Chapter 69

The auction ended with the colored diamond selling for $11.5 million. Next came the charity dinner, where the guests could mingle and cultivate their connections.

Elise had little interest in that. Her heart had ached watching Julian bid so much for a single stone. At least Mu Chuan had bought it in the end.

She was about to look for her brother when she turned and found him walking toward her, Daniel following respectfully behind.

The Whitmores were among the more mysterious wealthy families. Julian had shouldered the family business at a young age, yet kept such a low profile that he rarely appeared in public. His earlier sweep through another auction had caused a stir; people were still wondering who had inspired him to spend so freely.

Now the man they knew bent slightly toward Elise, a gentleness in his eyes that the public had never seen.

“Did you enjoy the bidding?” he asked.

The conversations nearby quieted. Several guests leaned in, trying to work out what the two of them were to each other.

Qi Yaqiu had started to rise, but stopped and pretended to adjust her shawl. Elise had just bought four lots at extraordinary prices. Was Julian the wealthy man paying for her? Then who had the diamond been for?

Elise shifted awkwardly. She had come without telling Julian, and he hadn't been angry. He had even given her more money so she could enjoy herself. But one of those lots was a gift for him. If he found out what she'd bought, wouldn't he realize who had sent it, instead of believing it came from Miles?

“It was all right,” she said.

Julian saw her embarrassment and smiled. The onlookers were astonished. Julian Whitmore, known for his ruthless decisions, was looking at a woman with unmistakable tenderness.

“Is there anything else you'd like? We could come to the next auction together.”

He wasn't going to give Mu Chuan another chance to approach her. If Elise wanted to attend an auction, he could bring her himself. He didn't know what Mu wanted with his sister, but the man had a reputation for being ruthless, and Julian had no intention of letting them spend too much time together.

“No, thanks. My big brother has already spoiled me enough; I spent too much this time.” Elise frowned. “Were you trying to buy that diamond just now?”

His expression darkened. “I wanted to give it to you.” Mu had taken it from him instead.

Elise stared. All the warnings she had prepared about wasting money died on her lips.

Qi Yaqiu's eyes widened. She had caught Elise calling Julian her big brother. Was she the sister the Whitmores had recently found and brought home? The stories Qi had seen online came rushing back.

Then all that jewelry Julian had bought before had been for Elise too. He'd even bid on the diamond for her. What a devoted brother!

Jealousy rose in Qi's chest. She had worked so hard to get close to Mu Chuan, only to be turned away and made a laughingstock. She wanted the life that came with belonging to a great family, while Elise seemed to have it all without lifting a finger: a brother who treated her gently, gave her money and spent fortunes on her at auctions.

Qi looked at Elise again, her gaze darkening with envy.

Julian noticed the attention around them. “Let's go,” he said.

In the car, Elise sat uneasily, still worrying that Julian might have discovered the gift she had bought for him. He, meanwhile, gazed out the window, lost in thought.

After a while he asked, “Ellie, when did you meet Mu Chuan?”

She blinked. He knew? She had kept that meeting from Julian because she hadn't wanted him to worry.

She told him how it had happened. “I only went to see the cat. I didn't know he'd be there.”

Remembering Julian's warning about Mu's reputation, she added quickly, “He seems very gentle. He even made a new home for the cat. I don't think he's quite like the rumors say.”

Julian listened to his sister defend him with complicated feelings. Was someone about to steal his precious sister away? Worse, she actually had a good impression of Mu.

A man knew what another man was after. Mu wouldn't be so attentive without a reason. He had sent his own father to a care facility, and none of his half-brothers had come to a good end. No matter how powerful he was, how could a man like that deserve her?

“How long have you been in contact?”

“Not long. Since we met that day. We're friends now.”

Julian studied her seriously. “Ellie... is there anyone you like?”

Her face went hot. Why was he asking her that?

Embarrassed as she was, she shook her head honestly. “No.”

Her love life had been a blank in her previous life. Romance had never seemed to occur to her, and since coming back, she'd been intent on studying. She hadn't thought about dating while she was still in school.

Julian raised an eyebrow. “Not even a boy at school? Haven't boys confessed their feelings to you?”

