"President Mancini is truly generous. On behalf of the children in remote areas, I thank you," I said, clapping as I rose to my feet.
"But since this is a charity event, the more money, the better, right?"
With that, I raised a single finger, my gaze meeting Clyde's as the room fell into stunned silence.
"Twenty million… and one dollar!"
The audacity of my bid hit the crowd like a wave. No one expected me to take on Clyde like this.
A hushed murmur rippled through the room, the eyes of every top-tier business figure fixed on me. Even Clyde had been invited only due to the recent rise of the Mancini Group.
I could see from Clyde's face that he was savoring the drama.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let me make one thing clear: although this woman is my wife by name, we actually have nothing to do with each other."
"If she can't pay later, Mancini Group will not be responsible."
His words nearly made me laugh out loud.
"President, I'd advise you not to distance yourself from me so quickly."
"After all, you're the one who lit a sky lantern at a charity auction."
"If you can't pay up later, you might be begging me to bail you out."