He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 284

From that distance, accurately judging the quality of the rough stones was physically impossible.

There was only one access point, and they allowed exactly ten people in at a time. Everyone else had to wait behind the velvet rope.

Beyond the rope, elegant tables were set up, overflowing with premium cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

Helena had sent someone ahead to pull a priority number, so they were slated for the very first group.

As the room filled up before the bidding commenced, more high-society wives drifted in.

Every single one was flanked by a personal appraiser. Juniper immediately locked eyes with two very familiar faces—the veteran appraisers fired from Caleb's auction house.

Wyatt Wade and Rhett Halloway.

Back when Juniper worked there, these two constantly paraded their seniority and threw their weight around.

Now, having been unceremoniously fired, their reputations had taken a massive hit. Hearing that Caleb had replaced them with Juniper was a bitter joke to them.

Juniper was a twenty-five-year-old girl. In the jade industry, she was practically an infant. For her to carry the weight of an entire auction house was laughable. They expected her to crash and burn.

Wyatt walked past Juniper, letting out a loud, obnoxious snort, pretending she was completely invisible.

Juniper hadn't planned on acknowledging him anyway and simply turned her gaze toward the far side of the room.

But Wyatt's assigned seat was right next to hers. The VIP section formed a ring around the room, meaning everyone was shoulder-to-shoulder.

Wyatt was here as Mirabelle's hired gun. Having just been coldly rejected by Juniper hours ago, Mirabelle was still nursing a grudge.

Spotting Juniper again so soon, Mirabelle's eyes glinted with malicious amusement. Dropping the overt hostility, she put on the mask of a disappointed elder. "Juniper, you're here too."

She intentionally initiated contact. Anyone with basic manners would have engaged in polite small talk, but Juniper merely gave a flat "Yeah" to acknowledge her existence.

That was the final straw for Mirabelle, especially with an audience watching.

She took a deep breath, leaning back in her elegant silk dress. "Juniper, your attitude toward the family that kept you from starving is quite disappointing."

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