Chapter 1143:
Tiffany smiled, but there was a biting edge to her expression.
âSurely, you are not concerned that I wonât be able to afford the penalty fee? After all, you are quite familiar with my salary.â
Liliana could barely contain her burning fury.
How could she, a future head of the Juarez family, destined to join one of the top four influential families, settle for jewelry that had been passed around like some secondhand trinket?
Lilianaâs expression darkened, her features twisted in an unpleasant scowl, though she skillfully masked her fury. With a frosty laugh, she said, âWhy are you so hostile? I was merely offering a friendly reminder.
Do not bankrupt yourself chasing something far beyond your reach.â
âThank you for your concern, Ms. Juarez.
But I happen to adore this piece of jewelry, so even if it costs me my last cent, it would be worth it,â Tiffany said as her lips curved into a smirk.
âSince youâre such a benevolent soul, why not withdraw from the bidding altogether?â
Lilianaâs gaze narrowed, her patience thinning. Was Tiffany seriously trying to talk her out of this? Waylon had given her explicit instructionsâthere was no way she could withdraw from the bidding now. To do so would be like signing her own death warrant.
Liliana looked down on Tiffany, feeling the latter was no more than a mere actress.
How could she, hailing from a vast financial empire, let a mere actress push her around? If she backed down now, the world wouldnât see it as a noble gesture. People would just mock her, assuming she couldnât even afford five hundred million.
Did Tiffany really think she could trample over her and call the shots? She could dream on.
âIf it was anything else, I might have been willing to concede,â Liliana said, her smile curdling with a deadly edge.
âBut my mother has a particular fondness for this piece of jewelry.â Liliana paused, savoring the tension in the room before elegantly raising her paddle.
âSix hundred million.â
The bidding event dragged on, and Christopher grew bored of the proceedings. With a subtle nod from Rhys, he raised his hand sharply and called out, âSeven hundred million.â
The room fell into an eerie silence.
For a few heartbeats, the previously chaotic crowd was completely dumbstruck.
Liliana, unable to maintain her composure, shot to her feet, glaring at Christopher with disbelief, as though he had lost his mind. She couldnât fathom how a grown man could throw away seven hundred million on such an item. To her, it was nothing short of reckless extravagance. Or perhapsâ¦
A sudden thought crossed Lilianaâs mind.
Could Christopher have been planted by the master craftsman of the jewelry to drive up the price? But the idea seemed absurd. If the craftsman had that kind of wealth, they wouldnât need to sell their creations.
Conflicted, Liliana began questioning Christopherâs true intentions.
As she wrestled with her thoughts, her phone buzzed with another message from Waylon: âLet it go.â Let it go? Anger flared in Liliana. She didnât want to back down, nor did she want to face ridicule.
But Waylonâs ordersâ¦
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