"Azalea, do you even have the money to bid? This is an auction, not the vegetable market downstairs from your house!"

Everleigh's face instantly soured when she saw me daring to challenge her boss.

"Don't say I didn't warn you; if you can't pay, you'll be heading straight to jail!"

I lifted my chin slightly, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

"Secretary Everleigh, whether I have the money or not is none of your business. You'd be better off worrying about your boss."

"There's no turning back once a sky lantern is lit."

Clyde's face twisted with rage as he raised his paddle again.

"Azalea, you dare lecture my people in front of me?"

"You enjoy bidding, don't you? Let's see just how deep your pockets really are!"

With a sharp grin, Clyde shouted, "I'll raise by another ten million, twenty million in total!"

His voice thundered through the room, setting the entire venue ablaze with shock.

After all, this was just a charity auction. The items up for bid were decent but nothing worth tens of millions.

And the painting in question? A child's creation, far from the work of a renowned artist.

"President Mancini is truly generous. On behalf of the children in remote areas, I thank you," I said, clapping as I rose to my feet.

"But since this is a charity event, the more money, the better, right?"

With that, I raised a single finger, my gaze meeting Clyde's as the room fell into stunned silence.

"Twenty million… and one dollar!"

The audacity of my bid hit the crowd like a wave. No one expected me to take on Clyde like this.

A hushed murmur rippled through the room, the eyes of every top-tier business figure fixed on me. Even Clyde had been invited only due to the recent rise of the Mancini Group.

I could see from Clyde's face that he was savoring the drama.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me make one thing clear: although this woman is my wife by name, we actually have nothing to do with each other."

"If she can't pay later, Mancini Group will not be responsible."

His words nearly made me laugh out loud.

"President, I'd advise you not to distance yourself from me so quickly."

"After all, you're the one who lit a sky lantern at a charity auction."

"If you can't pay up later, you might be begging me to bail you out."

Before I could relish the moment, the secretary beside Clyde stood up, her voice dripping with contempt.

"Azalea, are you daydreaming?"

"You're just a housewife, thinking you can compete with Mancini Group? How ridiculous."

I shook my head, my gaze fixed on her with quiet composure.

"It might be hard to believe now, but it's the truth."

"If you don't trust me, feel free to let your President Mancini try."

Everleigh raised an eyebrow, scoffing in disbelief.

"Fine. Let's see. It's impressive how people with no sense of their own limits still have the gall to act so high and mighty in front of me."

I wasn't bothered by her words. Instead, I stood my ground, calm and unshaken.

"Sorry, but I'm not like you. I, Azalea, never rely on a man's money."

As soon as the words left my lips, a ripple of whispers spread through the crowd.

"Anyone can talk big. If she's so capable, why settle for being a housewife?"

"Exactly! President Mancini's a billionaire, a rising star. Who does she think she is?"

"She's just a clown, trying to make herself the center of attention. Why even waste time with her?"

I stood, my eyes scanning the room, every whisper falling silent in my wake.

"Ladies and gentlemen, listen closely; I don't just look down on the Mancini Family. I look down on every single one of you here."

I might not have been well-versed in business, but I knew how to be a decent person.

Yet, from the moment I stepped into this venue, these so-called business elites hadn't been discussing philanthropy or progress. No, they had been too busy groveling at Clyde's feet.

The moment I spoke, I became the enemy of the room. A wave of hostility surged toward me and even the host could no longer mask his disdain.

"Madam, people like you are not welcome at this auction."

Slowly, I lifted my head, my gaze locking onto the stage.

"Oh? And what kind of person am I, exactly?"

Before the host could answer, a sudden movement caught my eye. The secretary stormed onto the stage, snatching the microphone in a fit of rage.

"Azalea, you're nothing but a worthless nobody!"

Everleigh's voice rang through the speakers, echoing in every corner of the hall.

The so-called elites shot to their feet, their applause like the crackle of a roaring fire. Their faces brimmed with satisfaction as if they had just witnessed a great spectacle.

Even Clyde, who had been silent all this time, leaned back in his seat, watching me with smug amusement, relishing in my supposed downfall.

As I took in the scene before me, a bitter realization settled in my chest: how foolish I had been to pull the Mancini Family out of their crisis back then.

Noticing my silence, Everleigh assumed I was backing down. Smirking, she lifted the microphone again.

"Hey, Azalea, do you get it now? Do you finally understand why President Mancini doesn't want to sit with you?"

She suddenly raised her voice, her words sharp and cutting.

