The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 43

The Southside International Convention Center was hosting an annual jewelry auction and bidding gala, organized by the Capital Chamber of Commerce.

Gideon sat dead center in the VIP front row. His impeccably tailored black suit highlighted his broad shoulders and commanding posture.

He crossed his long legs, his elegant fingers resting on the crimson velvet armrest, tapping rhythmically. His dark eyes carried an unmistakable trace of boredom and fatigue.

This kind of vanity-fueled industry event usually never made it onto the Hayes Group's schedule. Even his vice presidents couldn't be bothered to waste time on these superficial showcases.

His exception today was simple.

That morning, he had spotted a pink diamond in the auction catalog. Its cut and brilliance were top-tier, and he immediately thought of Giselle.

Though his sister's jewelry box was already overflowing with colored diamonds, he thought she would look lovely wearing this one.

To guarantee he secured it, and to personally bring it home as a surprise, he had canceled an international video conference to sit in this noisy hall.

On stage, the bidding presentations dragged on. Representatives from famous jewelry brands took turns flashing elaborate presentations and delivering overhyped sales pitches. Gideon checked his watch, his frown deepening.

They were nothing but mediocre garbage.

The so-called designs were just massive diamonds and colored stones haphazardly clustered together. They lacked any originality, screaming of tasteless, new-money aesthetics.

Gideon picked up his champagne flute and took a sip, suppressing his rising annoyance.

"Next, please welcome the lead designer from Lawrence Atelier to present their bidding proposal."

The spotlight converged on the center of the stage.

Nora explained an ancient metal inlay technique merged seamlessly with modern diamond settings. Her pacing was perfect, her logic airtight. When she spoke about her core design philosophy, those eyes—which he remembered as always lowered in desperate submission—now blazed with raw ambition.

A foreign investor in the front row raised a hand, interrupting her to ask a sharp question about production line scrap rates.

Nora didn't panic. She lowered her clicker, met the investor's eyes, and flawlessly recited three different manufacturing yield statistics, instantly providing a corresponding cost-control strategy. Her answer was bulletproof.

The investor nodded in satisfaction and sat down.

Gideon sat in the audience, his eyes locked onto her as she gracefully deflected every challenge.

Half a month away from the Hayes family, without touching a dime of his money, without calling to beg for mercy—she had poured all her energy into this.

He never knew she had any talent for jewelry design, nor had he ever bothered to ask what her college major was.