The Bigshot Married Himself to the Heiress-Chapter 497 - 498: Meeting the Ex-boyfriend Again

Chapter 498: Seeing an Ex-boyfriend Again

"1.65 million once, 1.65 million twice..."

"1.8 million!"

This bid was made by a woman whom Sienna Johnson didn’t recognize. She didn’t know if this woman was the "plant" Kenneth Brown had mentioned, or if the first tall, thin man was. Sienna trusted Kenneth, so she remained calm and composed.

"1.8 million, any higher bids?... 1.8 million once... 1.8 million twice... 1.8 million..."

This time it was the first man to bid again; his bid was "1.875 million!"

"1.95 million!"

The enthusiasm for bidding in the auction was lacking. After all, the pharmaceutical business had a high barrier to entry, and not just anyone could get involved. Furthermore, repurposing the Frederick Pharmaceutical Factory for a different venture would be prohibitively expensive.

It was still the same few people bidding, with others observing. Sienna didn’t worry. If those people were really "plants" and won the bid but didn’t pay, the Frederick Pharmaceutical Factory would simply be auctioned again.

After a few such repetitions, the atmosphere at the auction became increasingly subdued. Finally, Sienna made a bid of 2.4 million!

The first man raised the price again, but Sienna didn’t follow suit.

"2.7 million!" The first man shouted another high bid. Sienna suddenly stood up and left. Seeing those who had been bidding against her, and even the host, staring at her, she couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

Kenneth Brown’s information was accurate—those people were "plants"!

She wasn’t so rich that she had nowhere else to spend her money. She certainly wouldn’t let those few people take her for a fool.

They could play if they wanted. She would wait for them to finish and then come back to bid properly when no one was causing trouble.

After Sienna left, Kenneth Brown also departed.

Sienna left Vivian Abbey to keep an eye on the auction while she and Kenneth went to a dessert shop. Sienna ordered some pastries and fruit juice, as she was now trying to eat smaller, more frequent meals, which was better for both her and the baby.

They sat by the window, and the sunlight streaming through the glass softened Sienna’s features, making her appear even more charming. She wore light makeup today, her lips their natural shade of soft pink, and she ate her brownie cheesecake bite by bite.

Kenneth stared at her face for a long time. When he finally looked away, his heart ached. He took a sip of coffee to mask his emotions. The bitterness of the coffee mirrored his feelings at that moment.

"Does he treat you well?"

She looked up, meeting his eyes with a bewildered gaze. Kenneth clarified, "I mean... your current husband..."

"Adrian Desmond? Oh, he’s great."

"Then I can rest assured."

Sienna looked at Kenneth. He had become even more mature and steady, exuding a sense of security.

What kind of good woman would be a match for him?

"How about you? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No!"

"You’re not getting any younger. You should find someone."

Kenneth didn’t respond, and Sienna didn’t press further.

Sienna ate a piece of cake but didn’t dare to have more. She looked at the colorful stickers on the wish wall, each bearing someone’s wish. Most were from couples wishing for everlasting love. Sienna asked the staff for a pink sticker and wrote her own wish on it.

-- Wishing: May Kenneth meet the woman he loves soon!

It was a simple sentence. She placed the sticker among a cluster of others on the wall, where it blended in.

"If you encounter any difficulties with your pharmaceutical factory, feel free to contact Willard Harris. Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory is under his responsibility now..."

Sienna didn’t want Kenneth seeking her out directly. Their past relationship wasn’t suitable for too much contact. Setting aside the fear of gossip, just dealing with Adrian’s jealousy would be more than she could handle.

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Sienna checked the time. It was probably time to return to the auction hall and see how things were progressing. She wanted to see if those people truly had the ability to buy Frederick Pharmaceuticals. Even if they could, she was curious who could compete with Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory, which already held sixty percent of the market share in Sileria City.

Kenneth watched her leave. Her figure was still graceful, her eyes filled with determination, her charm captivating.

"Having loved you, how can any other woman catch my eye..." he mumbled to himself. He then carefully took down the sticker Sienna had just written on and put it in his pocket.

It was a lingering effect from when he and Sienna had dated: he couldn’t bear to throw away anything of hers, not even a small note she had written.

She didn’t know that he had accumulated a pile of things related to her.

Upon returning to the auction hall, Sienna brought Vivian Abbey a piece of cake. Vivian looked at the cake, her expression conflicted.

"President Johnson, I can’t eat these high-calorie foods."

"If you say you gain weight even when you don’t eat these things, why not just eat it?"

With a pained expression, Vivian said, "If I eat it, I’ll gain even more weight." Vivian was very self-disciplined and avoided all high-calorie, sweet, or meaty foods.

Sienna knew she could never achieve that level of self-discipline.

"How’s it going?"

"That Mr. Fairley, the one who won the bid, backed out. So, it needs to be auctioned again..." Vivian Abbey smiled at her. "President Johnson, your foresight is incredible! We almost fell for their trick."

It wasn’t my foresight; Kenneth had reminded me. Otherwise, I’m not sure if I would have been foolish enough to fall for their deception.

In the end, Sienna won the bid for Frederick Pharmaceutical Factory for 2.7 million.

After leaving the auction company, Sienna went straight to Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory. She had arranged with Willard Harris beforehand for him to wait for her at the factory.

Willard Harris had been waiting for Sienna in his office. When she arrived, he quickly had someone bring fruit and juice.

"Manager Harris is very thoughtful, even preparing fruit," Vivian Abbey said with a smile.

"My wife is pregnant too. I bought some during my lunch break."

Willard Harris’s wife was suffering from severe morning sickness and was resting at home. Four months pregnant, she had lost seven pounds and had even been hospitalized at one point due to dehydration from excessive vomiting.

"Pregnancy is hard for women. You shouldn’t be working late so often; spend more time with your wife," Sienna said considerately.

"Thank you, President Johnson. I’m mindful of that."

President Johnson had said that, but he certainly wouldn’t actually start arriving late or leaving early. His wife was pregnant, not him. Besides, President Johnson was also pregnant and still working tirelessly.

Besides his basic salary, President Johnson gave him a direct share of the profits each year. With such excellent benefits, if he didn’t work hard, he would be truly ungrateful.

"I just received news that President Johnson has won the bid for Frederick Pharmaceuticals?" Willard Harris asked.

"Yes, I’m here to discuss this with you."

Sienna sat there, her expression serious. "Take a few people over to assess the situation. I need a detailed report on the state of the machinery and equipment, and how much of the factory’s existing raw medicinal materials are still viable..."