She felt as if an elder were interrogating her about a secret boyfriend. She could have died of embarrassment.

“No,” she murmured. “Some boys have told me they like me, but I don't like them back.”

Afraid he would get the wrong idea, she hurried on. “I'm going to focus on school. I won't date yet.”

Julian let out a nearly imperceptible breath. She didn't like anyone, and apparently didn't think of Mu that way either.

His relief settled, though the thought that she would eventually date and marry left an ache. If he had his way, she would marry later rather than sooner. And what if she met a man who treated her badly? If someone broke her heart, Julian feared it would hurt him even more than it hurt her.

A trace of menace crept into his expression.

Neither spoke for the rest of the ride. Elise glanced at his profile as he looked out the window, puzzled by what seemed to be a bad mood.

After she got out, Julian gave Daniel a concise instruction. “Look into everything Mu Chuan has done over the past few years.”

Daniel's expression grew grave. The Mu family wielded enormous power. If Mu learned Julian was investigating him, what might he do to the Whitmores?

Julian knew the risks as well as he did. But he was worried Mu had an ulterior motive for approaching Elise, and he was willing to take them for her sake. Daniel understood the desperate concern of a father protecting his child. He bowed his head and agreed.

Once the auction paperwork was complete, the purchases arrived at the Whitmore home that evening, each valuable item secured in a safe.

Julian went straight to his study when he returned. Adrian was away performing, and Miles had gone out with Dylan Price and hadn't come back yet.

With her brothers occupied or absent, Elise quietly took the purchases to her room. She asked a maid for gift boxes and carefully wrapped each present. The Ferrari, naturally, wouldn't fit in one.

Things had been tense between Julian and Miles these past two days. Julian kept scowling at him as though Miles had done something unforgivable, and Miles looked miserable, fleeing his eldest brother like a mouse before a cat.

Elise stuck to her plan. She would leave the wine in Julian's room with a note signed by Miles, calling it an apology. Perhaps that would persuade Julian to forgive him. Then she would give Miles the Ferrari as a present from Julian. Miles loved racing and modifying cars; he was sure to love a famous car like this one.

Daniel promptly had people gather information about Mu, and he and Julian spent the evening examining what came in. It was late by the time Julian returned to his room.

A gift box sat on his table. He rubbed his tired brow, then paused. The rectangular box was just the right size for the bottle of dry red wine Elise had bought that evening.

Smiling to himself, he opened it. There was the fine wine, with a card laid on top. The message had been printed, apparently to keep anyone from recognizing the handwriting. It was signed Miles and asked Julian to accept the bottle as an apology and forgive his younger brother.

Julian laughed softly. The tension he had carried all evening eased, taking his weariness with it. His sister was adorable. No wonder he wanted to spoil her.

It was the first gift Elise had ever given him. He had received countless expensive presents in business, including plenty of wine from people who knew his tastes. This bottle was different, even if her aim was to reconcile him with Miles. He couldn't bear to drink it.

He went to the wine cabinet, moved the bottle from its center and placed Elise's gift in the vacant spot. The cabinet looked much better already.

The next morning Elise went downstairs for breakfast. Both gifts had been delivered. She had left the Ferrari key in Miles's room, where he was bound to find it when he came home to sleep.

She wasn't worried that the brothers would expose her. Neither was the sort to bare his feelings on the spot, and thanking each other would be even harder.

Julian was already at the table. Elise stole a cautious look at him. He ate as elegantly as ever, but there was a lightness in his expression. He seemed to be in a good mood.

Relieved, she ventured, “I saw Miles go into your room last night. It looked like he left something there.”

Julian stopped scrolling through financial news and looked up at her, his eyes full of laughter. “Thoughtful of the kid.”

Elise relaxed completely. “He isn't good at showing his feelings, but he really does respect you.”

Julian murmured agreement, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair. He understood exactly what she was trying to do. If she learned he knew who had sent the wine, she would be disappointed. To make her happy, he was willing to play along.

Elise beamed. The auction had been worth the trip, and the money had been well spent.

Just as her breakfast arrived, Miles came downstairs, still bleary-eyed, a Ferrari key in his hand. He looked thoroughly bewildered.