No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian)
Chapter 270

Every word she uttered was a precision strike to Clara's rawest nerve. She knew what mattered most to Clara, and she relished the thought of watching her unravel. But after what felt like an eternity of waiting, Clara hadn't so much as batted an eyelash. Her gaze was fixed firmly on Della.

With a playful pinch to Della's chubby cheek, Clara chuckled, "In the dead of winter and we've got a fly buzzing around, huh? Don't worry, Della. Your godmommy will grab the fly swatter and take care of it." Della seemed to grasp her meaning, cooing affirmatively.

Christy chimed in with a smirk, "Looks like this fly is really bugging us, huh? Even my little angel wants to shoo her away."

Heidi was so livid. She felt like she could spit blood. Her fists clenched at her sides, she turned and plunked down in the seat in front of Clara.

The auction kicked off with an assortment of trinkets. Clara casually bid on a few, planning to gift them to colleagues. When a pair of Dreamy Celestial Earrings appeared on the big screen, Clara's eyes sparkled with interest.

Crafted from obsidian and white pearls, the earrings' design drew inspiration from the stars. They shimmered with a hazy, mystical light reminiscent of a nebulous night sky.

Clara had intended to snag them for Sasha as a New Year's present. Without hesitation, she raised her paddle for $100,000.

The moment Heidi heard her voice, she quirked her lips and lifted her own paddle for $200,000. Anything Clara wanted, Heidi was determined to deny her.

Their back-and-forth bidding sent the earrings' price skyrocketing to $2 million, much to the auctioneer's vocal delight.

Leaning forward with a sly smile, Clara said, "Ms. Heidi, I'm quite fond of these earrings. Would you mind letting me have them?"

Without even glancing back, Heidi flatly refused, "Sorry, I'm quite smitten with them myself. I'm set on winning."

Clara's lips curled into a half-smirk. "In that case, I won't hold back." She shot her paddle up for $3 million, inciting a wave of gasps through the crowd.

Heidi bit her lip in frustration. Just as she was about to bid again, her assistant interjected. "Ms. Heidi, our funds are running thin. Perhaps we should let this one go."

Heidi shot her a glare. "How could I lose to Clara?" After saying that, she raised her paddle for $4 million.

Just when she thought Clara would continue the battle, a soft chuckle came from behind. Clara, cradling Della, said with a smile, "Della, someone's spending $4 million on a pair of earrings. Isn't that silly? We won't be like her, will we?"

At that moment, Heidi realized she had been played. As she attempted to retract her bid, the auctioneer's voice boomed with finality.

"Ms. Heidi at $4 million once, twice, sold! Congratulations to Ms. Heidi for acquiring these earrings and thank you for your generous contribution to our charity. Let's give her a round of applause."

The room looked on with a mix of pity and disbelief. A mere few thousand dollars' worth of jewelry had cost her $4 million.

Heidi felt like she was on the verge of exploding with anger. Clara had set a trap from the get-go, and now Heidi was out of funds for the remaining auction items.

Meanwhile, Clara's bidding grew more fervent. She won a top-grade pendant for Della and a ruby necklace for Sasha, among other lavish gifts for her family. Finally, she splurged $5 million on a pair of "Violet Kiss" cufflinks for lan. The platinum cufflinks were inlaid with rare purple gems, exuding a sense of mystery and nobility. Rumored to be the magnum opus of an Italian master, this was the only pair in the world. The violets symbolized an everlasting and unchanging love.