The True Heiress's Return

Shakira responded with a question, "How much do you think this pearl necklace is worth?"

Xanthe answered without hesitation, "Even a fool can tell it's worth at most 600 thousand dollars. It's really not a good deal right now!"

"Even a fool can tell?" Shakira raised an eyebrow and smiled, looking noble and stunning. "Yvette and Jayden can also see that, but they keep raising their bids." "So you mean..." Xanthe was puzzled, watching the hint of a smile on Shakira's face.

"They were likely bidding to buy it at first, but now the price has far exceeded its real value, and they're still pushing. Their motive has shifted." replied Shakira.

Xanthe immediately understood, and her eyes lit up with excitement. "With how jealous Yvette is of you, there's no way she'd let you win. She'll keep bidding no matter what! So you're not really trying to buy the necklace; you just want to make them pay more!" Shakira shrugged. "Besides, the host is Gideon. As a friend, I'm helping him make more money, as a way of returning the favor for his invitation."

Xanthe, overcome with excitement, laughed out loud. "Shakira, had no idea you were this sneaky! Gosh, I'm starting to like you even more!"

She couldn't help but hug Shakira and give her a big kiss on the cheek.

Shakira was momentarily stunned.

Meanwhile, Walter, who was watching the livestream, was furious and jealous.

Seeing what appeared to be a celebratory gesture between Shakira and Xanthe, as if the pearl necklace were already theirs, Yvette and her group grew visibly frustrated.

Even Aaron couldn't help but say, "Jayden, I've got a bit of cash, too. Consider it my sponsorship for Yvette-we can't let those two wins!"

Jayden said with a dark gaze, "No need." He raised his paddle again. "One and a half million."

The new high bid once again drew all eyes in the room.

The auctioneer's voice rose with excitement. "One and a half million from Bidder 38! Going once!"

Jayden and his group all watched Shakira intently. But Shakira, staring ahead at the stage, made no move.

"Going twice at 1.5 million dollars," the auctioneer said.

Yvette's hands clenched unconsciously, and her gaze was locked on Shakira.

The room remained silent. Not only did Shakira refrain from raising the bid, but even VIP Bidder 1, who had been fiercely competing earlier, stopped bidding. "Going three times at 1.5 million dollars." With a bang, the auctioneer brought down the gavel. "Congratulations to Bidder 38 on winning the pearl necklace!" Yvette exhaled sharply in relief, a smile spreading across her face, "Jayden, we got it!"Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Jayden's tense expression shifted slightly. "Yes."

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Aaron, equally pleased, chimed in. "Jayden, only you can afford such a price. That woman is no match for you."

Berry smirked. "Even with Mr. Lopez backing her, there's no way he'd let her spend that much."

While they basked in joy, the VIP guests in another room were confused.

"Wait, what? Walter, why didn't you let Brian keep bidding?" Ben was puzzled by Jayden's victory. He thought, It's just 1.5 million dollars; that's nothing to Walter.' Walter remained expressionless. "No need. She was never serious about buying it."

Benji was confused. "What?"

Calton couldn't help but say, "That can't be right. If she wasn't trying to win it, why'd she keep up the game for so long?"

Even Gavin shook his head. "Mr. Lopez, you might have outsmarted yourself this time."

Kyle stayed silent, simply watching.

Walter lazily revealed the truth, saying, "She was just toying with the two people." The group exchanged glances and shook their heads again.

They couldn't help but think, 'See? A late bloomer in love faces disadvantages; he still can't decipher a woman's feelings!"

Each of them silently pitied Shakira, until the camera turned to her, and they caught her looking nothing close to disappointed. Instead, she had a satisfied look, like a cat that got into the cream. "She doesn't look like upset at all..." said Benji.

"She actually seems pleased," Calton said.

"After observing Calton's smug expressions for years, I can tell her look has the same vibe," said Gavin.

At that, they all went silent, thinking, 'Fair enough; a woman's heart is hard to fathom, and Walter's girlfriend is even more challenging to figure out.

Slow on the uptake, Calton suddenly exploded. "Hey! Gavin, who are you calling smug?"

********

The auction continued, with several more pieces of jewelry presented. Yvette was immediately enchanted by them. But, too embarrassed to ask Jayden to spend more after already blowing.5 million dollars, she had to watch as other bidders claimed them. Finally, the last item was revealed-a radiant ruby necklace, adorned with Orenda Ocean pearls of the same quality as the previous pearl necklace.

The pearl necklace Yvette was given paled in comparison to the ruby necklace,

The auctioneer called out, "The starting bid for the ruby necklace is 300 thousand dollars."

Yvette stared fixedly at the necklace as the bidding rounds proceeded, and in the end, Shakira bought it for 600 thousand dollars.

Now, everyone's attention shifted to Yvette's group. Their expressions said it all: spending 1.5 million dollars on a string of pearls alone, these people must be quite foolish.

Yvette was fuming. Jayden and the others felt the same sting of embarrassment, their faces long with disappointment and frustration.

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After the auction ended, Xanthe swaggered up to Yvette's group. unable to suppress the smug smile on her face.

Shakira stood just behind her, observing at a measured distance with a smirk that only sharpened the sting for Yvette and her friends.

"Oh my, let me see-who was it that just bought a string of pearls without a single gemstone for 1.5 million dollars?" Xanthe said.

"Xanthe, could you be any more irritating?" Berry snapped.

Xanthe feigned cleaning out her ear. "Ah, so that's what a fool sounds like-I've learned something new today."

""You-" Berry was furious.

"Berry, let it go," Yvette said, taking a deep breath and trying to appear indifferent. "Rubies are so flashy; they're not suited for Grandma. Our choice is just right." "Exactly. Both necklaces have the same pearls, but ours had a higher starting price, so it must be better!" Aaron grumbled defiantly.

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