“But honestly, it sounds like she has a problem with you. The way you describe it—refusing your gift and refusing any kind of connection—it seems pretty clear she doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
Magnus’s grip on the phone tightened.
Gregory added bluntly, “If you really want her, you should first make sure she’s even willing to have some kind of relationship with you. At the very least, a friendship.”
An unpleasant tightness spread through Magnus’s chest.
“Stop talking about it,” he said sharply. “I’ll handle my own business.”
Gregory snorted. “Stop getting so anxious. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. I’m hanging up now.”
Then the call ended.
Magnus lowered the phone from his ear, his expression still dark.
Inside the auction hall, the auctioneer announced the end of the event. People began to rise, mingling and exchanging words as the crowd slowly dispersed.
At that moment, Elias’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, listening for a moment, then leaned closer to Sophia.
“I need to leave,” he murmured softly. “Something urgent has come up.”
Sophia nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Alright,” she said quietly.
Elias gave her a brief nod in return and turned, slipping out of the hall.
Meanwhile, Magnus returned to the auction hall. The moment he stepped inside, his brows knitted tightly. A large crowd had gathered near the center, pressing in around Sophia.
Reporters and journalists jostled forward, microphones and cameras aimed at her from all angles.
“Sylvia?” one shouted. “What kind of relationship do you have with Mr. Magnus Graves?”
“People are saying that the two of you are very close. Is that true?”
“Why did you refuse his claim that you two are friends?”
“Is there something special between you two?”
Questions flew at her from every direction.
Sophia tried to push politely through the crowd, but the reporters closed in, leaving barely any room to move. Every step forward was met with shoulders, microphones, and flashes. She could hardly take a single step without bumping into someone.
Her brows knitted slightly as she tried to maintain her composure.
Magnus watched from a distance. Seeing her trapped in the middle of the crowd, he didn’t hesitate. He strode forward, his movements precise and commanding.
The crowd was so focused on Sylvia that no one noticed him approach. In one fluid motion, he reached in, grasped her hand firmly, and pulled her out of the circle.
Sylvia gasped softly, startled by the sudden movement. Before she could react, Magnus was already guiding her along. Thereporters surged forward, but she had no choice but to follow as he led her swiftly away.
Magnus veered sharply down a hallway and slipped into a nearby room, shutting the door behind them. The sudden darkness swallowed them, and for a long moment, there was only silence.
He backed her gently against the wall and stepped in front of her, hands pressing against the wall on either side of her head. His body loomed over hers, shielding her from the chaos outside.
Her brows knitted slightly as she tried to maintain her composure.
Magnus watched from a distance. Seeing her trapped in the middle of the crowd, he immediately strode forward.
