another.”
The next video clip played.
“And that hair? Honestly, it’s embarrassing.”
Guests were openly murmuring now.
“That’s taken out of context,” she said sharply.
The MC tilted his head. “Oh?”
Christina looked around the ballroom, panic creeping into her expression as guests openly discussed her behavior. Her gaze finally landed on me. “You did this.”
I met her eyes calmly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The murmurs only grew louder around her.
Christina’s face flushed as tears gathered in her eyes.
“I’m not staying here for this,” she snapped.
Then she turned and rushed off the stage.
She moved quickly through the ballroom, her heels clicking sharply against the floor before she disappeared through the exit. The room slowly filled with conversation again as guests continued discussing what had just happened.