Chapter 315
After Rachel lost her necklace in the last game, she was downcast for days. The–disappointment lingered so long that her health took a hit–she ended up in the hospital a few more times, all because she couldn’t shake the gloom.
Later, Haynes had told her he’d get her a new necklace, one even finer than the one that had belonged to Stella’s mother. He’d promised, “ll be better, never worse.”
And now, gazing at the dazzling Neptune’s Tear before her, Rachel finally understood.
Tears welled in her eyes, her voice trembling with gratitude. “Haynie, you really don’t have to do all this for me.”
Haynes‘ deep, steady gaze rested on her. “Neptune’s Tear, paired with your Nereid’s Sonata performance, will be absolutely perfect.” Truthfully, Rachel had only wanted Stella’s mother’s necklace to spite Stella. But compared to the breathtaking piece before her now, that old necklace seemed utterly insignificant.
Every thought in Rachel’s mind was now consumed by Neptune’s Tear. She was already picturing herself on stage–Neptune’s Tear glittering at her throat, Nereid’s Sonata in her hands–how enchanting she would look.
Earlier items had required
Unlike the other auction pieces, Neptune’s Tear was in a league of its own, starting at a cool two million. Earlie minimum bids of ten thousand, but for Neptune’s Tear, the minimum raise was a hundred thousand.
Many of tonight’s attendees had shown up for this necklace alone. By all rights, it shouldn’t fetch more than ten million, but with the way bidding was going, even that seemed like wishful thinking. The price could easily soar to twenty million.
Sure enough, the bids climbed quickly to eight million.!!
Up until now, Haynes had stayed silent. But then, in his calm, measured voice, he finally spoke: “Ten million. E
Just like that, the entire room froze. Haynes wasn’t just anyone–he was the top of the food chain in Novaris‘ business world. Who would dare contradict him? Even his rivals wouldn’t openly challenge him tonight. After all, today’s opponent could be tomorrow’s partner.S With a single word, Haynes silenced the room–he was like a human mute button.
Normally, the auctioneer would try to drum up a bit more excitement before beginning the countdown. But since it was Haynes who’d spoken, everyone knew the outcome was practically set. The auctioneer wasted no words and went straight to the point
“Ten million, going once.”
“Ten million, going twice-
Then, as the gavel was about to fall, a clear, melodic voice rang out, slicing through the hush.
“Twenty million.”
A collective gasp swept the room as every head turned toward the bidderk
Twenty million? She’d just doubled the price in one goll
This wasn’t a matter of a dollar or two–she’d raised it by ten million!
Stella sat with a serene smile, unruffled by the stares. The necklace was beautiful, but at most, it was worth ten million. Was she truly that enamored with it, or was something else at play?
Once again, all eyes stulted to Haynes Everyone wondered–was Stella really so bold, so unafraid of crossing him?(
Haynes gaze darkened as he turned to look at Stella Then, after a brief, knowing glance at Jasper, Jasper snapped out of his shock and caught Haynes‘ meaning. He hesitantly raised his paddle: “Twenty five million.”
Jasper knew that, whatever happened, if the necklace ended up with him, Haynes would cover him. But still, the bravado hed shown earlier was gone. This was real money–no one could treat it lightly.
Haynes wasn’t having Jasper bid because he couldn’t afford it. He wanted to see if Stella was trying to bait them into raising the price After all, the necklace was already fetching more than double its worth li
But this time, Stella, who usually knew when to quit didn’t stop Instead, she raised the stakes even higher I
