Austin was somewhat surprised. He looked at the jewelry box in his hand with a slight smile. "Well, thank you."With that, he left with Vincent.As they departed, the staff, who was responsible for presenting the diamond to Austin, gradually furrowed his brow.He hurriedly made his way to a secluded corner and placed a call."Boss, there's been a change of plans. The Blue Tears Diamond didn't end up in Ms. Clark's hands.""Was it purchased by a gentleman named Austin Campbell?"Jacob's unexpectedly calm voice came out across the phone, causing the staff's furrow to deepen.He replied, "Yes, it was a gentleman named Austin.""Very well. Everything is going smoothly."Beep!The call abruptly ended.The staff member stood there in shock.He thought Jacob brought out the Blue Tears Diamond to impress Yannis.He wondered if it was for Austin instead.Did they misunderstand Jacob's intentions?Meanwhile, Yannis stumbled out of the auction house in a daze. Eyes hollowed, she w
As a local big shot, Jacob quickly learned about the arrival of the Clarks.The sudden appearance of the Clarks left him puzzled at first. But he soon investigated and found out the reason.The Clarks had come for Austin.So, when the Clarks decided to meet Austin at the auction house, he knew his opportunity had arrived.He had made several attempts to win over Austin's heart, but his plans were continuously shattered. After Austin broke his back, he no longer dared to approach Austin.The arrival of the Clark family presented him with the perfect opportunity to win over Austin.Therefore, Jacob generously brought out the Blue Tears Diamond.It was seemingly to please Yannis, but in reality, it was all for Austin.He was confident that Austin would bid the diamond out of love for Cecily.After all, judging from Austin's previous proposals, it was evident that he spared no expense for Cecily."My once-winning hand has been completely shattered. Now, I can only try to mend my
Austin had to admit that the item Jacob had presented him was indeed extraordinary.After putting the Blue Tears Diamond back into the jewelry box, Austin smiled faintly. "This token of goodwill alone isn't enough to make things go back to the way they used to be."Jacob had betrayed Austin several times. But since things hadn't gone horribly wrong, Austin considered showing mercy to Jacob out of gratitude for his past support.He broke Jacob's back to play it safe.Austin's everything was in this city, and Jacob was a big shot here. How could he allow someone else to take control of his territory?He would never let Jacob surpass him!Pulling out his phone, Austin sent a message to Cecily."I got you a gift."Cecily's response came almost instantly."Really? Show me quickly!"Austin chuckled. "If I show you now, it won't be a surprise anymore.""Hmph … Let's see whether you really can surprise me.""Just wait and see. Get some rest soon."After replying to the message, Au
After a brief moment, Austin smiled.Compared to the invitation from the Clarks, this one was more interesting.There was only a phone number and a line of text on the invitation.The text read. "I got business to discuss with you. Jennie Cooper."Putting down the invitation, Austin pondered briefly.Eventually, he took out his phone and dialed the number.The call was connected."Hello, is this Mr. Austin Campbell?" A slightly aloof voice came through.Austin was somewhat surprised. "Yes, it's me. Ms. Cooper, may I ask what business you want to discuss with me?""Let's meet at the Emerald Retreat's Sky Pavilion at 8:00 pm tonight."Beep!The call ended abruptly.Austin was taken aback.Judging from the invitation, he felt that the Coopers' purpose was similar to the Clarks'.But unlike the Clarks, the Coopers were surprisingly straightforward.Compared to the Clark family, Austin was more inclined to meet Jennie.It wasn't because of her straightforwardness, which piqu
As the evening approached, Austin left work right on time.Aldus was already waiting in the car by the roadside.After Wolf and Austin entered the car, they headed straight to Emerald Retreat.Austin didn't pay much attention to who might be hosting the event tonight at Emerald Retreat.If it was Jennie, they could sit down and talk.But if it was Yannis, he could simply leave.In the afternoon, Austin had learned a bit about the Cooper family through Ezra. They were also in the entertainment industry and constantly overshadowed by the Clarks.However, the Coppers had other main businesses except for the entertainment industry. Hence, to be exact, the Coppers were a bit stronger than the Clarks.The two families were already arch-rivals in the entertainment industry.It was no wonder both parties had come with the same purpose in mind."Mr. Austin, it seems that both the Clarks and Coopers have come to build rapport with you. I guess it was right for us to go against the Emer
Austin was shocked to see the two families present.He was completely caught off guard.He shot a sideways glance at Jacob, who quickly approached him with an awkward smile. "Mr. Campbell, I'm really sorry about this.""You can leave now."Austin nodded.Although it was a simple response, his words caught the attention of Terrence, Yannis, and Jennie. They were all surprised.Austin spoke as though he was commanding someone inferior to him.Their gazes changed as they stared at him.Once Jacob left, Terrence stepped forward and approached Austin. "Mr. Campbell, please take a seat.""Yes, Mr. Campbell. Please take a seat."Yannis smiled brightly. Her demeanor was now warm and inviting. It was a stark contrast to how she behaved earlier.Austin was speechless. He stole a glance at the woman on the opposite.He wondered why she was so indifferent.Faced with both Terrence and Yannis' insistence, Austin had no reason to refuse. He took his place between them at the head of the
Under the pressure from Terrence and Yannis, Jennie also took a few sips. Her face flushed slightly.While Austin was eating, Terrence seized the opportunity and cast a sidelong glance at Jennie.Then, he exchanged a meaningful look with Yannis. Suddenly, his gaze turned determined.He then chuckled and said he needed to use the restroom before getting up to leave.No one noticed anything unusual, not even the vigilant Aldus and Wolf.Once outside the pavilion, Terrence stretched lazily and breathed a sigh of relief. His breath reeked of alcohol.At that moment, his eyes were clear, and his expression was calm. He didn't seem drunk at all.Terrence glanced back at the pavilion with a firm gaze and strode away."Now, it's time for desperate measures. Jennie Cooper, you might be able to defeat Yannis, but you're no match for me. Tonight, you will lose!"In no time, he had Jacob bring him a bottle of Romanee-Conti.After Jacob left, Terrence retrieved a small packet from his poc
As Aldus spoke, the atmosphere inside the pavilion suddenly became tense."We're in the pavilion. How could there be the smell of blood here?"Feeling secretly pleased, Terrence chuckled and cast a sidelong glance at Austin.It seemed everything was falling into place. Just one final step, and they would succeed.Austin's dizziness grew worse. The spinning sensation was overwhelming him.He shook his head. Then, he spoke up with his last shred of rationality. "Go check it out. Trust Aldus."Aldus was once a mercenary king and was now the head trainer of the Campbells. He was more sensitive to the scent of blood than anyone else.Without hesitation, Wolf gravely approached the main gate.Aldus instinctively moved a step closer to protect Austin.The sudden interruption made Terrence and Yannis furrow their brows slightly. They felt somewhat annoyed.On the other hand, Jennie frowned, too. She wrinkled her nose slightly.She was perhaps the most sober person in the pavilion ap