Chapter 204
Chapter 204 Ripley Syndrome
"Robin, wait!" Vera called. She was unwilling to let him go so easily.
She hurried up to him, glancing back to make sure Zachary and Alice weren't watching, then slipped a bank card into his hand.
"If you didn't bring enough money, take this card," she whispered. "It's got ten million on it. Feel free to bid on any jewelry you like and give it to me, okay?"
Robin stopped. He was amused by her hopeful gaze. "You've got plenty of money and you could bid on it yourself. Why do you insist on me buying it for you?"
Vera tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Come on, Robin. Don't you think it'll mean a lot more if you buy it for me? My birthday's coming up, just consider it a gift for me, will you?" "Nope!" Robin said, returning her bank card.
His eyes drifted down to her green sandals and he smirked. "Didn't I already get you a rare pair of shoes?"
Vera followed his gaze to her feet and gasped. "Are you kidding me? You call these ten-dollar sandals a gift?"
Robin shrugged. "The value of a gift isn't based on its price. Didn't you say all your company's executives were envious of those retro sandals? It's so classic and unique!"
With that, he turned and walked toward the entrance of the Rosewood Hotel.
Vera glared at his back, then down at her cheap green plastic sandals, grinding her teeth. "D*mn it! Do you think of me as one of your bros by giving me a pair of ten-dollar sandals as a gift?"
...
"Good evening, sir! Welcome."
Outside Rosewood Hotel, eight attendants with pleasant smiles and elegant postures greeted the guests, bowing slightly as they approached.
"Sir, please present your invitation to the Rosewood Prestige Auction."
All guests entering the Rosewood Hotel were required to show the invitation card sent by Neville Group.
Each card had a unique serial number, with the identity of each guest recorded within it.
Once the cardholder's identity was verified, they would be guided to their designated seating area by an attendant.
Robin handed his invitation card to one of the attendants.
His card was unique. It was the only premium invitation for the VIP Zone in the entire auction.
The attendant took it in both hands and was about to scan it for verification when a sneering voice called out, "Hold on!"
The loud interruption instantly drew everyone's attention.
Zachary and Alice approached with Liam in tow.
"Good evening, Mr. Liam!" The attendant in the lobby quickly put Robin's invitation card aside and turned to greet Liam with deep respect.
The Rosewood Hotel belonged to Universal Group.
All of the attendants greeted Liam respectfully.
Liam acknowledged their greetings with a slight nod and mischievously eyed Robin.
"Well, well, Robin! Did you get an invitation from Neville Group too?
"You must be mistaken. This auction isn't for people like you. It's hosted by the renowned martial arts family, the Nevilles.
"Even if you have money and influence, you're not getting in if you're not a martial artist or don't have connections to one.
"Sure, Shirley might've given you some shares in the Dunn Group and a cushy position, but at the end of the day, you're still a commoner. There's no way you belong here!" Robin ignored him and motioned to the attendant. "May I go in now?"
The attendant who verified Robin's invitation looked conflicted.
They worked under Liam and he clearly didn't want Robin entering.
Although the auction was hosted by the Nevilles, she couldn't go against Liam's wishes.
She had Robin's premium invitation in her hands and was unsure of what to do with it.
Alice, standing beside Liam, shot Robin a contemptuous glance before looking more closely at his invitation card. After a moment, she noticed something odd.
"Mr. Liam," Alice said with a scornful smile, "it seems that Robin's card is different from ours."
At her words, Liam looked more closely at the card in the attendant's hands. It was indeed unlike the other invitation cards.
Taking advantage of his connection with Liam, Zachary sneered. "Robin, you've really outdone yourself this time-coming here with a fake invitation card? And it even says "VIP Zone Premium Invitation!" "Do you know what kind of people sit in the VIP Zone?
"Even Mr. Kyler's daughter, Ruby, can only sit in the standard Zone One. Yet here you are, a commoner with no ties to the martial world, thinking you're entitled to a premium invitation? What a joke!" Alice smirked. "Robin, I'm speechless. Are you just going to coast through life on one scam after another?
"Just the other day, you told me you lived in Dawnspire Heights Estates. I believed you until we got to the gates, and you suddenly claimed you'd 'forgotten' your entry card. It was beyond ridiculous!" "And here you are tonight, pulling a stunt like this. At least make it believable if you're going to fake it! A premium invitation to the VIP Zone? Really?
