The Master Programmer-Chapter 160: Shadows at the Auction 2

The line at the grand Millennium Auction buzzed with energy, excitement filling the air as wealthy elites mingled, each angling to outshine the next. Jason Cross, dressed in a sharp suit with a black silk tie, stood out effortlessly.

His sharp jawline, piercing gaze, and faint smirk radiated confidence as he held a golden ticket in his hand, the ultimate symbol of status for the evening. But that wasn’t the only reason he stood out. It was also the women beside him. They were all incredibly beautiful.

Beside him were Samantha Ellis and Veronica Hall, both stunning in their own right. Samantha’s tailored dress hugged her toned figure, its neckline plunging just enough to turn heads, while her icy blue eyes glinted with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Veronica, in contrast, radiated elegance in a deep red gown that complemented her black hair, cascading in soft waves over one shoulder. Her mature allure drew gazes like moths to a flame.

There was also Isabella, who was a bit quieter, her blue dress and her green eyes complimenting each other as she held on to Jason closely. She was also the most adorable of the bunch, even while standing slightly taller than Samantha.

One man was handling and carefully talking to three women. How utterly sinful.

When they reached the front, Jason’s golden ticket caught the eye of the attendant. The man’s professional demeanour faltered momentarily as he recognized its significance. "Sir," he said with a slight bow, "Your room is Room 1, reserved for our most distinguished guests. Please follow the usher, Sir, Madam."

Before Samantha or Veronica could protest about their black ticket, Jason cut in smoothly. "They’re with me," he said, his tone firm yet inviting. He flashed the golden ticket with a confident flick of his wrist.

Jason’s choice of authoritative language "They’re with me" combined with a supportive gesture of flashing the ticket conveyed control and inclusion, leveraging subconscious trust and admiration in his companions. His words were accompanied by a reassuring smile that made the women feel included and valued.

Samantha and Veronica exchanged a look, their eyes widening briefly before they smirked. Jason Cross was nothing if not consistent. Isabella was just about to faint. She had seen so many television dramas where the main character did such a thing. It was so attractive. Did Jason know what he was doing!?!?

Behind them, murmurs rippled through the crowd as onlookers watched the trio ascend to the upper echelon.

"Private rooms at this auction cost millions," one man whispered to another.

"I know, right? Who is that guy?"

"It’s Jason Cross!"

"Wasn’t he poor after getting kicked out from his family?!"

James Carter, standing a few places back in the line, clenched his jaw. His dark eyes flicked to the blonde beside him who stood next to Jack Cross, Celine Ellis, who looked stunning in a pearl-white dress. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, her bright green eyes avoiding his as he sneered.

"It seems your sister has better company tonight," James remarked, his tone dripping with disdain.

Celine’s lips twitched into a forced smile. "She’s in good company," she said softly, her words a quiet defiance. Her meaning was clear. Much better than yours. Anyone could see that Celine was less than comfortable in this place surrounded by James and the Cross. And it was also clear that she would much rather be with her sister than anywhere else.

Beside them, the man with snake-like features—Jack Cross—chuckled darkly.

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"Come now, Celine," he said, grabbing her arm. "Let’s not keep everyone waiting." His cold, calculating eyes gleamed with malice as he led her toward their assigned room after they were shown the way. He too had a Golden Ticket. It was just that his assigned room was not Room Number 1, the best room in the place.

Jason had spent money on that room. Jack couldn’t help but wonder if he had enough money to bid on items.

— Inside Jason’s private room —

The room was nothing short of opulent. Gold accents gleamed under the soft glow of chandeliers, while plush leather seats and a panoramic view of the auction stage completed the ambience. To Jason’s surprise, a group of women in skimpy, sequined outfits stood waiting to serve.

Veronica’s sharp intake of breath broke the silence. "What is this?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing at the women.

Jason raised a brow, his lips curling into an amused smirk. "Troy’s idea of hospitality," he muttered under his breath. Troy you bastard! You investigated me, didn’t you? You know my situation and yet you still do this?

Turning to the women, he addressed them warmly but firmly. "Ladies, thank you for coming, but your services won’t be needed tonight."

The women hesitated, glancing at each other uncertainly. Jason, ever the gentleman, pulled out his wallet and handed each of them a generous tip. "Thank Troy for me. Tell him I’ve got this under control."

Samantha paid attention to this. She knew Troy was the owner of the Auction house. And if Jason was calling him by name like this as if they had spoken before… then they might know each other. If that was the case…

Then Jason might be more terrifying than she ever thought.

