While Pregnant, My Alpha Husband Auctioned Me Off for One Dollar Chapter 09

While Pregnant, My Alpha Husband Auctioned Me Off for One Dollar Chapter 09

“Good evening, everyone.” 

Gavin stood at the center of the stage with a 

microphone in hand. The spotlight made him look 

confident and unbearably pleased with himself. 

“Tonight, in addition to thanking all of you for your 

continued support of Cole Group, I have two 

announcements to make.” 

He paused and looked at Vera with open. 

affection. 

“First, I’m establishing a charitable foundation in 

Vera’s name and launching it with ten million. 

dollars in initial funding. It will support women who lose a child during pregnancy or suffer 

pregnancy–related emergencies. Vera, you taught 

me what true kindness looks like.” 

Thunderous applause filled the ballroom. 

Tears shimmered in Vera’s eyes as she pressed both hands to her chest and basked in the envy 

around her. 

The guests who knew nothing about the truth 

praised Gavin for supporting an old friend and called him responsible. 

Standing in the shadows below the stage, I nearly laughed at the shamelessness of it all. 

He was using our marital assets and the money 

he had earned by auctioning his wife to establish a charity for his mistress. 

Gavin truly knew how to squeeze value out of every dollar. 

“The second announcement,” he continued, “concerns the Manhattan project…” 

“I’m afraid Mr. Cole is no longer qualified to 

participate in the Manhattan waterfront 

development project.” 

I cut him off. 

My heels struck the polished marble with crisp, 

steady clicks as I walked toward the stage. 

Every head in the ballroom turned toward me. 

Gavin frowned and lowered his voice so only I 

could hear. “Erin, what the hell are you doing? Get 

the hell off this stage.” 

I ignored him. 

I went straight to the control console, ripped out 

the receiver connected to his microphone, and inserted the flash drive I had prepared. 

“Gavin, have you forgotten where that first ten million dollars actually came from?” 

I picked up another microphone and pressed 

Enter. 

The enormous LED screen behind the stage lit up. 

Instead of the foundation presentation, 

crystal–clear footage from Nightfall’s VIP section 

filled the screen. 

Gavin sat on a leather sofa wearing his silver 

mask. 

The accompanying audio had been digitally 

restored to remove the effects of the voice 

changer and reveal his real voice. 

[This woman is stubborn. Once you take her home, do whatever you want with her. I won’t 

interfere. Just keep her alive, and I’ll cover the 

expenses afterward. One dollar. Whoever takes 

her is responsible for keeping her under control.] 

His cold, vicious words thundered through the 

ballroom one after another. 

No one spoke. 

Everyone in the ballroom stood frozen in shock. 

The color drained from Gavin’s face. He lunged 

toward the console and tried to yank out the flash 

drive. 

“Security! Get this insane woman off the stage! 

That video is fake!” 

His voice cracked into a hoarse shout. 

“Fake, is it?” 

Damian’s cold voice came from the audience. 

He walked onto the stage with several men in suits and stepped directly between the security 

guards and me. 

“Mr. Cole, allow me to introduce them. This is 

Detective Harris from the NYPD Financial Crimes 

Unit. The man beside him is an inspector from the 

Pack Council.” 

Detective Harris displayed his badge. 

“Gavin Cole, we received a report. You’re 

suspected of attempting to sell and transfer a werewolf through an illegal auction, 

misappropriating company funds, fraudulently 

transferring marital assets, and violating Pack. 

member protection regulations. You’re coming 

with us.” 

Panic shattered Gavin’s composure. 

He stumbled backward. “No, this isn’t true! I never 

auctioned anyone. It was a joke! Nightfall’s 

auctioneer set me up!” 

He pointed at me, desperate to push all the blame 

onto me. 

“It was her! She planned the whole thing to frame 

me!” 

I watched him unravel. 

Then I calmly opened my clutch, removed a black 

metal badge engraved with the Nightingale 

emblem, and pinned it to my chest. 

“You’re right.” 

I stared into his widening eyes. 

“I did set the trap.” 

I took one step closer. 

“Because I am Nightingale.” 

Gasps exploded across the ballroom. 

Vera screamed and collapsed onto the floor. 

Gavin stared at the badge on my chest, terror twisting his face. 

“You… You…” 

His hand shook as he pointed at me, but he could 

no longer force out a complete sentence. 

“Did you really think I knew nothing?” I walked 

toward him one measured step at a time. “You 

wanted revenge for Vera, so you tried to hand me. 

over to illegal buyers. But you never realized you 

had walked into a place I controlled for five years.”