The two oppressive glares nearly crushed the guy. Just as he was about to cave and lower his head, Sylvia spoke up. “Come on, we’re all here for the charity gala. There’s no need to get so worked up.”
“What?” Erica scotted, unimpressed. “Seriously? You think you get to decide anything?”
“Alright, guess that’s just me being overly hopeful,” Sylvia replied. She shot the guy a helpless look, then didn’t. say another word.
“Sorry!” the guy finally said. He apologized, but he couldn’t quite hide the hatred burning in his eyes.
“Wise choice, Erica snorted, turning away from him, Jeremy sat back down.
With his dignity completely shattered in front of everyone, there was no way he could stay at the gala any longer.
Before leaving, he made a point to thank Sylvia. “Ms. Jansen, I’m Mark Worley. Thanks for speaking up for me earlier. If there’s anything my family can do for you in the future, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“There will be,” Sylvia replied with a knowing smile. Sure, the Worley family was barely a third–rate family, but sometimes, it was the little guys who could get the dirty work done.
At the next table, Erica narrowed her eyes as she watched them, then nudged Jeremy with her elbow. “Jeremy, find out that guy’s information. Let’s just deal with him now, before he teams up with Sylvia and causes more trouble.”
Jeremy rubbed his forehead. “Erica, are you out of your mind?”
“What?” Erica shot back.
“We already made him apologize. That’s pretty much closing the book on this. If we go after him now, people will start talking, and we’ll end up being the target. Better to lay low for a while,” Jeremy suggested.
“How long?” Erica was impatient. She couldn’t wait even a second.
“Just wait a couple days,” Jeremy sighed, clearly a bit tired of the drama. “Let me come up with a reason first, then you can go wild however you want.”
“Fine, Erica agreed, flashing him a smile.
Luckily, it was just Stella, Jeremy, and Erica at their table. If anyone else had overheard their conversation, they might have freaked out.
“Did you guys forget about me?” Stella said, giving the two a helpless look. “He already apologized. Honestly, it’s not really necessary to go this far.”
“Not happening,” Erica protested. “Didn’t you see how he’s buddying up with that bitch? Once he becomes her lackey, he’ll help her come after you. It’s better to act now and stop it before it gets worse.”
17:33 Sat, Oct 18
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Chapter 113
55 vouchers
“Alright,” Stella nodded. Erica was clearly just looking out for her, so Stella couldn’t argue with that.
While they were chatting, the host walked up on stage, quickly explained the rules, and had the first auction item brought out.
“This next item is the Azure Heart–a stunning piece of jewelry donated by Mrs. Wallace. It was originally bought for 600 thousand, and with its current collector’s value… Every new bid must be at least 50 thousand more,” the host declared.
At charity galas like this, all auction items were donated by the guests, and all the money raised went straight to charity. Of course, there were other ways to contribute as well, but those additional donations typically came in following the live auction.
“Stella, that jewelry is a heart–shaped blue diamond, paired with…” Knowing Stella couldn’t see, Erica took the initiative to describe it for her.
Jeremy added, “If you like it, just go ahead and bid–don’t worry about the money, I’ve got it covered. No pressure.”
Obviously, Jeremy knew Stella didn’t have much saved up at the moment. Plus, since coming to the charity gala was his idea in the first place, picking up the tab was only fair.
Besides, with how close they were, there was no need for any formalities between them.
“Alright, Jeremy,” Stella said casually–she didn’t bother with any polite pretenses between them. “If I spot something I want, I’ll tell you. But this jewelry? I’m not interested, so I’ll pass.”
The opening bid of 600 thousand shot up to over a million in no time. That price was way too high for what it was actually worth–totally not worth it.
“Erica, you’re the sweetest,” Stella cooed gently, her voice full of affection.
Stella was about to agree when the host suddenly shouted, “Next up is something truly special. A design notebook from an anonymous top–tier jewelry designer, packed with all their design secrets and experience. There’s only one copy in existence. Starting bid, one hundred thousand.”
That made Stella sit up, her interest instantly piqued. It wasn’t just her–Sylvia Jansen and several other jewelry company owners at nearby tables perked up too.
If the organizers were willing to put something like this up for auction, there was no way it’d be a scam. It had to be legit.
A top designer’s personal notes–anyone in the jewelry business would be dying to get their hands on that.
“150 thousand,” someone shouted. The host had barely finished speaking before a voice rang out, kicking off the bidding war.
“200 thousand… 250 thousand… 300 thousand… 500 thousand…” The room was buzzing, paddles flashing as the bidding spiraled.
“Stella, aren’t you gonna jump in with a bid?” Erica asked, puzzled, “I thought you really wanted those notes?”
“Let’s wait a bit,” Stella said with a relaxed smile. “There are too many people bidding right now. No point jumping in just yet. I’ll wait until it calms down.”
“Alright,” Erica nodded.
Soon, when the bidding hit 1.5 million, the chaos finally quieted down. For anyone not in the jewelry business, that shabby little booklet wasn’t worth the high price.
Even if a jewelry company purchased it, their designers wouldn’t necessarily improve, and even if they did, it wouldn’t guarantee a comparable return on investment. And even if it did yield a return, there was still the risk of those improved designers leaving for another company.
All in all, the risk was too high for a small reward. It wasn’t worth it.
17:33 Sat, Oct 18
Chapter 114
Chapter 114

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