There were no longer any new bidders for the time being. Alyssa was still pleased with the result, however."Seven million."A deep, sonorous voice rang out from behind her, making her expression fall.The unexpected bid caught the crowd's attention, prompting them to turn and identify the speaker swiftly.Jasper was in the last row, his paddle raised high in the air. He exuded sheer confidence and stability among the gawking guests."It's Jasper Beckett from the Beckett Group!""When did he get here? I didn't see him at all tonight!""He's so handsome …"Jasper gazed steadily at Alyssa, his paddle never once lowering. But she never turned around.Seven million, and she wouldn't even spare him a glance. It looked like he would have to continue bidding. "Seven million is a tad bit overpriced for this necklace," Yves said, shaking her head. She disapproved of Jasper's action. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should.""At least it will help those orphanages," Alyssa grum
Neither of them expected Ada to donate that necklace tonight.How could this be?The two women instantly glanced at one another, unable to say a word right now, given their distance. The hall erupted into an ecstatic frenzy with the reveal of Alexa's necklace. The experts in the jewelry field all craned their necks to get a good look at the piece, in awe of this legendary necklace.Both Jasper and Jameson leaped to attention, eager to bid for the necklace."Why are you standing up? Sit down! Don't you see everyone's looking at you?" Sophia hissed, dragging Betty back down into her seat. "F-Fuck … We're screwed, Mom," Betty whispered fearfully."What? What are you saying?" "I … I was the one who gave Ada that necklace.""You what? Where did you get your hands on one of Alexa's creations?" Sophia exclaimed, then got angry. Sophia continued, "How could she just give it away like that? Isn't that just outright slapping you in the face? And you, how dare you give it to her and
"This has always been the motivation behind Alexa's jewelry design. Being a loyal fan of her work, I plan to follow in her footsteps this way. "I hope this gesture also maximizes the kindness Ms. Betty has shown me by giving me such a precious gift," stated Ada. Betty couldn't publicly deny that any longer. All she wanted was for a hole to open up in the ground and swallow her up."Madam Ada has decided that, on account of the meaning and gravitas of this piece crafted by Alexa herself, there will be no minimum bidding amount!" the auctioneer announced."30 million," a clear voice rang out. Jameson raised his paddle, a smile on his face.30 million? That was the highest starting bid of the night so far! Were they planning to go up to billions?Alexa's creations were indeed worth that price, but it was still an exorbitant amount."50 million." Jasper slowly raised his paddle, his expression calm save for a glint of ferocity in his eyes.The crowd was shocked by his bid.
Both Jasper and Jameson turned to look at Alyssa, knowing she was pissed now. So, they stopped bidding."Congratulations, Ms. Alyssa! This one-of-a-kind necklace is yours!" The auctioneer gestured happily, swiftly knocking the gavel to halt all other bids.There was a two-second silence before the hall erupted into clamorous applause.Alyssa's flat expression never wavered, however."Alyssa bought the fake, Mom! Do you think she saw through it?" Betty asked frantically, heart pounding like a frightened rabbit."Be quiet! Do you want everyone to hear you?" Sophia hissed venomously, pinching Betty's arm. Sophia added, "Alyssa wouldn't have noticed it was a fake, nor would she ever anticipate one turning up at her own auction. You should be grateful she bid off that necklace!""But what if she finds out a—""That has nothing to do with you anymore! Even if she does, you can always claim she swapped it out in order to insult you." Sophia scowled.Betty had always admired her moth
Alyssa then bowed deeply to the crowd, a picture of utmost sincerity.The hall slowly quietened down."Next, I would like to clarify here and now that this necklace called 'Lacrima Dei' was my donation to the auction."The guests turned to Ada with astonished looks on their faces. She, in turn, turned to gaze incredulously at Betty.Betty turned to Zoe, but the latter was already out of her seat.Zoe had escaped before the shit hit the fan!Alyssa watched the show unfold, a smirk appearing on her lips. "I had no idea you would be donating this necklace tonight, Madam Ada. Please trust me when I say it was a pure coincidence.""W-Why would you have 'Lacrima Dei' too, Ms. Alyssa?" Ada asked, her confidence out the window.Alyssa pursed her lips. "What matters right now isn't why I have this necklace, Madam Ada. What matters is that your necklace was a fake."What? A fake? Turmoil and confusion swept through the crowd.Sophia did her best to keep her expression composed, but Bet
The crowd erupted into gasps of shock and awe once more.Alyssa Taylor was Alexa?Something imploded in Jasper's mind, blanking his thoughts out entirely. He felt like his soul had left his body, slowly drifting out like an astronaut in space.Alyssa was Alexa. She was the world-renowned, reclusive jewelry designer who had the world at her feet because of her stunning creations. She had been making a fool out of him all this time while he tried his best to invite her onto his team, likely enjoying her little games to no end.Jasper snarled, anger and awe pumping through his veins. "You … You lied to me again … You fucking lied to me again!"Why did she always hide her true self from him? During the three years of marriage, all she did was reduce herself to a meek, quiet little woman who acted like some maid in the house. Why degrade herself like this?Was this some other ploy to rub his ignorance in his face?Jasper ground his teeth together, heart hurting in his chest. He c
The crowd's attention was now on Betty, their impression of her crumbling into pieces.Jasper remained calm, as if he had expected this to happen. He hadn't been able to meet Alexa herself even when he flew all the way to Yoarkley to find her, so there was no way someone like Betty could have gotten her hands on one of Alexa's creations.Jasper's anger rose once again at the thought of being toyed with, and he shot Alyssa a glare.The latter narrowed her eyes, a scowl appearing on her face. She wondered why Jasper was staring at her like that. She felt that Jasper was behaving like a lunatic. Betty couldn't take the accusatory gazes and comments from the crowd anymore. She shakily hid behind her mother, quaking like a leaf in the wind.Ada cried, "Have you been lying to me from the start, Ms. Betty? How could you resort to something so debased and repulsive just to get me to choose your hotel?""I-I …" But Betty didn't know what to say anymore. She was covered in cold sweat by
Sliva said, "Because of this, anyone who manages to buy a piece for themselves would never consider reselling it. I'm sure you must've felt you were being lied to when told this was a genuine product. "I'm also certain Ms. Alexa wouldn't sell any of her creations to you even if you gave her all the money in the world." Sliva's gaze showed a dark, cunning air before she added, "You are far from qualified to be able to obtain one, in any respect.""You … You!" Sophia cried, eyes bugging out from her face, but she couldn't find the words.The guests were on Sliva's side on this one. Sophia had caused trouble countless times by now, her reputation in Solana City on a needle's edge. If it weren't for her husband, Javier Beckett, she wouldn't have been able to stick around any longer.It was all the more infuriating that someone who was debased and shameless as Sophia was calling for justice to be done."Besides," Sliva said, turning to Betty, "Can you confidently say you had no cl