A Short-lived Victory

The auctioneer was flabbergasted by Lilia's offer. Luckily, the man managed to stop the hammer in midair. The guests were no longer whispering, but talking with each other excitedly. They were all talking about Lilia's carelessness in bidding while looking at her with contempt.

A businessman sitting in the third row said to his assistant, "Looks like that lady model got too much money after becoming famous."

Another guest said disdainfully, "The painting's maximum value is only 20 billion! Did the model like it so much that she was willing to waste money on a painting?"

"I heard that today's artists get paid well, no wonder she's so easy to spend money."

Almost all the guests there mocked Lilia, who still looked calm and confident even though she could hear everything they were saying. One of her hands gripped Jean's arm tightly, looking for support as that man would stand up and confront everyone who badmouthed Lilia.