"Do yourself a favor and leave now before you make an even bigger fool of yourself. This place is full of martial artists. You don't want to end up half-dead, do you?"
Liam sneered while shaking his head. "Robin, I'll let this slide out of respect for Shirley. Take the chance to walk away before you embarrass yourself further. This place isn't meant for someone like you." Outside Rosewood Hotel, the scene had already attracted a crowd of guests who were here for the auction. Almost everyone recognized Liam since the Rosewood Hotel was famously owned by the Hamilton family. So, when he accused Robin of trying to sneak in with a fake invitation, the crowd had no reason to doubt him.
Vera hurried up to Robin when she noticed Alice and the others blocking his path. "Alice, Mr. Gill, what are you two talking about? Robin wouldn't use a fake invitation to attend the auction!"
"Vera, we're not making this up," Alice replied as she glanced at Robin disdainfully. "Why are you so quick to believe him? Haven't you learned from last time at Dawnspire Heights-"
Before she could continue, Vera cut her off with a smirk. "That was because you didn't have enough patience, Alice! I trust that Robin wouldn't fake an invitation for something as trivial as an auction." Alice leaned in closer and whispered, "Vera, please, don't make this worse.
"This hotel belongs to the Hamiltons, and Mr. Liam here has strong ties with the Phoenix Vanguard. If he doesn't have a seat in the VIP Zone, how could Robin possibly have one?
"Take a closer look. That kind of invitation card doesn't even exist at this auction!"
It was only then that Vera really examined Robin's card.
It was indeed different.
The quality looked decent, but... why wasn't it the same?
Just then, a middle-aged man approached, showing his auction invitation for VIP Zone 5.
His invitation card didn't look like Robin's either.
Vera glanced over at Robin, unsure of what to make of it.
Robin was growing impatient and gestured at the attendant. "Are you going to verify my card or not?"
"Uh..." The attendant hesitated while looking between Robin and Liam. "I-I'm not sure...
Alice stepped forward and taunted, "Robin, how shameless can you be? Walking around with a fake auction invitation and acting like you belong here. Just get lost before the security guards show up and things get ugly!" Robin glanced at his watch and ignored her completely.
Alice scoffed. "I know you've always wanted to be someone important, to impress me, hoping I'd finally take you seriously.
"But you're never going to be like Mr. Liam or Mr. Gill.
"No matter how hard you try, you'll always be just a commoner who got lucky. You'll never belong in high society!
"Could you stop embarrassing yourself already? You're just a nobody trying to pass as something you're not...
Robin bypassed her and walked up to the attendant. "Call your boss if you can't handle this," Robin barked. "Robin, you-" Alice was fuming because Robin had dared to ignore her in front of everyone.
"Robin, you'll regret it if you cause a scene at this auction," Liam warned.
Robin brushed past Liam and said with a straight face, "Mavis sent me this card herself. Are you doubting that?"
The crowd around them gasped in shock.
He received a premium invitation directly from Madam Mavis?
How prestigious did one have to be to merit such an honor?
Their gazes turned toward Robin, now with a mixture of awe and curiosity.
The Nevilles-that name alone carried significant weight.
Everyone knew they were the top martial arts family in all of Draconia and Mavis was the wife of Cassian, the head of one of the world's largest martial arts organizations, the Phoenix Vanguard.
If the invitation truly came from Mavis, Liam's disrespect could turn into a huge mistake.
"That's impossible!" Zachary shouted, his face contorting with disbelief.Material © NôvelDrama.Org.
He looked at Robin from head to toe. "Even Mr. Liam hasn't earned that kind of respect! What makes you think you'd get a personal invitation from Madam Mavis? You're suffering from Ripley syndrome, aren't you?" "Ripley syndrome, indeed," Alice sneered.
"Robin, you really should seek help. If you hadn't claimed this was from Madam Mavis, it might've been believable. But now, it's clear your card's a fake!
"Obviously, you only found out that Mr. Gill and I would be attending the auction tonight, and you're here to sneak in, hoping I'd see you as someone important. "Drop the act, Robin. I'll never be impressed by you!
"Everything you do means nothing to me. Neither I nor the Millers will ever accept you!" Upon hearing this, the crowd's attitude shifted again as they scornfully looked at Robin. The crowd began whispering with each other.