Chapter 310
Sophie raised a powerful flashlight and cast its glare directly over the gemstone. She imagined shaping it into a rounded pendant, polishing it until smooth. Her vision included a frame of 18K gold wrapping it. In her imagination, the piece was already complete.
In a rush of excitement, Sophie clutched Adrian’s sleeve. Adrian caught the look on her face and spoke before she could even breathe a word. “Thinking of buying it?”
Her head bobbed quickly. “Do you think we can?”
All of their salaries ended up in the same account, meant strictly for running the household. Large purchases always needed approval from both of them—a rule Sophie had set early on.
“Go ahead and take it,” Adrian answered without hesitation, his voice steady.
Her gaze flicked toward him. “Aren’t you even a little curious what I plan to make out of it?”
His lips curved in amusement. “So you’re thinking of turning it into one of your designs?”
Sophie gave a small nod in reply.
Adrian leaned closer with interest. “Will I get to see the finished piece?”
“You will,” Sophie replied, her eyes never leaving the stone ahead.
In her heart, she wanted the talisman necklace to be a gift meant just for him. There was no need for her to have one. To her, Adrian was already the shield she leaned on. He had a way of stepping in right when disaster loomed, pulling her clear every time. Even in his absence, the thought of his presence gave her comfort that ran deep.
There was always something enigmatic about him, as if trouble dared not touch him. And so she kept searching in her mind for a way to return the strength he constantly gave her. In the end, Sophie decided this gemstone would become Adrian’s talisman. She hoped that it would stay close to him, protecting him in the moments that truly mattered.
Still, she kept the thought tucked away. She planned to claim the slab, shape it quietly, and reveal it to him as a surprise.
Without wasting time, she moved toward the service counter and picked up a sealed-bid form.
The Nabia Public Auction relied on a blind bidding system. Whoever wanted a piece had to write down an offer and slip it into the locked box. When the deadline struck, the organizers would unseal the entries, and the highest number would take the prize.
That explained why bargaining held no place here. All that counted were sharp instincts and fearless choices. Some bidders poured out fortunes for dazzling stones, while others left with nothing but dashed hopes.
Sophie wrote the number of the slab on her sheet and braced herself for the deciding figure. The number on the sheet meant everything now. She had noticed the base price earlier. Since hardly anyone was paying it any attention, the chance to win it for less seemed wide open.
Even so, caution guided her hand as Sophie wrote down a sum she felt at ease with. Her figure landed well above the minimum, strong enough to ward off bargain chasers and prove her intent. However, she stopped exactly where her ceiling sat, making sure regret would never creep in later.
Once her pen left the page, Sophie lifted the sheet toward Adrian. “What do you think?”
Adrian studied the number, considering its weight in the market. Leaning close, he lowered his tone, as though the walls themselves might be listening. “Maybe trim it down a little.”
A gentle breath brushed Sophie’s ear, and she flinched, pulling back with a hand rubbing the spot. Her eyes darted to the sheet. “Do you think I should change the number?”
Adrian drew her closer with a firm pull. “No. This bid is solid. Securing it for you matters more than shaving the price.”
That was when another voice broke through from behind them.
“Forty grand? Looks like you’ll lose this gemstone.”
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.
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