Chapter 183

With Ethan Smith and Michael Johnson present, the Von family trio became noticeably more subdued.

Fiona Von excused herself to the restroom to touch up her makeup, returning in a figure-hugging dress that accentuated her curves. Clutching a pristine autograph book, her eyes sparkled with admiration as she approached Ethan.

"Mr. Smith, I'm your biggest fan," she said, offering the book. "Would you sign this for me?"

She had done her research on Ethan's preferences and deliberately chosen a limited-edition collector's item.

Ethan didn’t even glance up. "The auction is about to begin."

His meaning couldn’t have been clearer.

Fiona’s smile stiffened. She hadn’t expected her carefully planned "chance encounter" to backfire so spectacularly.

Michael snorted. "Shouldn’t fangirling wait for the right occasion?" He raised his voice pointedly. "Even an extra could act better than this."

A few muffled laughs rippled through the crowd.

Fiona’s grip on the autograph book tightened, her nails nearly piercing the cover. Forcing a smile, she retreated to her seat, mentally cursing both men a thousand times over.

Lucy White observed everything with quiet amusement, the corner of her lips curling slightly.

Fiona caught the expression and shot her a venomous glare.

Lucy didn’t flinch. Instead, she met Fiona’s gaze with a knowing smile.

The auction commenced.

The first ten raw jade stones were displayed on stage, allowing buyers to inspect them up close.

The Von family, accompanied by their gemologist, examined each piece meticulously. Fiona ran her fingers over every stone, faint tendrils of dark energy swirling around her fingertips.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. Not bad for a little parasite.

Evan York pulled Ethan and Lucy onto the stage.

"See anything you like?" Ethan murmured.

Lucy pointed to Lot 3. "That one’s mine."

Ethan nodded. "Lots 7 and 10 for Evan."

Evan: "..." Do I even exist to you two?

Back in their seats, the bidding began in earnest.

The first stone, of decent quality, sparked fierce competition.

Just as Evan raised his paddle, Ethan stopped him.

"Not this one."

Evan raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you know jade?"

Ethan deadpanned, "Just picked it up."

Evan: "..." Yeah, right.

When Lot 3 came up, Lucy placed the opening bid.

Lily Green immediately countered, sensing something unusual about the stone.

Fiona smirked and joined the fray.

The price quickly surpassed a million.

Lily bit her lip in frustration. She tried texting Michael for financial help, only to find herself blocked.

Damn it! She cursed inwardly, scrambling to contact her backup options.

Soon, only Lucy and Fiona remained in the battle.

At 1.8 million, Fiona finally snapped.

"Lucy!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "Are you deliberately provoking me?"

Lucy leisurely raised her paddle. "Two million."