"Because… you're not worthy."

I swallowed the anger rising in my throat, my voice turning cold.

"From the way you're talking, it sounds like you want me to divorce your President Mancini?"

Everleigh's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile.

"Since you're so self-aware, I won't bother pretending anymore." She let out a light laugh. "That's right; I believe I'm far more suited to be President Mancini's wife than you are."

I met her gaze, my expression unreadable and spoke each word with deliberate clarity.

"Go on. And then?"

Everleigh scoffed, her eyes filled with contempt.

"President Mancini wants to divorce you!"

For a moment, I simply stood there, the words hanging in the air. Then, slowly, I turned to look at Clyde.

"Is that true? Do you really want a divorce?"

Clyde arched an eyebrow, his expression laced with disdain.

"Secretary Everleigh is right. I've wanted to divorce you for a long time, but I held off because of my father's pressure."

His voice grew louder, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd.

"But now that all these esteemed guests are here, they can serve as my witnesses."

"I, Clyde, am divorcing you!"

I met his gaze with chilling indifference, my voice calm, unreadable.

"Are you sure about that?"

I took a step forward, my tone sharpening.

"Clyde, have you really thought this through?"

Before my words had even fully settled in the air, the fool before me yanked a divorce agreement from his pocket, shoving it toward me as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Azalea, don't waste your breath. I've never had even the slightest bit of affection for you."

I studied him for a long moment before letting out a slow, measured sigh.

"Clyde, looks like you've had this planned for quite some time, haven't you?"

He gave a careless nod, his indifference almost theatrical.

"That's right! You hit the nail on the head. I've been waiting to divorce you every single moment!"

"In the past, in the present and even more so in the future!"

The moment those words left his lips, Everleigh wasted no time in leading the applause and the guests followed suit, clapping and cheering as if they were enjoying a grand performance.

I swept a glance around the room, my lips curving slightly, amusement flickering beneath my calm exterior.

"Since the stage has already been set, it'd be a shame if I didn't play along."

"In that case, I'll listen to you. I agree with the divorce. However..."

The moment I uttered those words, Clyde visibly brightened, excitement flashing in his eyes.

Before I could even finish, he cut in eagerly.

"Azalea, as long as you agree to the divorce, everything else will be easy!"

"Go ahead, name your price. I'll do my best to meet your demands."

I waved a hand dismissively, a knowing smile playing on my lips.

"Clyde, don't be in such a hurry. We can talk about money later."

"Although I've agreed to divorce you, the auction must go on."

I leaned back leisurely. "I just placed a bid of twenty million and one. Does the mighty President Mancini plan to raise the stakes?"

I knew him well; his pride was his greatest weakness. True to form, the moment he realized I was still competing for the painting, his expression darkened.

"Azalea, I advise you not to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

I arched an eyebrow, waving a hand lazily.

"Oh? So the great chairman of Mancini Group is backing down over a mere twenty million?"

His temper flared instantly, just as I expected.

"Fine! Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"

"Thirty million!"

"Thirty million… and one."

The muscles in Clyde's jaw twitched as he shot me a fierce glare.

"Fifty million!"

As the numbers soared higher and higher, a thin sheen of sweat gathered on his forehead. I chuckled softly, my voice slow and deliberate.

"Clyde, since we're all here for charity, why not go all in?"

"I bid one billion."

The moment my words fell, the entire venue erupted into chaos.

Although everyone present was a billionaire, having a billion in net worth was a far cry from holding a billion in liquid cash.

Clyde was caught off guard by my sudden show of strength. He froze, lips parted, too hesitant to speak.

That's when Everleigh, who had been keeping silent all this time, finally stepped forward.

"You wretched girl, this is an auction, not a game of numbers."

"Anyone can shout out a billion, but can you actually pay for it?"

The moment her voice faded, Clyde's eyes lit up as if she had handed him a lifeline.

"Secretary Everleigh is absolutely right. Why should I be forced to match every bid you throw out?"

Halfway through his words, he turned to me with a twisted grin.

"Azalea, don't say I didn't warn you. If you can't come up with that billion later, you'll be held legally responsible."

As soon as he said this, Everleigh immediately raised the microphone, her voice rising above the murmurs and cutting through the tension like a blade.

"President Mancini is right! We demand an on-the-spot financial verification!"

The manic glint in Everleigh's eyes was almost comical. I couldn't help but let my lips curl into a faint, amused smile.

"After all this trouble, you've finally asked the right question."