Rebirth: A Second chance at life-Chapter 45: Bidding..

Aurora reached home and, without wasting a second, pulled up the surveillance footage.

Seated before her laptop, her fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, navigating through encrypted files with practiced ease. Within an hour, she had everything she needed.

The car number plates were fake—no surprise there. But her sharp eyes caught something else. An eagle emblem, discreet yet unmistakable, marked the vehicles.

Harrison’s men.

A smirk played on her lips. "So, Lily is this desperate to deliver me?" she murmured, amusement laced in her voice.

Luna had always been a vigilant person, and tonight only confirmed her suspicions—Aurora’s mother had no good intentions toward her. By disrupting their plans, she had made herself a target.

Both mother and daughter were dangerous, and with this weak body, she wouldn’t be able to fight them head-on. And she wasn’t wrong. If she hadn’t had a trick up her sleeve today, she wouldn’t have walked away unscathed.

Thinking about the night’s ordeal, Aurora’s expression hardened.

With a few swift clicks, she accessed an underground network, her expression unchanging as she uploaded a bounty.

Five million.

Also, the Smith family had basked in luxury for far too long. Perhaps it was time for them to experience the struggles of ordinary people.

A faint smirk curled on Aurora’s lips as she pulled out her phone and typed a message.

"Within five days, the Smith Group should be reduced to nothing."

With a single tap, the message was sent.

A menacing, ice-cold aura surrounded her. There was no hesitation, no second thoughts. The Smiths were just as much at fault as Lily.

They had watched, allowed, and even participated in her suffering. Their hands were just as dirty, their guilt just as heavy. They loved the rich and despised the poor.

After dealing with the problem, Aurora freshened up before tending to Jenny, giving her the medicine she coated.

Without wasting time, she headed straight to her lab. There was something she needed to confirm.

Seated before her equipment, she prepared the necessary samples, her hands steady as she initiated the DNA test between herself and Lily. The machine hummed softly as it began processing.

Sebastian’s private jet touched down in Country Y just as the first hints of dawn painted the horizon. After a six-hour journey, exhaustion should have settled in, but his piercing gaze remained sharp, his aura unwavering.

The convoy waiting outside the airstrip swiftly escorted him to his mansion, where his men stood in disciplined silence, awaiting his arrival. As he stepped inside, the air shifted—authority radiated from him effortlessly.

One of his most skilled subordinates approached, handing over a thick file. Without a word, Sebastian flipped through the documents, his keen eyes absorbing every detail.

A slow smirk stretched across his lips. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"It’s time for the Dongli Clan to cease to exist."

His voice was calm, almost casual, but beneath it lay an unshakable finality. The wheels of destruction had already begun turning, and soon, there would be nothing left of them but dust and memories.

"There’s an auction at Harmony Haven today. Liam, make the necessary preparations," Sebastian ordered, his voice low yet commanding.

Liam gave a swift nod, understanding the weight behind his words. "Yes, boss."

Liam, ever the perfectionist, executed the preparations flawlessly. Under his meticulous arrangements, they adopted the identities of wealthy oil tycoons from Country N—an easy disguise to maintain when wealth spoke louder than words.

By 9 p.m., Sebastian and Liam arrived at Harmony Haven, the grand auction house where only the elite dared to tread. As expected, money was the ultimate key to access, and Liam had ensured they held the right one. Flashing an impressive bank balance, they secured a VVIP entry without question.

Their seats were in the uppermost section, offering a clear vantage point over the entire auction floor. From above, Sebastian observed the twisted spectacle unfolding beneath him. The hall buzzed with murmurs of anticipation, greedy eyes fixated on the stage as human lives were paraded like commodities, their worth measured in numbers on a bidding sheet.

His fingers curled into fists, a dangerous storm brewing in his dark gaze. The sight sickened him, but tonight, he wouldn’t simply watch.

No—he would make them suffer. Piece by piece.

"Liam, is the preparation done? Have you confirmed their positions?" Sebastian’s voice was calm, yet there was a chilling sharpness to it, a quiet storm before the inevitable destruction.

Liam, standing at his side, adjusted his earpiece and gave a firm nod. "Everything is in place. We’ve surrounded the entire building, and our men have blended in with the crowd. They’re positioned at every exit, ensuring no one slips through."

