Chapter 67

The bidder in the third-floor private room clearly had no intention of playing fair-one offer, and they doubled the price without blinking.

Everyone else understood what that meant. That level belonged to the Pearsons.Going up against them wasn't brave-it was foolish. Anyone smart enough knew better than to keep bidding.

The moment that powerful offer came in,most participants fell silent and backed out. Challenging the Pearsons meant throwing their money away and inviting a public defeat.

At first, Claire was bold, puffed up by the idea that Rodger would cover the cost. She thought she might take on whoever was upstairs and win the two pills through sheer determination.

But as the numbers kept climbing, and the opposing bidder showed no sign of backing off, her courage vanished. She was no match for that kind of money.The figures were so outrageous they left her stunned.All her confidence drained away, and she quietly gave up.

Both Claire and Gianna were left humiliated. They had

promised Eliana they would win the pills, no matter what it took.

But tonight, they realized just how brutal the auction scene could be. These people weren't bidding with money-they were bidding with power.And Claire and Gianna had none to match it.

"What are we going to do now?" Claire whispered,voice cracking. "We didn't even get one pill... what's going to happen to my mom?" For all her usual pride and tantrums, nothing scared her more than the thought of losing her mother.

"Don't worry," Grace said calmly. Her tone was even,almost soothing. "Just two pills. We didn't win them tonight, but give me a little time. I promise, we'll get more."

Strangely enough, Grace was almost glad they lost.This way, her father wouldn't have to spend such a ridiculous amount of money on those pills.

As for the pills themselves-Grace knew she could make them. If she pushed herself a little harder,she could refine three or four more in about two weeks.

She quickly ran through the details in her mind. She still had enough rare herbs to get the job done. The only thing that took time was the refinement process -but she could handle that.

Moreover,Eliana had just come out of a major surgery and would need a full month to recover before starting chemotherapy. As long as Grace could finish making the pills within that time, there'd be no need to worry. For the sake of her parents, she was more than willing to put in the work.

"Wait, really?" Claire looked up,hope flashing in her eyes. "You can get the pills?"

But not everyone shared her belief. Gianna, standing beside them, looked like she'd just heard somnething laughable. She burst into laughter, the kind that wasn't friendly at all.

"Grace, come on. You think you're some kind of medical genius?" she scoffed, eyes full of mockery."That surgery only went well because Dr. Chadwick was there. He let you take the credit. Now you're acting like you saved Aunt Eliana all by yourself?" Her voice sharpened. "Even Dr. Chadwick couldn't get his hands on those pills. And you think you can? Don't be ridiculous."

With no guests around to impress, Gianna dropped all pretense. She sneered, her dislike clear as day.

"Claire, don't fall for her nonsense. Let's go." She tugged Claire's arm and pulled her away, not even sparing Grace another glance.

Claire didn't protest. She was still too anxious, too overwhelmed to think clearly. If she'd paused for even a second, she might have questioned how Grace had ended up in one of the VIP roomes in the first place.She might have wondered what kind of person Grace really was.

Grace didn't mind. Watching them leave only gave her peace. Finally, she had a moment of silence.

She leaned back and sent a quick message to Patrick,updating him about the Rejuvenation Pill.

Meanwhile, up in the third-floor VIP room, a tall,striking man sat with relaxed confidence,his custom-made suit outlining broad shoulders and a refined build.The watch on his wrist gleamed under the soft light,and his tie sat perfectly in place-everything about him was sharp,elegant,and powerful.

It was Colton.

At that moment, Dominick approached, holding out a small, intricately designed room with both hands.Inside it was the pills they had just spent a fortune on.

Colton took the room without a word, his face unreadable. "Who was in the second-floor VIP room?"he asked. "The one who tried to outbid me."

Whoever it was had guts-foolish guts, but still guts.

Dominick didn't hesitate. "That would be people from the Holden family."

"The Holdens?" Colton raised an eyebrow. The name rang a bell. Ah, yes-the family that had adopted Grace.

Dominick paused before continuing. "And if I'm correct... the person bidding was Miss Miller herself."

As Colton's closest aide, Dominick understood his boss perfectly well.

The moment Colton paid his attention to the second floor,he quietly went to check. And what he found nearly made his heart skip a beat.

He knew one thing for certain-when it came to Grace Miller, his boss was anything but indifferent.

"Grace Miller?" Colton finally reacted, a flicker of something crossing his face. "Her... again?"

The last time they fought for an item in the underground market. And now here they were once more-this time, both after a life-saving medicine.

Was it fate?

Without saying another word, Colton stood,brushed down his suit, and stepped out of the room.

Downstairs,Grace had just leaned back into the plush seat, quietly sipping a drink and texting. The calm was a welcome break. Then a knock came.

Before she could even respond, the door opened.And there he was. Colton.