Chapter 122
Marcus believed the beads.
This stone wasn’t random-it contained something powerful, something the bracelet recognized as pure gem energy. He could feel it calling to himm
Ignoring the growing mockery, “I really want this,” he declared calmly, his voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air.
Sancho’s laughter echoed through. “! Still proving stubborn ehn. You don’t want to admit you are just a pure novice? I can bet that stone contains nothing. I don’t even know why I’m wasting my breath telling you this, poor fool.”
Marcus turned to face him directly, eyes locking with Sancho’s in a challenge. “You sure it contains nothing?”
Sancho puffed out his chest, his malicious grin widening. “One hundred percent! Even if it contains something at all, maybe just some little worthless gem that won’t even cover your losses. Because that stone right there? It’s two million dollars to buy. Two million! You’d be throwing your life away on a shiny rock that’s probably hollow inside.”
Marcus didn’t flinch. “What about a bet, then?”
The words hung in the air for a split second before Sancho flared up, his face twisting with explosive excitement.
“Oh yes! Let’s bet!” He stepped closer, jabbing a finger toward Marcus. “And if you lose, I will take your finger.” He was too confident, almost giddy, his grin stretching ear to ear as his bodyguards chuckled darkly behind him. “ What are you saying, huh? You are scared right now, aren’t you? Backing out already?”
Marcus shrugged casually, his expression cool and unreadable. “Is that what you want to bet on? Our fingers.”
Sancho screamed out triumphantly, spittle flying. “Yes! Our fingers! That is what I want. You lose, and I will take your finger!” His eyes gleamed with savage anticipation.
Sapphire, watched the exchange with wide-eyed horror. She believed Marcus would lose everything—his money, his dignity, and possibly his finger. Her voice trembled as she intervened, stepping between them. “Don’t you think we are going too far here? Let’s just all calm down for a moment. This isn’t worth it. Please, sir, think rationally.”
Marcus chimed in without hesitation, his determination unwavering. “Okay. It’s a bet.”
Sancho’s grin turned feral. “You heard him! You all heard him. You better not back out after this. You can’t even if you wanted to, because I will tell my men here to pin you down like the dog you are.” He gestured sharply to his bodyguards, who nodded with menacing stares.
Marcus scoffed lightly. “You also.” He met Sancho’s gaze evenly. Sancho, still brimming with overconfidence, waved it off. “Anyway, I am not losing. So buy your empty stone and let’s see what a fool you really are.”
“I want it,” Marcus repeated firmly.
Sapphire tried one last time to talk him out of it, her beautiful face etched with genuine concern. She leaned in closer, her voice low and urgent. “You see? You are going to lose. This is madness. I’ve seen beginners like you walk away ruined. Please, reconsider before it’s too late.”
But Marcus was determined. He reached out himself, lifting the heavy stone from the display and carrying it to the counter table with steady hands. He placed it down decisively. “Cut it. Let’s see.”
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Sapphire sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping in reluctant acceptance. While Sancho grinned like a predator awaiting fresh meat, rubbing his hands together in glee, she gulped hard.
Deep down, she decided that if Marcus failed, she wouldn’t have any choice but to try negotiating with Sancho afterward–perhaps offering a payment plan or some other way to spare the young man’s finger. She couldn’t bear the thought of violence erupting in her store again.
With trembling hands, she brought out the heavy cutting machine from the back room. The device was industrial, with a diamond-tipped blade designed for slicing through tough raw stones.
She positioned the rock carefully under the saw, double-checking the alignment.
The machine hummed to life with a low, vibrating “Hummmmm,” .
filling the store with mechanical tension. Sancho’s bodyguards leaned in closer, smirking. Marcus stood tall.
Just as Sapphire was about to press the blade down fully.
“Sprrrrrr!”
A sudden sound erupted from within the stone as a brilliant light burst forth from the thin crack forming in the middle, so intense and radiant that it flooded the entire room.
The glow was blinding, forcing Sapphire to stop abruptly and cover her eyes with her forearm. Marcus squinted against the flare, shielding his face. Even Sancho and his men recoiled, covering their eyes in shock.
“What in hell is happening?” Sancho mumbled, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of unease for the first
time.
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