The Villains Must Win
Chapter 213: No Second Chances 13

Chapter 213: No Second Chances 13

Christian, distracted by Lina’s presence and the whirlwind of thoughts in his head, blinked and looked at her. "What?"

"That necklace," Stacey repeated sweetly, tilting her head with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Get it for me, baby."

Lina watched it all unfold from a few rows down, leaning back in her seat with a glass of champagne in hand.

Of course, she thought, swirling the liquid in her glass. So now his expenses are going to double. She bit back a smirk. That’s what you get for keeping two women in your life.

As the auctioneer started the bidding, Lina raised her paddle with no hesitation.

Stacey glanced toward her, narrowed her eyes, and did the same.

And so it began.

One hundred thousand.

Two hundred.

Three-fifty.

"Half a million," Lina called smoothly, flashing a gracious smile to the people around her, as though this were just a casual evening of shopping.

Stacey stiffened beside Christian, her nostrils flaring slightly before she raised her hand again. "Six hundred thousand."

Lina didn’t even flinch. "Seven."

Christian was starting to shift uncomfortably, his hand drifting to his forehead. "Stacey," he whispered, "maybe we shouldn’t—"

"She’s doing it on your card, Christian," Stacey hissed through her teeth without taking her eyes off Lina. "I’m not letting her win."

"One million," Lina said, her voice like silk, gaze locked on Stacey now. It wasn’t even about the necklace anymore.

Stacey turned red. She hesitated—but raised her hand again. "One point one."

The room was buzzing with whispers now. People turned to look between the two women who were locked in a silent war, and the man caught between them.

Lina leaned back, took another slow sip of her drink, then raised her paddle one last time. "One point two million."

The auctioneer’s gavel hovered in the air. "Going once . . . going twice . . ."

Stacey hesitated.

Lina beamed.

Bang.

"Sold, to the lady in black for one point two million dollars!"

The crowd erupted into polite applause, but Lina barely noticed. She just smiled wider and gave Stacey a slow, meaningful glance—victory glinting in her eyes.

Stacey looked as though she was ready to explode.

Christian looked like he regretted being born.

Lina? She was enjoying every second.

As the applause died down and the next item was rolled onto the stage, Lina calmly set down her glass of champagne, still wearing that faint, triumphant smile. She knew what she had done—and more importantly, she knew they knew it too.

Across the room, Stacey was visibly fuming. Her perfectly glossed lips were pressed into a thin, trembling line, and her fingers were clenched around her jeweled clutch with such force that her knuckles turned white.

Christian, on the other hand, looked like a man on the verge of a breakdown. His eyes darted nervously from Stacey to Lina, then back again, as if he could somehow telepathically convince them both to behave.

But Lina wasn’t here to behave. Not tonight.

She had come dressed for war: sleek black dress that hugged her figure like second skin, understated but lethal makeup, and an air of calm sophistication that made her stand out in the sea of overdone glamour.

Everything about her screamed confidence—and that unnerved Stacey more than anything else.

The fact that she could just walk in, uninvited, and dominate the auction floor with Christian’s money? That was the icing on the cake.

A staff member approached Lina a few moments later with a discreet smile and a clipboard in hand. "Ms. Ash, congratulations. Would you like the necklace delivered to your hotel suite tonight or later this week?"

Lina didn’t even look at the paper before she answered. "Tonight," she said, her voice sweet but firm. "And please make sure it’s the presidential suite. I’d hate for it to get lost in some coatroom."

The woman nodded and left quickly.

Stacey stood abruptly. "I need air," she snapped at Christian, not bothering to mask the venom in her voice. "Don’t follow me."

But Christian did follow, looking more desperate with every step. Lina watched them leave, her fingers idly running along the stem of her glass.

The truth was, she hadn’t even cared much about the necklace. It was gaudy, too loud for her taste. But the moment Stacey locked eyes with her, full of malice and smugness, Lina knew she had to have it.

She had to win. Just once—for the sake of the girl who had cried herself to sleep for years, who was gaslighted, abandoned, and left to suffer in silence. For that Lina, she would go all in.

She turned back to the auction, now halfway through the next item—a signed painting from a deceased artist that made the crowd murmur with interest. She didn’t care.

Her phone buzzed. She picked it up.

Christian:We need to talk. Please don’t leave yet.

She didn’t reply. Not yet.

Instead, she slid her phone back into her clutch, let out a soft sigh, and leaned forward with a polite smile as the auctioneer presented the next item.

She wasn’t done yet. Not even close.

Tonight, she wasn’t the abandoned mistress. She wasn’t the broken woman clinging to the remnants of love. She was the storm they didn’t see coming—and she planned to leave damage in her wake.

Lina remained seated as whispers rippled across the gala hall, the echoes of the million-dollar bid still lingering. Though her posture was relaxed, her mind was as sharp as a blade.

She could feel eyes on her—some curious, some judging, and some impressed. A few murmurs even floated her way.

"Who is she?"

"She just bid 1.2 million like it was pocket change."

"She didn’t come with a plus one. Is she a rich mistress or something?"

Lina heard them all and welcomed every word. Let them talk. Let them wonder.

After all these years of being hidden, erased, and quietly tolerated, she finally had power—even if it was borrowed, even if it came at a cost.

And tonight, she was going to wield it like a queen.