The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 247

The private room was typically off-limits to the public. It was only reserved for esteemed guests.

"Rest assured. The raw gemstones in here were all hand-picked by us." Barret said with a grin. "Feel free to take a look and note down the number of any stone that catches your eye. The highest bidder takes it during the auction."

Eddy was immediately intrigued and walked over, using a high-beam flashlight to examine the raw gemstones.

He turned to Calista. "I'll make sure to select a top-grade gemstone for you and have it made into a beautiful jewelry set."

"I'll also pick a fine one for you, Calista." Carl said, not wanting to be left behind.

"Thank you." Calista replied with a smile before subtly glancing at Jacob.

Jacob understood her cue and then went to Vivienne. "Miss Brooks, let's go take a look as well. You mentioned wanting something better, right? These raw stones were mined from the Mirelia Continent by our company. They're the cream of the crop and are exclusively for our VIP clients. Ordinary folks won't even get a glimpse of them."

Vivienne gave him a half-smile and a half-smirk, then followed him over to a black-barked raw stone marked with the number 198. It weighed sixteen kilograms and had a starting bid of 10 million.

After a brief look, Vivienne had already formed an opinion about the stone.

Jacob was still enthusiastically introducing the stone. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'If you're bidding on stones, always go for the black ones'? You see, this stone shows almost no color under the light, which means it has a thick layer of fog inside. It's a high-risk, high-reward bet. I can assure you that once this stone is cut open, it will reveal emeralds of the finest quality."

He lowered his voice as if he were sharing a secret. "Just imagine it. A stone this big can yield dozens of bracelets. If you think about the value of those emeralds, it's almost like hitting the jackpot. You must bid for it later."

"And if it's such a treasure, why doesn't your boss have it cut and sell it directly?" Vivienne asked, feigning indifference.

"Well, it's a company rule. We can't gamble on our own stones." Jacob replied as his smile faltered slightly.

"What a pity. You guys missed such a golden opportunity." Vivienne’s tone was flat, portraying her lack of interest.

"Anyway, you must bid for this stone later." Jacob insisted.

Vivienne raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Just then, Eddy walked over and examined the stone under the light. Jacob was visibly relieved when Eddy, who didn't quite get along with Vivienne, didn't say a word to her.

Jacob continued to emphasize the value of the stone numbered 198, urging Vivienne to bid for it before leading her to another stone marked with the number 213. This stone, weighing fifteen kilograms, had a starting bid of 5 million.

"Although the color isn't as good as the previous one, the texture is definitely top-grade. Miss Brooks, you must bid for this one too." Jacob urged.

Vivienne nodded absentmindedly, indicating that he should continue.

For the rest of the stones, Jacob didn't have much to say. He only emphasized the stones numbered 198 and 213 again. He insisted that Vivienne must bid for them while sharing stories about people striking it rich with stone gambling.

Vivienne found it amusing. Why would this man, whom she just met today, assume that she had so much money to spend?

Once all the guests had looked over the raw stones and noted down the numbers of their preferred ones, the auction began.