Chapter 8
Sienna’s mother wanted to cheer up her daughter and help her move on from the scandal, so she specially arranged an auction, saying there would be a “surprise” for her.
When Sienna appeared in the auction hall wearing a gown, even the valet security gave her a second glance.
The crystal chandelier in the hall dazzled the eyes, and Sienna, holding the invitation her mother gave her, sat down in the last row.
“Ms. Winters.”
A tall, handsome man handed her a warm cup of tea, the cufflinks on his sleeves gleaming with a dark silver sheen. “My name is Robert Cook. I’m your referral for this auction. Your mom asked me to tell you that anything under eight figures, you can charge to her account.”
It seemed Sienna’s mother was determined to make her happy. Sienna smiled and nodded.
She rubbed the image of the emerald earrings in the brochure, the corners of which she had marked before coming.
“The burial item of the Peruvian twin princesses.”
Back then, she always pestered Lewis to talk about archaeological discoveries. He’d reply perfunctorily while replying to emails, “If you like it so much, I’ll give it to you when we get married.”
The moment the host struck the gavel, a pair of slender, fair hands raised a bidding paddle.
Chapter 8
Sienna looked closely–Tracy was sitting in the front row, with Lewis beside her.
Lewis leaned sideways to adjust her shawl, his fingertips brushing the Tiffany earrings she wore–ambiguous to the extreme.
“Five hundred thousand!”
Tracy’s voice was sweet, like it had been soaked in honey.
Lewis‘ Maybach keys rested next to the bidding paddle. Sienna suddenly remembered seeing his post yesterday–he had changed the passenger seat carpet to Tracy’s favorite cashmere style.
Robert suddenly leaned over, the scent of cologne wrapped in agarwood. “Want to raise your paddle?”
His fingertip brushed the callus on her thumb. “Got this from doing restoration work?”
Sienna stared at the deep green gemstone in the display case.
Last week, she sold all the jewelry Lewis had given her on a secondhand platform, leaving only the plaster mold of these earrings.
Even now, her palm still stung from the molding process–liquid resin at 400 degrees had dripped on the back of her hand, but it hurt far less than seeing him like Tracy’s post.
“Five hundred and fifty thousand.”
She raised Robert’s bidding paddle, catching a glimpse of Lewis suddenly turning his head.
Tracy’s shawl had slipped halfway down, revealing the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace he had just bought her last night.
21.34%
11
The bidding paddles rose and fell like guillotines on an execution ground..
Sienna counted how many times Lewis loosened his tie–by the third, the price had soared to 1,250,000 dollars.
Robert suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Even a replica can infuriate the original owner.”
Like performing a magic trick, he pulled out a velvet box. Inside lay a pair of turquoise earrings, with more intricate craftsmanship than the ones in the display case.
“I saw your artifact restoration livestream last week. I made them on a whim.”
He tapped the back of the carring stud with his fingertip. “It’s engraved with an anti–counterfeit code. Scan this QR code to see the production process.”
Tracy’s delicate laugh pierced the air. “Lewis, look! Some people fakes with such confidence.”
Wear
She deliberately flipped her curls, the Tiffany studs flashing a cold glint under the lights.
Lewis‘ fountain pen tip stabbed into the auction booklet, spreading a blot of ink.
Sienna suddenly recalled the scene of him teaching her how to sign a contract, his hand wrapped around hers.
“One million and four hundred fifty thousand.”
Robert raised the paddle directly.
As the crowd erupted in astonishment, Sienna put on the earrings.
Chapter
When the cold metal hook slid through her earlobe, she heard the sound of Lewis crushing his lemon water bottle.
The sound of the gavel startled the sparrows outside the window.
Tracy stomped her foot and tugged at Lewis‘ sleeve. “Didn’t you say you’d give it to me as a gift?”
Robert took the velvet box from the auctioneer, then handed it to Sienna. “Engagement gift.”
He winked. “It’s written in the engagement contract–engagement gifts belong to the bride.”
Sienna was surprised by what he said and suddenly understood what her mother meant by the surprise.
Just as she was signing the transfer agreement, the fountain pen was suddenly snatched away.
Lewis‘ cufflink scraped her hand. “When did you meet him?”
His voice was like sandpaper scorched in the sun. “Wearing gold–plated earrings like these…”
“Mr. Mcclure, this is a certified replica authorized by the Ministry of Culture of Peru.”
Robert showed the certificate. “By the way, the pair you won
He pointed to the exhibit being packed. “Just received the appraisal report -the emeralds were synthesized in 2017.”
Tracy’s scream and the sound of Lewis slamming his pen down rang out at the same time.
Sienna touched the engraved code on her earlobe and suddenly burst out
laughing.
The QR code linked to a livestream clip of her staying up late restoring artifacts, with a floating comment, “Marry me” from Robert’s account.
Fine rain fell in the parking lot. Robert opened a black umbrella and asked, “Want to see the real one?”
He pointed to the carrings. “They’re at the National Museum of Anthropology of Peru. I’ve chartered a plane.”
Sienna thought of Lewis‘ frowning face and felt a little better. She stuffed the velvet box into Robert’s pocket. “Fakes should stay where they belong.”
She pointed to her ear. “Right here.”
Neon lights dyed the puddles in color. In the reflection, Lewis was draping his blazer over Tracy.
Sienna got into Robert’s Maybach. In the rearview mirror, the earrings glowed faintly.
The car’s audio suddenly played The Answer Is Yes, and as she reached out to skip the track, she realized the USB was filled with songs she used to hum during her livestreams.
