Chapter 46: A Shocking Offer
“Bang!”
With Claude’s final strike of the auctioneer’s hammer, the family auction came to an end.
It was around half past four in the afternoon.
As soon as the auction concluded, Sean rose and strode briskly toward the mansion’s front gate.
His sudden movement left everyone stunned.
“No way! That bastard isn’t trying to maliciously bid just to avoid payment, is he?” Leon exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Many shared the same suspicion.
Everyone understood that if Sean had been bidding in bad faith, he would be in serious trouble.
His previous lavish spending on antiques, relics, and artworks would then be seen as deliberate sabotage.
In that case, he’d have to face legal consequences and would become infamous.
From then on, every auction house in the United States would blacklist him, making it impossible for him to operate in this industry ever again.
Watching him walk away, the auction house staff’s faces darkened.
Just as they were about to instruct security to stop him, Elaine suddenly stood up and announced loudly:
“Ladies and gentlemen, Sean is not trying to evade payment. He is simply going to fetch his private lawyer.”
“Sean won quite a few items, and to ensure his interests are protected, he needs his lawyer present.”
“Then, under the lawyer’s witness and assistance, the subsequent settlement and delivery procedures will be completed.”
Upon hearing this, the auction house staff’s expressions changed from gloomy to relieved.
However, the faces of those with ill intentions turned sour.
In the blink of an eye, Sean had arrived at the mansion’s front gate.
Before stepping outside, he spotted David standing by the roadside.
Two tall white men, evidently bodyguards, stood beside David.
As Sean approached, he immediately said,
“David, the auction has just ended. It’s time for settlement. I need you to witness and assist on site.”
“No problem, Sean. That’s my job. I will ensure your interests remain protected,” David replied with a nod.
He then introduced the two bodyguards.
“Sean, this is Anthony and this is Sam. Both are retired special forces operatives from Delta Force. They are now professional bodyguards.”
“They have high professional standards and will ensure your personal safety. You can rest assured.”
As David spoke, Sean stepped forward and greeted the two men with elbow bumps, getting acquainted.
“I’m Sean. I’ve heard great things about Delta Force. Pleased to meet you.”
“Good afternoon, Sean. We’re glad to meet you too and are happy to provide security services to keep you safe,” Anthony said politely, with Sam nodding in agreement.
While exchanging greetings, Sean quickly observed the two men.
On their shoulders, he spotted the distinctive tattoos unique to Delta Force.
This confirmed David hadn’t lied or just pulled random bodyguards claiming they were Delta Force veterans.
Besides the signature Delta Force tattoos, the two men bore other tattoos and marks.
Sean quickly memorized these for potential future use.
Additionally, they each carried two handguns.
Their automatic rifles and bulletproof vests were stored in a black Chevrolet Suburban full-size SUV parked by the roadside.
After some brief casual talk, Sean led David into the luxury mansion, telling Anthony and Sam to wait in the car.
Once Sean completed all formalities and drove out, they were to follow and provide protection.
From then on, their task was to ensure Sean’s safety wherever he went and to protect all the auctioned items from being stolen.
As Sean and David returned to the auction venue, the live broadcast chat exploded with excitement.
“No way! This is going to get interesting! Sean actually hired two retired Delta Force bodyguards. Those guys look seriously tough.”
“Do you think someone reckless might try to rob Sean on the way?”
“If that happens, it’ll be a show—maybe even a thrilling street gunfight!”
Hearing these reckless speculations, Sean could only shake his head in disbelief.
By the time they arrived back at the auction site, those working there visibly relaxed.
Sean then introduced David to Elaine.
Like everyone else, David was struck by Elaine’s beauty.
Shortly after, the auction dispersed.
Together, they entered the mansion to begin the settlement and delivery procedures.
...
The subsequent settlement and delivery went very smoothly.
With David’s witnessing and assistance, Sean completed the payment and handover within half an hour.
He paid the auction house in full, receiving all the auctioned items along with the necessary documents and contracts.
Seeing Sean pay so swiftly, the other buyers were silently amazed.
Only then did they truly acknowledge Sean’s strength and recognize his status as a heavyweight.
David was equally stunned.
He hadn’t expected Sean to acquire so many valuable antiques and artworks, spending one to two million dollars at a family auction.
It’s worth noting that family auctions rarely see million-dollar bids, making Sean’s spending extremely rare.
The live chat participants were equally in awe of Sean’s formidable resources, with a group of women jokingly flooding the screen with messages asking to be sponsored.
Fatigue was a foreign concept to those night owls.
No sooner had Sean finished paying and taken possession of the antiques and artworks than he was approached.
The visitor was none other than the elderly lady who had battled him fiercely till the end.
She arrived accompanied by her private lawyer and art agent, heading straight to Sean.
Approaching him, the lady first introduced herself.
“Good afternoon, Sean. I’m Mary, a neighbor. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Good afternoon, Mary. The pleasure is mine,” Sean replied politely, his curiosity piqued.
He wondered why this lady sought him out. Did she have a request?
He was also curious why, in such a precarious time, she had risked attending this family auction.
As is well known, the current environment is dangerous, especially for the elderly.
The next moment answered those questions.
After their introductions, Mary sighed emotionally:
“The original owners of this house, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua, were old friends of mine. We’ve known each other for nearly sixty years.”
“We were very close, and I’m intimately familiar with everything here. I have some emotional attachment as well.”
Sean suddenly understood why the elderly lady was here.
He nodded gently but did not interrupt, continuing to listen.
“I never imagined that one day everything here would be auctioned off. That’s why I came—I wanted to bid on some items with sentimental value.”
“That Cubist oil painting was a favorite of Mr. Joshua’s. He often sat in front of it, admiring it carefully for hours.”
“Now, I somewhat regret withdrawing from the bidding earlier. It went against my true feelings. That painting holds special meaning for me.”
“I want to ask, Sean—if I wanted to buy that Cubist painting from you, would that be possible? Please name your price.”
“Ah!” Sean exclaimed, momentarily stunned.
Others were equally surprised.
The top art agent’s face darkened like a burnt pot; his expression was indescribably grim.
All eyes turned to Sean, waiting eagerly for his decision.
Sean fell into deep thought, offering no immediate answer.
After a moment of contemplation, he looked up at Mary.
“Mary, considering your friendship with the Joshua family, I truly want to grant your wish and transfer the painting to you.”
“But this painting now belongs to me, and I am very certain it is a top-tier artwork of considerable value.”
“I believe its worth far exceeds two hundred thousand dollars. I worry you won’t accept my price, so perhaps it’s best not to discuss it.”
Unsurprisingly, everyone was taken aback.
“A top-tier artwork? Impossible!” the art agent exclaimed.
The rest were dumbfounded, eyes wide with disbelief.
The auction house staff, in particular, grew anxious.
If this was truly a masterpiece, and they had failed to recognize it, selling it for just two hundred thousand dollars would spell immense trouble.
Their reputation would suffer, and if the appraisal was their doing, they would almost certainly face lawsuits from the original owners.
Mary remained calm compared to the others.
She was momentarily stunned, then looked at Sean and asked,
“Sean, I’d really like to hear—what price would you set for this Cubist painting?”
“And I’m curious about your perspective—who do you believe the master artist behind this work is?”
Sean hesitated, refraining from an immediate reply.
He scanned the room, paused briefly, then delivered a staggering answer.
“Mary, I’m offering eighteen million dollars for this Cubist painting. This price is non-negotiable.”
“What? Eighteen million dollars!”
“That’s ninety times the original estimate—absolutely insane!”
The room erupted instantly, and so did the live broadcast chat.