He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 290

With Lydia leading the charge, a wave of laughter erupted across the room. Every eye was locked onto Juniper and Helena.

Juniper entirely ignored them, but Helena was drowning in embarrassment. Several of her afternoon-tea socialite friends were in the crowd. She had come here to secure a legendary piece of jadeite, only to become the evening's biggest joke.

Her stomach churned, and a cold sweat broke out on the tip of her nose.

That was the second cut. In the industry, if the second cut showed gray, the stone was officially declared dead.

With a room full of veterans unanimously declaring the rock garbage, it was obvious that even if Juniper possessed some raw talent, she had catastrophically miscalculated.

Helena swallowed hard, desperate to grab Juniper and flee, but Juniper just looked at the cutter. "Keep going. The next cut needs to be incredibly precise."

The cutter's face flushed red. He couldn't believe how unflappable she was. The entire room was treating her like a clown, yet she stood there like a queen holding court.

Lydia smirked and turned to Rupert Zale. "Master Zale, what's your professional opinion?"

Rupert looked at Juniper, his tone surprisingly gentle. "You never know what a stone is hiding until the final cut. One slice can ruin you; the next can make you a billionaire. I can't give a definitive conclusion. Human experience doesn't always apply to the unpredictability of nature."

Lydia was stunned. She had fully expected him to join in on the mockery.

Her smile tightened slightly. "Then let's make a bet. If there's actually something inside that rock, I'll pay for everyone's dinner tonight. But if it's empty..."

She locked eyes with Juniper. "Juniper, care to join the table? This auction house has a private dining room. It's notoriously expensive. I can lend you the cash, but I'd hate for you to bankrupt yourself trying to save face."

Her tone dripped with absolute, aristocratic superiority.

Juniper completely ignored the bait and simply nodded. "You're on. If I pull a winner, you hand over the bracelet on your wrist, and you still buy dinner for the room."

Lydia was currently wearing a three-million-dollar jadeite bracelet. It wasn't the absolute pinnacle of the market, but its aesthetic and water quality were flawless.

Three million was pocket change to Lydia, and she was absolutely convinced Juniper's boulder was a dud.

"Deal. But let me warn you again, Juniper. The restaurant here is astronomically expensive. Don't write checks your ego can't cash."

Juniper didn't even look at her, keeping her eyes glued to the cutter.

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