Skylar’s surprise was evident as Joe’s voice cut through the room with a confident bid. “Three million dollars!”
She turned to him, unable to hide her confusion. “Do you like this painting?”
Her mind raced as she recalled the time she had sold it for a mere $500,000, thinking it would never be worth more. Yet here it was, already climbing to an astounding three million dollars in the auction. The artist’s work had never fetched a price higher than two million, and now Joe was bidding far beyond that.
Joe, however, gave no explanation. His expression remained cold, his gaze fixed on the painting, as though it were nothing more than a business transaction. His fingers lightly tapped on the armrest of his seat, and his demeanor didn’t change, but there was something in the air—an unspoken tension that Skylar couldn’t ignore.
Maisy, still observing the scene, couldn’t help but marvel at the price being called out. “Wow, this painting could actually be sold for two million dollars!” Her voice had a tone of disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.
Jeffrey, who had been looking at the painting with growing confusion, suddenly connected the dots. “Wait, that looks like the painting we have at home… in the corner of the living room. Could it be the same artist?”
Maisy’s thoughts were clouded with suspicion. She didn’t know exactly where Skylar had obtained this painting, but she refused to believe that Skylar, a woman she considered beneath her, had access to such high-value artwork. “No way, it couldn’t be. Skylar must have bought it from Amazon for ten dollars. There’s no way she could have something this valuable.”
As Maisy spoke, Jeffrey’s mind raced. He didn’t understand much about art, but he could see the similarities between the one in their house and the one being auctioned. The resemblance was uncanny. “Hmm, could it be the same one?” he wondered aloud.
Skylar, still processing Joe’s bid, glanced back at the painting. She hadn’t expected it to soar to such heights, and her thoughts flickered back to her own experience with it. The fact that it was now worth millions only solidified her initial instinct—there was much more to this painting than met the eye.
But before she could contemplate further, Joe’s voice sliced through the tension in the room. “Three million,” he repeated with certainty, commanding the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
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