He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 784

Securing those prime seats obviously required some serious string-pulling.

Scarlett watched the smug, superior smirk plastered across Veronica's face and found it utterly laughable. To her, they were entirely irrelevant.

She was only here for one reason: to secure the rare purple diamond for her brother so he could give it to their mother.

Soon, the lights dimmed. The auctioneer stepped up to the podium, officially kicking off the event.

The first few lots were standard high-end jewelry and classic paintings. They sold for decent amounts but didn't cause much of a stir.

It wasn't until the seventh item was rolled out that a collective gasp rippled through the room.

It was the rare purple diamond. Flawlessly cut and entirely natural, it was a breathtaking stone that caught the spotlight and refracted it into a dazzling, romantic glow.

It was perfect for her mother. Zachary definitely had an eye for these things.

Just as Scarlett's hand twitched toward her paddle, the paddle in the front row shot up.

Yardley's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly across the silent hall. "Ten million."

The room went dead quiet.

The starting bid had been five million. Doubling it right out of the gate was a pure power move. He was making it clear he intended to walk away with it.

Veronica whipped her head toward him, her eyes wide with shock and adoration. She offered him a sickeningly sweet, coquettish smile, completely overwhelmed.

She hadn't expected Yardley to be so incredibly generous. Throwing down ten million without blinking, just for her?

From her vantage point, Scarlett had a perfect view of Veronica practically melting into her seat. Yardley's aggressive bid was obviously meant to impress his new flavor of the month.

Even though Scarlett's feelings for Yardley had long turned to ash, the sight was still irritating.

Instead, Julian's paddle went right back up. His voice remained perfectly level. "Thirty million."

He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.

The atmosphere in the room hit a fever pitch. The crowd excitedly whispered among themselves, sensing the heavy, personal animosity between the two wealthy young men.

Seeing the price hit such an absurd height, Veronica tugged at Yardley's sleeve, leaning in to whisper, "Yardley, let it go. If he wants to be a sucker and overpay, let him."

Yardley hated backing down, his hand twitching toward the paddle, but reality harshly checked him.

Flynn Group's cash flow was notoriously tight right now. The company was barely staying afloat, entirely reliant on the capital injected by AM Capital.

Weighing his bruised ego against his bank account, he forced a smirk. "Fine. If you say so."

He quickly pivoted, trying to save face. "There's an emerald necklace coming up later anyway. That one will suit you much better."