Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother novel Chapter 331

Chapter 331: Absurd Claim

The entire hall was enveloped in dead silence as everyone processed what had just happened.

Two billion had just been wasted—just like that.

Ivan clenched his fists. He had wanted that perfume, but not only did Natalie get it—she had dared to break it.

"Ivan, she did it on purpose," Briena whispered. "I told her before that we were here to get this perfume. I’m sure she did this just to mock us."

"She acts like she doesn’t care, but in reality, she’s just jealous of seeing you two together," Irene added.

Ivan’s anger grew.

That perfume could have been his breakthrough—but Natalie had snatched it away, out of jealousy...

The Queen watched in surprise, intrigued by Natalie’s sudden action. She had always appeared calm and composed, so what had prompted this?

"Grandpa, how dare she act this way?" Charlotte hissed to Howard. "I need to teach her a lesson today."

"Go ahead."

Seeing that Howard didn’t stop her, Charlotte saw this as the perfect opportunity. She stood from her place, her posture regal, her expression filled with pride as a princess.

"Natalie, how can you behave so ill-mannered at a royal event—in the presence of the Queen, no less?" Charlotte’s voice rang with authority. "Are you openly disrespecting my grandmother?"

She pointed at the shattered glass.

"You broke the perfume bottle that Dew especially created in honor of the Queen! But instead of keeping it, Her Majesty graciously decided to use it for charity purposes. Is this how you treat a precious gift offered by the Queen herself?"

Natalie simply looked at her, a light smirk playing on her lips.

"After bidding, it was given to me. And as far as I know, no law can punish me for breaking my own possession."

Then, she turned to the Queen, her tone composed but pointed.

"Your Majesty, did I offend you by breaking what belonged to me? Also, allowing everyone present here to experience this perfume—I thought that was in everyone’s best interest. Am I wrong?"

The moment Natalie said it, realization dawned upon everyone.

A beautiful scent filled the air, delicate yet rich, unlike anything they had ever smelled before.

No one needed to be told where it was coming from.

Though only a small amount of perfume had been in that bottle, its high volatility allowed it to disperse quickly, filling the grand hall. The air conditioning system helped circulate the scent, making sure everyone got a chance to experience it.

The tension in the hall eased.

Now that they had smelled it—had experienced it—none of them could complain about Natalie breaking the bottle.

The Queen shook her head. "It was yours after bidding. As long as no one is hurt by your actions, it’s fine."

Hearing this, Charlotte was at a loss for words.

Briena, fuming with anger, stepped forward, with Irene following close behind.

"Natalie, you clearly did this to hurt me, didn’t you?" Briena accused.

Natalie casually looked her up and down, acting as if she were observing her carefully.

Briena’s frustration only grew. "I told you before that Ivan was going to bid on it—that we needed that perfume! But not only did you win it by using the power of the richest man here, you also had the audacity to break it right in front of us!"

"Briena is right," Irene added. "You did do it intentionally. You didn’t even want the perfume, so why would you destroy it?"

"Well, since you put it that way... I just think you people don’t deserve to get your hands on something so precious, so I destroyed it entirely."

"What do you mean by that?! Are you mocking us?"

"Is it that hard to understand?" Natalie didn’t bother to deny it.

"Mr. Harper, she broke your expensive gift just like that! Won’t you say anything? Are you really going to let this slide?"

Just then, the still-shocked auctioneer finally snapped back to reality. He hurried to James, stumbling over his words. "M-Mr. Harper, I... I didn’t know Ms. Natalie would break it, or I never would have handed it over to her..."

James Harper wasn’t angry. He wasn’t reprimanding her. Instead, he seemed perfectly fine with whatever she had done—as long as it made her feel good.

Why was James Harper spoiling her so much?

"If you want," James declared, "you can break everything in this auction until you feel satisfied. I will pay for it all."