When the Dead Still Call novel Chapter 54

ter 54 A Dangerous Decision

Where was she supposed to find 1.5 million dollars? If her dad ever found out, she’d be dead.

Gianna had no choice but to call her brother.

1-1 need to make a call,” she stammered.

Her fingers shook as she dialed Marcelo’s number.

While waiting for him to arrive, she sat limp in her chair, surrounded by whispers from the other socialites.

‘Did you hear? The Nygards are having financial problems.”

‘Gianna can’t even come up with 1.5 million.”

“Those earrings she wore look fake too.”

“What a fool! Spending that much on a fake necklace. What was she thinking?”

“Come on, it’s for charity. You wouldn’t understand.”

The mocking voices stabbed at her from every direction.

It felt like ants were crawling all over her heart, biting until she could barely breathe.

Even if the necklace was fake, she had no choice but to accept it.

It was for charity, after all. She could only pretend it was a good deed.

But 1.5 million dollars… It felt like a knife twisting in her chest.

That money could’ve bought her countless designer bags and dresses.

All because of that wicked Amelia.

She had set her up, made her look like a fool, and left her paying for it.

Amelia, I swear! You’ll pay for this.

Gianna clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms without her even noticing the pain.

Her eyes locked on the VIP room door, as if her glare could burn a hole through it.

“Gianna!” Marcelo stormed in, his face dark with anger. “What happened?”

Over the phone, she hadn’t made sense. This was supposed to be a charity gala.

Why did she suddenly need rescuing?

Finished

“Marcelo!” Gianna rushed to him like he was her laChapter 53 The Bidding War

What’s wrong with rich socialites doing something good for once?

The second item up for auction was a sapphire bracelet.

Demi’s eyes lit up. “Amelia, what do you think of this one?”

Finished

Amelia took a closer look and nodded slightly. “The texture’s smooth and glossy. The quality’s pretty good, though there are some tiny streaks inside the stone. Most people wouldn’t notice them with the naked eye.”

“Perfect! I’ll buy it for my mom. Her birthday’s coming up.” Demi beamed with excitement.

Finally, she’d found something worth bidding on.

With Amelia around, she didn’t have to worry about buying a fake.

She raised her paddle and called out brightly, “Five hundred thousand!”

No one else joined the bidding. Everyone thought the bracelet wasn’t worth that much.

Demi’s budget was around a million. She was happy to have gotten it at half the price.

Gianna and Belinda exchanged mocking glances. Isn’t Amelia supposed to be the big expert?

Why is she suddenly so quiet?

Hmph. I know it.

Amelia was throwing random guesses earlier. She knew nothing about jewelry.

The final and main auction piece was a ruby necklace. As soon as the auctioneer announced the starting bid of 500 thousand, Gianna immediately raised her paddle.

She’d come tonight for that necklace.

Amelia gave it a brief glance, then calmly raised her paddle too. “Six hundred thousand.”

Gianna’s face tightened. Amelia competing with her made her panic. “Eight hundred thousand!”

She didn’t even think about how much money she actually had.

The family had been going through financial trouble lately, and her allowance had been cut.

She had begged her brothers for money just to attend this charity gala.

Her total budget was less than one million.

Amelia noticed how nervous Gianna looked and smiled faintly, her tone light but sharp. “One million.”

Gianna’s hand trembled, her face turning pale.

1/3

10:51 pm GPP

Chapter 53 The Bidding War

finished

That witch! She’s doing this just to spite me!

Grinding her teeth, Gianna forced herself to shout, “One million one hundred thousand!”

Amelia didn’t even flinch. Her voice stayed calm, as if she were talking about the weather. “One million three hundred thousand.”

The crowd gasped.

That price was high for the necklace’s real value.

Gianna’s fingers dug into her palms so hard they almost drew blood. Sweat rolled down her forehead.

She looked at Belinda for help, but Belinda had already slipped to the back of the room.

“Ms. Gianna, would you like to continue bidding?” the auctioneer asked eagerly.

Gianna’s jaw tightened as she glared at Amelia’s calm, confident smile. “One and a half million!” she shouted through gritted teeth.

She couldn’t lose, not to Amelia. Besides, she’d dreamed about that necklace for months.

“One and a half million, going once! Going twice! Sold!”

The sound of the gavel hitting the podium made Gianna’s knees weak.

She finally let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her. The ruby necklace was hers now. Her mood soared. That was all that mattered.

Amelia suddenly stood up and began to clap gracefully. “Congratulations, Gianna, for winning the necklace at such a high price.”

Gianna lifted her chin proudly. “So you do admit this, Amelia. If you like it that much, I can lend it to you

sometime.”

Amelia smiled faintly. “Thanks, but I don’t wear fakes. You love fake jewelry. It suits you perfectly.”

“Fake?” Gianna frowned at her words. “What are you talking about?”

Demi quickly followed Amelia, whispering, “Amelia, that necklace was really fake?”

Demi’s eyes widened in realization. “So you knew it was fake and purposely bid it up to embarrass her?”

Gianna had it coming.

10:51 pm Gp p

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify