MIRELA

I turned to Eric and nudged him slightly as the moderator finalized the bidding details with the people who had placed their bids, and the ushers passed glasses of champagne around.

“The auction’s over, right?” I asked, and he started to say something, but his phone beeped.

He reached into his pocket, grabbed it, stared at the screen for a few seconds, and shook his head. “We still have one more collection left,” he said, and I frowned.

“We do? Whose?” I asked, and he glanced toward where Arlene was seated. “Oh, lovely,” I added and turned away.

If I said anything else, I would’ve given away the irritation...