Chapter 88
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort
âTen million, Mr. Sterling placed his bid for ten million⦠â The emcee announced.
âEleven million, Mr. Cole has placed a bid for eleven million.â
âThirteen million, Mr. Ziegler has placed a bid for thirteen million⦠â
Charlotte turned around and looked at the guests. The bidding situation was intense; all the businessmen present were actively placing their bids.
Even though there was a distance between her and the gemstones, Charlotte could tell that they were highly valuableâ¦
âDo these belong to F Nationâs royalty?â
Even though she was not an expert, she could still recognize the authenticity of those gems.
âHow were you able to tell?â Zachary asked.
âFrom the magnified images on the screen, we can see that the platinum engravings on the sides of the gemstones are symbolic of F Nationâs royalty⦠â She examined in detail as she elaborated, âJudging by the handiwork, it should be crafted by a craftsman from F Nationâs royalty during ancient times. As such, Iâm quite sure that these jewelry are prized treasures of F Nationâs royalty.â
âWell, it seems like youâre not that ignorant after all,â the man praised the woman with a look of admiration in his eyes.
âI know a little about it mainly because this necklace looks very much like the one I had sold off,â
Charlotte sighed. âIt feels like they are from the same collection. Itâs just that mine is a sapphire necklace instead of a ruby necklace⦠â
âAre you talking about the âHeart of the Oceanâ?â Zachary looked slightly startled.
âYes, it was called the Heart of the Ocean,â Charlotte nodded. âYouâve heard of it?â
âHow did you have that necklace?â
âMy dad gave it to me. He might have gotten it from an overseas auction,â she replied casually. âI sold it for one million and two hundred thousand four years back when I was down and out because I ran out of options!â
Zachary was speechless when he heard that.
âWhatâs wrong?â Charlotte pressed on.
Ignoring her, Zachary signaled to Ben, who was seated next to him. Immediately after, the latter raised his bidding paddle and shouted, âThirty million!â
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense. When the rest of the guests saw that Zachary was also interested in the item, they did not dare raise the bid any further.
âYouâre the host. Is it appropriate for you to do this?â Charlotte leaned in closer to Zacharyâs ear and asked, âWho else would dare to up the bid after you raised your paddle?â
He rolled his eyes at her and made a hand gesture.
The emcee said cheerfully, âEveryone, thereâs no need to be so tensed up. Mr. Nacht is just joining in the fun. Please feel free to raise the bid if you really like the item. No matter what the outcome of tonightâs auction is, it will definitely not affect your business relations.â
Even though the emcee had given his reassurance, no one dared to make any further move.
That was until the Sterlingsâ bidding paddle was raisedâ¦
âThirty-one million!â Luna announced her bid personally.
âWhat are you doing?â Amanda immediately pulled her daughter towards her seat. âAre you crazy?â
âTheyâve already said that the auction would not affect business⦠â the woman pouted and continued, âI really like that necklace. It matches my black evening dress very well.â
âBut⦠â
âMom,â Hector interrupted Amanda and said softly, âSince Luna likes it, let her bid for it.â
âHuh?â The latter could hardly believe her ears. That was one of the rare occasions where Hector had shown any support for Luna.
âI knew it! My darling is the best!â Luna beamed and gave her husband a peck on his cheeks.
Simon frowned. He was very well aware that Hector was doing that for the sake of his dignity and pride as a man.
Charlotte turned around instinctively after hearing the Sterlingsâ bid and met Hectorâs unfathomable gaze.
A surge of emotions rose within Hector as he looked at her. He would be willing to spend thirty-one million just for her to take one glance at himâ¦
âWhatâs that b*tch looking at?â Luna stared at Charlotte.
The latter retracted her gaze and just when she was about to tell Zachary to stop bidding, Ben suddenly raised his paddle and exclaimed, âOne hundred million!â
âWow⦠â Everyone gasped in shock.
The rest of the guests were all stunned. Such a declaration was expected of Zachary Nacht indeed.
Once the man had his mind set on something, other people would not stand a chance.
As such, even if Hector had a hundred million, he did not dare to up the bid any further.