Chapter 40

LINDA'S POV

A necklace, huh?

The moment I laid eyes on the necklace being wheeled out on a velvet-covered tray, my mouth fell open in shock.

As soon as I saw the necklace being wheeled out on a velvet-covered tray, my jaw dropped.

No, no, no. It couldn’t be.

But there it was, Aria's necklace.

I stood up so fast that my chair made a loud scraping noise against the floor.

My mouth was hanging open, my eyes wide with disbelief. “Damn it!! I specifically told Mother not to bring it here because Dante would be coming. So why… why is it here?” I whispered under my breath, my thoughts tangled in shock.

When I glanced across the room, I saw Dante glaring at me. His expression was filled with rage, his jaw clenched so tight I thought he might shatter his teeth.

I turned and practically bolted from the auction hall, with my mother rushing after me. The moment we were outside, where the cool night air slapped me in the face, I turned around to face her.

“Why did you bring it here, Mother?" I sna