“Emily, that shawl is gorgeous! Who’s the designer? I haven’t seen anything like it before,” Kristina remarked, lightly touching the fabric, her eyes full of admiration and curiosity. Emily smiled, her face glowing with pride. “It’s handcrafted by my future daughter-in-law.”Kristina paused for a moment, then regained her composure and nodded, smiling. “That’s really impressive.”Nearby, Annabelle’s eyes flickered with barely concealed envy and dissatisfaction. She forced a smile, glancing at Emily’s shawl now and then, gripping her mother’s hand a bit too tightly. Kristina gently squeezed Annabelle’s hand, smiling. “Connor’s in a relationship, huh? I wonder who the lucky girl is. I haven’t heard anything about her.”Emily chuckled, her eyes shining with admiration. “She’s not from our social circles, but she’s truly a wonderful girl.”At that moment, a wealthy lady chimed in with a laugh, “Is it that celebrity girl?”With a hint of disdain, she recalled how she had once tried to introduce her daughter to Connor, but Emily had politely declined, a decision that still seemed to irk her.Emily laughed, covering her mouth, and shook her head. “No, it’s not her. Connor and she are just classmates.”Hearing this, the other wealthy ladies expressed their curiosity and surprise, speculating about who this mysterious fiancée could be and how she had won Connor’s heart. Meanwhile, Annabelle remained silent, her jealousy simmering. “Seen any jewelry you like tonight?” one of the ladies asked.Emily smiled softly and shook her head. “Actually, I haven’t set my sights on any particular piece tonight. But Connor has taken a liking to a bracelet and plans to gift it to his girlfriend. I guess I’m playing the ‘middleman’ tonight.” The ladies laughed, and one teased, “Connor must really care about her; it looks like the Passos family will have a celebration soon.”Emily laughed and replied, “I’ll definitely invite everyone when the time comes.” sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNøvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Just then, the auctioneer’s voice filled the room, and Emily, along with the other ladies, took their seats.The auctioneer, holding a gavel, enthusiastically introduced each item up for bid, while Emily sat in the front row of the VIP section, listening attentively. Her gaze shifted calmly between the auction items and the bidders.Suddenly, the auctioneer presented a magnificent jadeite lavender bracelet, announcing. “This is a precious bracelet from the ancient East, featuring rare lavender jadeite, a gift from nature itself. The bidding starts at five and a half million; please begin.” As soon as he finished speaking, Emily raised her bidding paddle and calmly said, “Six million.”The bidding instantly became lively, with other participants quickly raising the price to eight million six hundred thousand. “Nine million,” Emily raised her paddle again.At that moment, Annabelle suddenly lifted her paddle, her voice clear and determined: “Ten million!”Emily turned, slightly startled, and looked at Annabelle, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. The other bidders stopped, and the atmosphere in the room tensed up.