?Chapter 277:


    “These beads?” Elena’s voice was light, almost dismissive. “They might be fun to y with, but I can’t say they’ve won my heart.” Javier, wanting nothing more than to make her happy, felt a quiet twinge of disappointment.


    Her words triggered a sudden realization, and the fog in his mind cleared. She was not just Elena. She was Helena, the brilliant mind shaping the world of jewelry design.


    His eyes sharpened with newfound understanding. What was he doing, trying to impress Helena with such trivialities?


    As he wrestled with his thoughts, Elena’s voice broke through his reverie. “If you like it, I’d be happy to gift it to you.”


    Javier’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise. “You want to gift it to me?”


    Wait, didn’t she dislike him? So why was she offering him a gift? Did that mean she didn’t actually hate him?


    A wave of relief washed over Javier, dispelling the shadows that had gathered in his heart.


    In the auction room, Karen and Evelyn were locked in a spirited bidding war, the price soaring to an astonishing one million three hundred thousand dors.


    At that moment, Elena, poised andposed, rang the bell, cutting through the escting tension. “Two million.”


    The room fell into stunned silence.


    Evelyn paused, her mind racing. After a moment’s deliberation, she opted out, stepping back with a resigned nod.


    Karen, fueled by determination and pride, pressed on. “Two million one hundred thousand,” she countered firmly.


    Elena’s next bid came swiftly. “Two million five hundred thousand.”


    Inside, Karen seethed, her frustration boiling over. Was Elena taunting her on purpose? Did she enjoypeting with her this much?


    As the daughter of the affluent Spencer family, Karen was ustomed to a life draped in luxury. Money was thest thing she worried about. But the Spencer…


    The family’s power rested firmly in Wesley’s hands. With no shares to his name, Lawrence was left with only a few minor businesses. Gerald and Joseph were the ones funding Karen’s pocket money. Joseph, having recently fallen into Wesley’s crosshairs, was too busy dealing with the fallout to check in on her or fund her usual spending sprees. Karen, who had always indulged in the finest things, now found her reserves dwindling to mere millions.


    In sharp contrast stood Elena, whose financial resources seemed limitless, bolstered by generous transfers from both her parents and brothers. Her wealth was formidable, her assets seemingly boundless.


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    With a scoff, Karen masked her envy with disdain. “It’s just a worthless trinket. I couldn’t care less about it.”


    Yet beneath her dismissive facade, envy simmered fiercely, betraying her true feelings.


    The auction was already in full swing. Aside from a thoughtful gift she had secured for Javier at the very start, Elena hadn’t shown any interest in bidding again. She remained a silent observer until a herb nestled in a rustic wooden box caught her eye, her gaze lighting up with unmistakable interest.


    This was what she had been waiting for—the rare etherscent vine.


    The opening bid was set at a steep one million. Without hesitation, Elena spoke up confidently, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “Two million.”


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