Chapter 171

Lucy White sank into the plush mattress of her hotel bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her fingertips absently traced the smooth surface of her phone screen.

Ethan Smith's confession in the hallway—"I've fallen for you"—had stolen her breath. She wasn't immune to his charm. But the scars from her last relationship still lingered, and with her career on the rise, romance felt like an untimely complication.

Her phone vibrated.

[Ethan Smith: Made it back to your room?]

A smile tugged at her lips.

[Lucy White: Just got in. Heading to bed. You should rest too.]

[Ethan Smith: Goodnight.]

The simple exchange eased the tension in her shoulders. Ethan always knew when to advance and when to retreat, never pressuring her. Perhaps someday... She shook her head and set the phone aside.

Across the hall, Ethan stood by the window, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. He exhaled a wry laugh. That had been too close—he'd nearly lost control. But there was no hurry. He could wait.

At dawn, Lucy set out for her morning run and found Ethan already waiting by the inn's entrance. They exchanged quiet greetings, both carefully avoiding last night's unspoken tension.

"Morning."

"Morning."

The sunlight seemed warmer as they returned to find Michael Johnson glowering in the lobby.

"Lucy, I brought you breakfast," he said stiffly.

She arched a brow. "Thanks, but we got enough for everyone."

Michael's jaw tightened.

The director's timely arrival broke the awkward silence. "Day off today! I'm taking you somewhere special."

Robert Lee eyed him suspiciously. "This isn't another one of your traps, is it?"

"Scout's honor!" The director lowered his voice conspiratorially. "There's a jade auction nearby. Want to test your luck?"

Lily Green's eyes lit up. Gambling on raw jade? This was her forte. Her fingers brushed the jade bracelet on her wrist—her secret advantage.

Lucy considered the opportunity. She needed quality jade for crafting talismans.

"Let's take a look," she murmured.

Ethan and Michael answered simultaneously: "Agreed."

The director beamed. "It's settled then!"

The livestream exploded with comments:

[An auction?! Director's outdone himself!]

[Bet Lucy's gonna work her magic again!]

[Lily always gets lucky—she'll score big for sure!]

An hour later, the group arrived at the auction house. A staff member greeted them enthusiastically: "This section displays cut stones, while that area has raw jade lots..."

William Jones cracked his knuckles. "I'm getting my wife a premium piece!"

Lily plotted silently. She'd outshine them all with multiple high-value finds.

Then Lucy froze.

Her gaze locked onto a well-dressed group entering the venue. The leading man spotted her and stiffened.

"Lucy?"

All warmth drained from her expression.

"What a coincidence... ex-boyfriend."