Victoria was extending an olive branch to William, but he refused to accept it.

His indifferent gaze remained completely unmoved. His auction paddle stayed raised in the air.

Victoria's expression darkened—she had already humbled herself this much! Was William truly not going to spare her any dignity at all?!

Just as her composure was crumbling internally, Elise suddenly spoke up, her voice clear and resonant. "Two million."

William's intended bid got stuck in his throat. Everyone turned to look at Elise, confused why she would bid for herself.

Perhaps she thought she was worth that much? Wasn't that giving herself too much credit?

Nevertheless, Elise continued firmly, "I'm bidding two million for my first dance."

The crowd erupted into murmurs, stunned by her sudden display of confidence.

She ignored their stares and asked Victoria directly, "It's not against the rules to bid for myself, is it?"

Victoria snapped out of her daze, having been equally shocked by Elise's self-bid.

This woman truly never followed anyone else's script, did she?

Victoria had absolutely no idea what Elise was planning either!

"I've always admired Stuart Group's significant contributions to charity," Elise declared. "I'd like to do my part to support this cause, even if my contribution might seem modest. I hope everyone understands my intentions." She was clearly rejecting both William and Patrick's bids.

"Of course," Victoria responded quickly.

Money wasn't the issue here; Victoria was mainly concerned that William might continue bidding, which would only humiliate her further.

Stepping forward with an extended hand, Victoria said, "I would never reject such sincere charitable intentions. Your first dance tonight shall remain your own. Thank you for supporting Stuart Group's charity efforts, Elise."

Elise accepted the handshake politely before gracefully stepping down from the stage.

Thunderous applause filled the ballroom. Everyone was genuinely impressed by Elise's clever maneuver, their eyes following her wherever she went.

Rumors often described her as both beautiful and intelligent, but witnessing her quick thinking firsthand proved that the rumors didn't do her justice.

Her ability to adapt to the situation was practically educational—she had saved Victoria's face with that two-million-dollar bid while preserving her own reputation intact.

Though the crowd didn't understand why William had been bidding for Elise, they could clearly sense some underlying tension between these individuals.

They just couldn't determine whether Elise had caused the conflict or if she was merely collateral damage in some internal struggle within the Stuart family.

Elise descended from the stage, coolly walking past William without any interaction.

The silence between them spoke volumes.

When she returned to Patrick's side, he teased, "You're constantly full of surprises, Miss Scott."

Elise ignored Patrick too, well aware that he had planned to bid simply to provoke William and Victoria, effectively painting a target on her back.

She turned and walked out of the ballroom, leaving Patrick rubbing his nose awkwardly.

His actions had been petty, and he knew he had definitely angered Elise.

However, he had made his intentions perfectly clear when they first agreed to partner—his goal was to separate William from Victoria and destroy the latter!