At the auction house, the atmosphere was elegant and refined.


    The auctioneer, dressed in a sophisticated navy dress, exuded grace. Her poised demeanor and charm captivated the audience, effortlesslymanding their attention.


    The earlier auction items failed to catch the interest of either Stephen or Zachary. But soon after, the pink diamond ne was unveiled.


    The auctioneer briefly introduced the ne, emphasizing its rarity and royal heritage, before announcing the starting bid at four million dors.


    Without hesitation, Zachary raised his paddle.


    After several rounds of bidding, the price quickly climbed to six million dors, leaving only a fewpetitors in contention.


    Determined, Zachary raised his paddle again, increasing the bid to 6.2 million dors.


    The auctioneer gestured gracefully. "The current bid is at 6.2 million dors. Would anyone like to raise it to 6.5 million dors?"


    Stephen,posed as ever, raised his paddle.


    The auctioneer smiled in his direction. "We''re now at 6.5 million dors. Is there a bidder for 6.6?"


    Zachary shot a re toward Stephen, his expression darkening as he raised his paddle again.


    "We''re at 6.6 million dors! The bid returns to Paddle 20. Will anyone go higher? Perhaps 6.8 million dors?"


    Stephen raised his paddle once more.


    The auctioneer acknowledged him with a nod. "We''re now at 6.8 million. Are there any further bids?" Determined to secure the ne, Zachary gritted his teeth and raised the bid to seven million dors. Seven million dors was a reasonable investment for him. If Uriah''s cousin appreciated the gift, it could pave the way for a partnership between Gomez Group and Somerton Group, yielding returns worth ten times the cost.


    People said that one must take risks to secure the prize. Zachary was determined to win this ne. The auctioneer''s voice was confident. "Seven million dors! The bid returns to Paddle 20. Would anyone like to go higher?"


    Once again, Stephen raised his paddle.


    "7.5 million!" the auctioneer announced.


    Without hesitation, Zachary raised the bid to eight million dors.


    Stephen moved to raise his paddle again, but Tessa gently ced her hand over his. "Let it go. It''s not worth it."


    The ne, which had started at four million dors, had already doubled in price.


    Tessa nced at the pink diamond ne. To her, it wasn''t worth more than two or three million dors, and she didn''t particrly like it. There was no sense in continuing to bid just to spite Zachary.


    Let him have it.


    She recalled that a blue diamond ne she preferred wasing upter in the auction. That one had truly caught her eye.


    Stephen looked at her briefly, and seeing her calm resolve, set down his paddle.


    In the end, the pink diamond ne was sold to Zachary for eight million dors.


    Seated beside him, Wendy cast a smug nce at Tessa, her lips curling into a mocking smile.


    So, Tessa''s newpanion didn''t seem as impressive after all. He gave up after just eight million dors.


    ...


    In thedies'' restroom, Tessa touched up her makeup. She soon noticed Wendy''s reflection as she entered behind her.


    Wendy approached the sink, her expression smug as she turned on the faucet. "Well, it seems you''ve found yourself a new man in just a few days."


    Tessa continued applying her lipstick, ignoring herpletely.


    Wendy chuckled softly. "I only mentioned that the ne was beautiful, and Zachary spent eight million dors to buy it for me. Your man, though, doesn''t seem to care much for you. He couldn''t even bring himself to spend a bit more."


    Wendy nced at Tessa through the mirror, her lips curling into a disdainful smirk. "Of course, wealthy men aren''t fools. They know where to spend their money wisely. And you... You''re just not worth it." Tessa finished applying her lipstick, her gaze meeting her own reflection in the mirror. Unfazed, she replied, "Is that so? Well, best of luck to you."


    With that, she turned and walked out withposed elegance. Wendy''s words didn''t faze her in the slightest. After all, her life was far better than Wendy could ever imagine.


    At this moment, Wendy resembled a pitiful dog, barking helplessly in anger. Tessa saw no reason to engage with her, as it would only make the situation worse.