Dora stood up, glaring at Nova. "You have opened my eyes, Mrs. Nova. Knowing fully well that you’re married and yet still hugging another man right in front of your husband—it seems you don’t really value your marriage," she said, her voice deceptively calm.
Nova closed her eyes, drawing in a slow, deep breath. "Miss Dora, it seems you enjoy minding my business a bit too much," she murmured, gently patting the red-haired man’s back.
"Mum, I..." Before the young man could finish his sentence, his eyelids grew heavy. The light in his deep blue eyes dimmed, and he collapsed, losing consciousness completely.
Nova gently held his weight and turned toward Cassian.
Cassian let out a low sigh, understanding Nova’s silent plea. "Let me take him to the car," he said, swallowing his jealousy. Moving closer, he took the unconscious red haired man from Nova’s arms and carried him out of the auction house.
Dora watched Cassian’s retreating back, her hands clenching into tight fists before she turned her glare back to Nova.
In a fraction of a second, Nova blurred, reappearing directly in front of Dora. Her hand shot out, clamping around Dora’s neck and lifting her completely off the floor with a single hand.
Gasps echoed through the room. Everyone was stunned—none more so than Dora herself, who never expected Nova to attack so suddenly.
"What... what are you doing?" Dora whimpered, barely able to force the words past her lips, her breathing became difficult.
Nova stared into her eyes, her expression completely devoid of emotion. "I don’t like your cheap provocations. They are annoying," she murmured coldly.
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed Dora aside as if she were nothing more than a weightless sheet of paper.
Dora slammed hard into a set of chairs, instantly coughing up a mouthful of blood. She stared at Nova, her eyes brimming with tears of sheer terror.
Nova looked down at her shivering figure and lightly shook her head. "Trash," she muttered, turning on her heel and walking away without giving her a second glance.
Watching Nova’s retreating figure, Prince chuckled softly. "As expected of my favorite. Always so full of energy," he murmured to himself.
"Boss," the auction hostess hurried down from the stage, bowing deeply before him. "Just now..."
"Nothing that happened in this auction leaves this room," Prince interrupted, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If a single piece of information leaks, you’re dead."
"Yes, sir!" the woman replied, her head bowing lower.
Prince cast one final, dismissive glance at Dora, who was currently dragging her battered body toward the exit. "Send a warning letter to the Halka family as well. If that old man can’t discipline his daughter properly, he’s going to lose her."
"Understood, boss," she acknowledged before hurrying off.
Prince stared out toward the main entrance, pulled out his phone, and began typing a message.
.....
Outside, Nova slid into the passenger seat beside Cassian, who was waiting for her. The red-haired young man lay still in the back seat, deeply unconscious.
"Let’s go," Nova said softly. Cassian put the car in drive and pulled away into the night.
A short distance away, Alan stepped out from the shadows. He watched the taillights of Cassian’s car vanish into the dark, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.
"So young, yet she’s already married... Why did she get married so early? No—why do I even care? We have no relation to each other," he thought, forcing himself to turn and walk away.
The Halka Family Mansion
Mr. Halka sat at his heavy mahogany desk, his brows knitted together as he reviewed the documents laid out before him. His sharp eyes narrowed, focused entirely on a scarred file and several photographs of Nova.
"How strange," he muttered to himself. "All the information surrounding her is so convoluted. The incident with her parents... it looks almost as though she planned it herself."
"Dad..." Dora’s weak, trembling voice echoed from the doorway.
Mr. Halka looked up, stunned to see his daughter covered in bruises and blood. He immediately stood, rushing over to support her frame and helping her down onto the couch.
"Who dared lay a finger on my precious daughter?!" he roared, his face flushed with rage. "Who is so bold?! Tell me who the bastard is, Daughter! I’ll break their hands myself!"
Dora stared up at her father, her face deathly pale. "I just need to rest right now, Dad... Can you please call for the doctor?"
Mr. Halka nodded frantically. "Mira!" he yelled loudly, panic filled his face.
Mrs. Mira walked into the room moments later. Her eyes fell upon the battered Dora, and she gasped in shock.
"Go and fetch the family doctor immediately! My daughter is injured!" Mr. Halka barked.
Mrs. Mira stood her ground, staring at her husband with a pained expression. "This is the first time she has ever come home injured, and you’re so angry like this... Kim, do you even realize that I am dying?"
"Don’t ask me stupid questions right now! Get out there and fetch the doctor!" Mr. Halka bellowed in frustration.
Mrs. Mira flinched, her entire body shaking with fear. Too terrified to speak another word, she nodded quickly and turned to leave. But before she could step out, Alan walked in, gently supporting his mother’s trembling frame.
"Mr. Halka, there are dozens of maids in this mansion! Why do you insist on ordering my mother around to fetch a doctor?" Alan shouted, his eyes burning with fury. "Your daughter is injured, but look at my mother so weak and covered in bruise! Who between the two of them needs medical care more?!"
"You little bastard, how dare you talk back to me?!" Mr. Halka raised a hand, stepping aggressively toward Alan with every intention of striking him.
Mrs. Mira immediately thrust herself in front of her son, shielding him with her own body. "Kim! Touch my son, and see if I don’t turn on you!" she screamed, her eyes bloodshot as she fought back tears, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Mr. Halka froze, staring at Mrs. Mira in disbelief. He glanced at Alan, taking a slow step back. "It’s true... the only thing that can truly provoke her is her son. It’s better to lay low for now," he thought.
"Just go and fetch the doctor," he ordered in a quieter, calmer tone, walking back to Dora’s side.
"Mr. Halka, we are asking for a formal separation!" Alan declared, his voice cutting through the room.
Mr. Halka stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around slowly, his eyes blazing with fury. "What did you just say?"
"You should grant us a separation," Mrs. Mira spoke up, staring directly into Mr. Halka’s eyes despite her trembling voice. "I will stay here in the mansion, but my son will not be trapped here with me any longer. I’ve only just realized how much I’ve held back his future. I can’t do that to him anymore."
Mr. Halka let out a harsh, bitter hiss of annoyance. "If he wants to live somewhere else, fine! But until I say it’s time for a separation, there will be no separation!" he snapped dismissively.
Mrs. Mira’s guarded expression softened slightly as she lowered her eyes.
"He refuses to let us separate... does that mean he still has a place for me in his heart?" she thought silently.