Sebastian’s gaze swept over the grand hall of Harmony Haven. Beneath the extravagant chandeliers and golden embellishments, the room was filled with wolves in tailored suits, their pockets deep and their souls darker than the night outside. The auction was moments away from starting, the sickening trade of human lives about to unfold before them.

A slight static buzzed in his earpiece before a voice came through. "Boss, I’m in," Jack’s tone was steady, his voice barely above a whisper. "I’m disguised as a waiter, currently serving the Dongli leader. He’s seated on the top floor, opposite your position. The auction is about to begin."

Sebastian leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly against the glass of wine in his hand. The faintest smirk played on his lips, though his eyes remained cold.

"Good," he murmured. His voice held no urgency—only certainty.

The first auction began, and a frail little girl was dragged onto the stage. Dressed in tattered rags, she crouched on the floor, her tiny body trembling. Her eyes were hollow—dried of all tears, as if she had cried so much that despair had drained her completely.

The auctioneer’s voice boomed through the hall, throwing out numbers as the bidders eagerly raised their paddles.

"Fifteen million!"

Sold.

Just like that, she was taken away.

One after another, more children were brought forward—boys and girls, their fates sealed by the highest bidder. Some went to wealthy elites, others to underground figures with sinister smiles.

Then came a striking young girl, no older than fourteen. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her bright green eyes flickered with defiance, though fear still lingered beneath. The moment she was presented, the room buzzed with excitement.

"One hundred million," someone called out.

"One hundred and twenty million," another countered.

The final bid reached a staggering one hundred and fifty million.

The buyer? A man from a so-called research facility, his lips curling into a twisted smile as he sealed the deal.

Sebastian’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling into fists. His patience was running razor-thin, the sheer depravity before him testing his restraint.

"Is everything set?" His voice was low, sharp.

Liam nodded. "All in position."

Sebastian exhaled slowly, his gaze cold and merciless.

"Then let’s end this nightmare."

Suddenly, a series of explosions erupted across different parts of various cities and countries. The night sky blazed with fiery bursts, alarms blaring as chaos unfolded in the distance.

Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the auction, Michael sat leisurely in his private lounge, a cigar resting between his fingers. Thick smoke curled around him as he chuckled, his other hand casually flipping through stacks of cash.

"Smooth... everything is running perfectly," he mused, exhaling a cloud of smoke. His lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

"It seems she is no more. Hahaha!" His laughter echoed through the room, full of arrogance and triumph.

For years, a shadow had loomed over his operations, a force that had threatened to destroy everything he built. Hades.

But now, he was sure—Hades was dead.

The confirmation had come from a trusted source. There was no mistake.

With that nuisance gone, who would dare stand in his way now?

Michael leaned back in his seat, reveling in his victory, blissfully unaware that the real nightmare was about to begin.

A loud ring from his phone shattered his moment of triumph. Annoyed, Michael exhaled a puff of smoke and picked up the call.

"What is it?" he barked.

But the words on the other end made his blood run cold.

His smirk vanished. His fingers tightened around the phone as his cigar slipped from his grasp, burning into the expensive carpet.

"What... What did you say?"

His heartbeat thundered in his ears. One after another, his bases had been blown to pieces. Every house, every stronghold—gone. His men were either dead or missing.

His breath hitched. Panic clawed at his throat as he bolted up from his chair, knocking over the stacks of cash.

"Impossible... This can’t be happening!"

He clutched his hair, his once-cocky demeanor crumbling as he realized the depth of the destruction.

Then, a chilling thought gripped him.

Something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

And for the first time in his life, true fear seeped into his bones.

"RUN!" he roared, his voice shaking. "Save yourselves! RUN!"

Michael’s face twisted in desperation as he barked orders.

"Get the assets out—NOW!" he roared. "Take the remaining children and anyone we can still sell! We need to move!"

His subordinates scrambled, grabbing whatever they could, dragging frightened children and captives toward the hidden exits. But just as they reached the doors—

Darkness.

The entire auction hall was plunged into pitch-black silence.

The grand chandeliers flickered once before dying completely. The hum of power was gone.

Then came the realization—there was no network. No signal. No way to call for help.