The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 148

"Dropping fifteen million on a rock—the Quinns must have deep pockets. Nora really picked the wrong fight this time. Without Gideon backing her up, how could she ever compete?"

The biting remarks drifted perfectly to Nora's ears.

She ignored the surrounding mockery, completely unbothered by Cassidy's taunts.

Staying seated, she shifted her gaze back to the raw gemstone on stage.

The massive screen continued to cycle through high-definition macros of the stone. Under the intense lighting, the emerald hue in the cut window looked dangerously alluring.

Nora tracked her eyes down the edge of the window, meticulously scrutinizing the texture of the outer crust. Her years of jewelry design and intensive gemstone study allowed her to instantly catch the tiny, lethal details a layman would miss.

The gritty texture on the husk was uneven. Near the base, a microscopic, grayish-brown fracture snaked through the surface. It was so deeply camouflaged within the stone's natural ridges that it was invisible without magnification.

What was even more fatal was the rich green in the window. When the light hit it, the edges of the color flashed with a distinct, crystalline glare, and its spread toward the core looked unnaturally abrupt.

In the gemstone trade, it was a classic sign of internal decay—a defect that devoured the emerald core.

On the surface, it looked like a massive, flawless slab of jade. But once cut open, the inside was almost guaranteed to be nothing but worthless, rot-riddled scrap.

Nora pulled her gaze away, an imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Cassidy wanted to humiliate her by throwing cash around? Nora was more than happy to oblige.

Nora lifted her paddle.

"Sixteen million."

Her voice was steady. She deliberately sat up straighter, locking her eyes onto the stone, perfectly playing the part of a desperate jewelry designer ready to bid whatever it took to win.

Cassidy practically lit up with joy at the sight. She was convinced Nora was seeing red and losing her grip on reality.

"Twenty million, going three times. Sold!"

The gavel slammed down. Hearing the finality of the strike, pure, unadulterated ecstasy washed over Cassidy's face.

She stood up, spinning around to mock Nora at full volume.

"Trash will always be trash. Scheming your way into wealth can't cover up the fact that you're nothing but cheap. Let this be a lesson to you on what real old money looks like. Even if I just carve this stone into a tacky paperweight, it's still better off than being in your grubby hands."

Several socialites eager to kiss up to Cassidy burst into a chorus of snickers.

Nora remained seated, watching Cassidy completely lose herself in her own arrogance. Finally, she picked up her catalog and stood.

The ballroom lights caught Nora as she rose. Unfazed by the insults, her posture was impeccable, her gaze cool and composed.

"You're right, Ms. Quinn. Watching someone drop twenty million on absolute garbage is definitely a learning experience."