Dawn pursed her lips. She could feel Joshua's creepy gaze on her. Before she could raise her plaque, the auctioneer announced, "We have a gentleman at the back with Twenty-three billion." The room fell into complete silence. 

The Mayor picked up his plaque immediately. Twenty-three and a half billion dollars. At this point of time Joshua was jumping in his seat. His excitement was overflowing. Dawn sucked in a deep breath through her teeth. She hated him from the core of her heart. She didn't know how, but Joshua had managed to convince the Mayor to buy the refinery. Not only that she wondered as to how he again fell in the good books of the Mayor despite what he did last time. Baffled by the new development, she didn't know when the auctioneer banged the hammer on the table once. 

​​

"Dawn!" Cole elbowed her again. She came out of her reverie and immediately held the plaque up. So now the war was between two people—the Mayor and Dawn Wyatt. The muscles of her face became tight when she realized that for the Mayor it was nothing but a war of ego. Either the man was just too rich or he was backed by several others in his venture to out-maneuver her. In either case, his motive was clear—his ego needed a massage after she had outwitted them the last time. 

She heard him muttering a curse under his breath as he raised his plaque to increase the bid amount to twenty four billion. She knew that he was approaching his limit. But even she was. 

Sweat trickled down Cole's spine as he watched the process. He closed his eyes and let out a prayer. 

Not able to take the beating by a girl as young as Dawn Wyatt, the Mayor raised his bid to twenty six billion. 

Dawn clutched her dress with clammy hands. A familiar scent wafted in the room.

Everyone else in the room was silent as they watched them fighting it out. For the Mayor it was his ego, for Joshua it was his project, for Dawn… it was her father's Company, her dragon and her brother. She bit her lip. Twenty six billion dollars was a crazy amount. Cole held her hand as the auctioneer banged the hammer on the table. 

"Twenty-six billion 1."

He banged it again. 

"Twenty-six billion 2." 

He was about to bang it when a deep throaty voice from behind boomed across the room. "Thirty billion." 

Dawn closed her eyes and her face became red. 

Cole whipped his head back just like the others with bewilderment, and a broad grin appeared on his face. 

The Mayor and Joshua Barker were startled. When they looked back at the bidder, blood from their faces drained. 

Daryn was sitting in the last row with his plaque raised in his hand. 

Every businessman who had spoken unpleasantly about her when she walked in was now biting his tongue. It was such a slap on their face.

Dawn sensed fear in them. Fear—that they would fall from the good books of the most influential businessman of the country. Little did they know that he was also one of the most powerful sorcerers and the Silver Crescent Prince,no, King. She thought she could use some sympathy for them, but somehow she didn't feel like it. A soft thought, a tendril entered her brain—something, which made her feel secure, safe and loved. 

Cole giggled. His gaze shifted to the Mayor to see his reaction and then he wondered as to why wasn't the auctioneer closing the bid. He was looking at the Mayor. 

The price of the refinery was far exceeding the value it should have been sold at. But the Mayor raised his plaque once again. He couldn't be defeated. His jaw clenched and Joshua looked as if he had eaten poison when he raised the plaque, because the amount increased to thirty-one billion. Immediately the auctioneer started banging the hammer. 

"Thirty-three billion dollars." Daryn said. And that stopped the auction again. 

Dawn heard the Mayor saying, "Shit!" He cursed in the most foul language under the breath. She chuckled aloud and people around her glared at her. It was then she realized that she was sitting in a sea infested with sharks. But it didn't matter. She raised her chin up and straightened her spine, and so did Cole. 

There were beads of sweat on the Mayor's forehead. He looked at Joshua for help, but the man was sitting with his head hung low. He had his spectacles in one hand and with the other he had covered his eyes. 

In a very weak voice the auctioneer looked at the Mayor and said, "Are there anymore bids coming?" 

The Mayor was quiet, and so was the entire room. None of them even coughed fearing that it might be taken as a raise in the bid amount. The auctioneer scanned the people. When his eyes fell on Daryn Silver, he saw how Daryn raised an eyebrow under the cold gaze of his onyx eyes. He swallowed his saliva and in a hoarse voice said, "Thirty-three billion dollars 1, Thirty-three billion dollars 2…" For a moment he saw the Mayor again. Seeing no response, he banged the table for the third time, "Thirty-three billion dollars 3." He took a deep breath and then said, "The Starfish Refinery is auctioned and goes to Ms. Dawn Wyatt at thirty-three billion dollars. The bidding closes. Thank you ladies and gentleman." 

"Woohooooo!" Cole jumped out of his chair and rushed to Daryn. He launched himself on his brother-in-law and hugged him so tightly that if Daryn hadn't stood firmly in his place, he would have got toppled on the floor. "Darynnnnn!" The man had come much to his surprise. 

"Cole!" Daryn wheezed. 

They heard many people laughing. 

Dawn took her time to get up from her chair. This was the last of all the ghosts that haunted her ever since she had started her crusade against the villains of the Wyatt family. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them. This was not the time to show her emotions. She turned her head to look at the Mayor and Joshua. They were looking so defeated that she thought she might sympathize with them, but she didn't feel any pity. Slowly, she got up from her chair and walked up to the man she had fallen in love with. Men were swarming like fleas around him to congratulate and wish him luck. The Mayor and Joshua Barker were still sitting, looking as if they had a glass of vinegar.

As soon as he saw her, Daryn tipped his chin down and held her in her arms. He kissed on the crown of her head and waited until her excitement settled. The woman was shivering. He stroked her back and together the three of them walked out of the office after Daryn instructed his people to complete the formalities. Apparently he had come with a battalion of men. As they walked, people kept coming and congratulating them. 

"I love you," she said when they reached just out the main entrance. 

He tipped her head up and said, "Why?" 

The SUV came and the two got in it. Excited as hell, Cole slipped in between them. Dawn giggled and shook her head. She moved to sit on the seat opposite to them. 

"Man, you saved the world!" he exclaimed. "When the hell did you come?"

Daryn laughed. "I was monitoring the bids electronically. I came when the Mayor raised the bid to twenty-six billion." He paused and said, "How dare he do that with my wife?"