BookToReadChapter 1572 The ring started at a million, and Jamie's opening bid instantly doubled the price.
Her boldness drew a noticeable shift in the way others looked at her. In that moment, Jamie was no longer just Ben's companion. She stood out as an individual.
Ben's eyes flickered briefly with surprise, but it quickly settled into a sense of quiet admiration, as though this was unexpected yet entirely in line with what he had imagined of her. In the end, Jamie won the ring with her two-million-dollar bid.
Though the price far exceeded what she initially planned to spend, she didn't regret it.
When the item was delivered, Ben took it for safekeeping. "You seem to like this ring a lot." "Well," Jamie replied, her tone evasive, "you said the auction proceeds go to charity, right? So, it's not really a loss, is it?" Jamie lowered her gaze, her lashes brushing against her cheeks as her eyes swept over the red velvet box. Her response was evasive, her expression unreadable.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtBen frowned, his well-defined fingers reaching out to gently smooth the crease between her brows.
Jamie flinched, startled. Her wide eyes locked onto his, a mix of surprise and confusion written across her face. Ben's thumb lingered for a moment, soft but deliberate, until the tension faded. "I don't like it when you frown," he said, his tone casual yet inexplicably sincere. "You look better when you smile." Jamie blinked, caught off guard. The simple remark held an unspoken weight, and for a brief second, she froze.
Then, something in her peripheral vision drew her attention. Her pupils dilated, and her body stiffened. Suddenly, she gasped, her voice rising in shock.
"Winnie!" Ben's hand shot to her shoulder, holding her back before she could rush forward. His gaze followed hers as he turned sharply, scanning the direction she was staring at.
A fleeting figure in a black dress moved through the crowd, slender and unmistakably familiar.
Ben's brows furrowed. He caught only a glimpse before the figure disappeared. She looked so much like Winnie Ben's brows knitted in thought, his mind flashing to the surveillance footage he had been reviewing. Before he could make sense of it, a pungent, acrid smell filled the air.
Jamie froze. "What's that smell?" Ben's expression darkened. "It's kerosene." Grabbing Jamie's wrist, he pulled her away.
BOOM! A deafening explosion ripped through the air, followed by an eruption of flames. The entire villa-turned-winery was quickly engulfed in fire.
Screams and cries echoed from inside as chaos erupted.
Jamie's heart pounded in her chest, and she clung to the sense of relief that she had narrowly escaped the disaster.
They had been in the villa's garden, near the back entrance, which offered a direct route out. If Ben hadn't been so quick to react, Jamie shuddered to think what might have happened.
en "Call for help!" Jamie cried, her voice shaking as she fumbled for her phone.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmLike the others fleeing the scene, she fumbled to dial the emergency number.
Fire trucks arrived not long after, extinguishing the flames.
The scene was one of devastation. Several people had died, and over a dozen were seriously burned.
The once-grand event had turned into a tragic crscene The villa was cordoned off and survivors were questioned by the police.
Ben kept Jamie from being interrogated. Concerned about her shaken state, he left the formalities to his assistant and took her home.
On the drive back, Jamie sat with Ben's coat draped over her shoulders, her fingers clutching the edges En tightly. "How could this happen?" she murmured, her voice barely audible. "I thought it was just a party." Ben glanced at her, his jaw tightening. "It was an accident," he said, though even he didn't sound convinced. "Don't think about much." too
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