The women’s sultry smiles returned as they sashayed out of the room, their hips swaying provocatively as they looked back at the women in the dresses, giving them smiles. Jason watched them leave with a look of interest and this was an action that was caught by the women beside him. Samantha crossed her arms and stepped in front of Jason, tilting his chin toward her.

"Why are you staring at other women when you have three beautiful ones right here?" she teased her voice a mix of playful accusation and genuine curiosity.

Jason chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Just making sure they’d get out safely," he replied smoothly, his tone light but reassuring.

He was obviously lying, but why did it matter? The eyes loved to look, right? Anyway, the principle here was simple. Jason used humour and a non-confrontational response to diffuse Samantha’s comment, maintaining control while validating her unspoken need for attention.

Since she wanted his attention, he was giving it to her, even while keeping everything calm. And it worked as she soon stepped back in a fake huff. It was so obvious that she just wanted a reason to stay in the front of Jason’s mind.

Veronica sighed, her expression softening. "He’s just being Jason," she said, taking a seat on the plush couch. "Always trying to please everyone."

Samantha took this as an invitation to spark some mischief though. "Oh really? Please, Veronica, tell us how Jason pleases you…"

Veronica turned her head to Samantha and then smirked, looking away into the field that was filling up with people. It was as if she was saying, I’m not going to tell you... Samantha found herself staring at a woman who was not paying attention to her, and when she looked back at Jason only to see him flirting with his new girl, holding Isabella in his arms pointing out to the field at people he recognised and introducing them to her, she frowned.

It seemed she did have some competition with this girl. Based on the way she was getting along with him, how easy she was around his touch... Samantha knew immediately.

Jason and she were intimate. Very intimate. Damn it!

How was she going to win over Jason in a lineup like this?

Isabella was naive so she was not going to be too difficult at least in the long term. The problem was Veronica, who had turned into the most understanding woman in the universe, letting Jason play around like this.

Didn’t she require her previous husband to be loyal? Where did she learn these habits?

Samantha sighed, figuring this was just another version of loyalty. She liked Jason so much that she was willing to be loyal to him by any means even while he saw other women. In a way, Jason was loyal too. He always came back to her after they fucked at the office, right?

Samantha sighed, leaning back and joining Veronica in her people-watching. Seeing all those faces of the people who recently abandoned her business, she got angry. There was nothing good to see down there anyway. Damn it all.

As Isabella came to sit beside her, smiling gently and glowing slightly more than before, she once again turned to Jason who was fiddling with his phone. She couldn’t help but feel that greed again. She wanted Jason all to herself. No matter what. She just needed a way to make it happen.

The problem was not with the women around him, the problem was with Jason himself. She had to make him look only at her. She had been naive before. She had thought that maybe if she made them want to leave then they would, but things would not be that simple.

Even if she made them angry enough to try and kick Jason out of their lives, Jason could use his smooth talking to get them back again. She had to focus on Jason himself, to make sure that he never looked elsewhere. As long as that happened, she could rest assured that he would be the one to kick them out of his life and in that way they would never come back.

But how was she going to make it happen?

Jason poured drinks for his three women after dealing with some issues relating to Marcus and the boys, his movements were deliberate and confident. He handed them their glasses with a smile, his charm diffusing the tension in the room.

As the women sipped their drinks, Samantha’s mischievous side emerged. She leaned back, her eyes glinting with amusement. "So," she began, "just putting it out there… all of us here are regularly fucking Jason, right?"

Immediately Isabella coughed out her drink, puffing it out in front of her. Luckily, she had her handbag, which Jason had bought her only a few hours ago, to catch the drop that fell. Veronica turned to Samantha, an amused glint in her eyes. Sam, you’re such a troublemaker...

Jason, mid-sip, choked on his drink too. "What the hell, Sam?" he exclaimed, his voice half-laugh, half-protest.

Veronica’s laughter filled the room. "Well, she’s not wrong," she admitted, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "But Jason and I had a lovely night just talking and cuddling yesterday. He was so gentle. So sweet."

Samantha smiled, even though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Brag all you like. You’re the oldest out of us all. When you get wrinkles, Jason might not even look at you.

She turned to Isabella, and so did Veronica. Isabella sat there, twirling her fingers like a little girl, unsure what to say, and Jason just sat there, looking as useless as a piece of meat. He was getting sexually objectified right there, right? How messed up. Men deserved some rights too...