Chapter 99
Just minutes ago, when Emmett returned from the restroom and passed the first-floor exhibition hall, he saw Yvette standing by the raw emerald, idly playing with her phone.
Emmett thought. Her? He had seen Yvette at the police station before. Previously, Jeremiah had rushed back to Seacrity from an important military meeting to pick her up from the police station.
It was obvious how important Yvette was to Jeremiah. In all the years Emmett had served Jeremiah, this was the first time he had seen the latter show affection toward a woman.
If nothing occurred. Yvette’s future status would be unmatched, ji was clear-if Jeremiah had chosen her, no one could stand in his way.
However, Emmett wondered what made Yvette so special. With all the high-society ladies in Betrico, he couldn’t understand why Jeremiah would choose Yvette, a mere university student.
Emmett thought, Because she’s pretty? There are plenty of beautiful ladies. Why her? Before he could ponder further. Emmett returned to the VIP room on the second floor to report the situation to Jeremiah.
Meanwhile on the first floor, Edward was still trying to prod Martin, pushing him to bid on the piece of raw emerald.
However, Martin was not foolish. There was no way Edward would be so generous. Growing doubtful of the emerald, Martin cooled off and declined, “If you like it so much, Mr. Jones, go ahead.”
Edward gritted his teeth in frustration when he saw that Martin no longer wanted to bid. He had heard a rumor that the raw emerald in question was problematic, with its green surface drawing suspicion.
If Martin made the purchase, the Jones family would have surpassed the Garcia family as the leading jewelry business in Lommore this year. However, everything was ruined now because of Yvette.
Edward’s eyes gleamed with malice. He had connections with the local gang, so dealing with Yvette would be child’s play.
Meanwhile, Martin had a newfound respect for Yvette, though he chalked it up to the coincidence that she had interrupted him at just the right moment.
“When did you arrive?” Jeremiah’s lips curled into a smile as he strode toward Yvette. His heart raced in excitement, more so than ever before, as the person he had been longing for stood right before him.
Surrounded by onlookers, Yvette heard Jeremiah’s voice and showed a brief flash of surprise, followed by a sigh. She had not expected to run into Jeremiah here.
As Jeremiah approached, the crowd instinctively parted for him, his imposing aura leaving little choice. Behind him trailed. Emmett, clad in a sharp black suit, equally exuding a don’t-mess-with-me vibe.
Jeremiah walked up to Yvette, and their eyes met. The warmth in Jeremiah’s eyes was intense and fervent. Yvette, unable to hold eye contact, averted her gaze and replied, “A couple of days ago.”
Upon hearing that, Jeremiah nodded, his tone softening with a tenderness reserved only for Yvette. “Let’s go.”
Without much thought, Yvette glanced at Jeremiah, her voice losing its earlier coldness. “All right. She followed him, showing a deep, almost unconscious trust in him, and did not even ask where they were going
Nearby, Kevin, seeing the two about to leave, mustered unexpected courage and called out, “Hey, Yvette, are you just going to leave?
Yvette paused for a moment before turning to face Kevin. Ignoring the conflicted look from Martin, site pulled out an envelope from her pocket and handed it to Kevin. “Here. With that, she left.
Kevin stood there, staring after Yvette until she disappeared around the corner.
Edward, who had fallen silent the moment Jeremiah appeared, did not dare say a word. Moments ago, he had been scheming about how to deal with Yvette, but now, he would not even dare breathe loudly.
This was because Edward recognized the white envelope Yvette handed to Kevin. It wasn’t just any invitation-it was the highest-level VIP pass, one that money alone couldn’t buy, a diamond VIP invitation.
Edward thought. ‘If I wasn’t mistaken, she had pulled the invitation from her pocket. It was not handed to her by the man she was with. That meant she was no ordinary person
Without daring to say another word. Edward slunk away, tail between his legs.
Meanwhile, Kevin was puzzled, wondering how Edward’s attitude had changed drastically. Just moments ago, the latter was sn**y, ready to take on this and that. Now, he was acting completely different.
Even Martin was baffled, staring at the envelope in Kevin’s hand. If he did not realize by now that he had misunderstood, he’d have to be a fool.
It was clear that Yvette was not here as Kevin’s plus one. She had come on her own-and with a diamond VIP invitation, no less. Compared to that, the regular invitation they had was nothing.
Moreover, Martin could tell the man next to Yvette was no ordinary person either.
“Uncle Martin, do you know what this is?” Kevin asked, waving the envelope in his hand casually
Martin quickly stepped forward, carefully taking the envelope from Kevin, his voice filled with excitement. “My goodness, Kevin, this is a diamond VIP invitation. With this, we can head to the second floor.”
“During the auction, we won’t have to fight for space in the main hall-we can bid directly from the private rooms. Where did you meet that girl? You lucky fool, you’ve lucked out, Martin added.
Kevin w
just as baffled. He thought, ‘A diamond VIP? He had only spoken to Yvette because he thought no one was looking after her. Now, he felt embarrassed to learn Yvette was a hidden big shot.
In the second-floor VIP room, Yvette leaned back in her chair with crossed legs, while sipping coffee that Jeremiah had poured for her. She remained silent, playing a newly downloaded game on her phone.
Jeremiah, knowing Yvette’s habits, did not say much either. After finishing his coffee, he refilled Yvette’s cup, making sure it was full.
The proper etiquette was not to fill a cup to the brim, but Yvette found it inconvenient to keep drinking half-full cups. Hence, Jeremiah always filled hers to the top, to make sure she was comfortable.
Initially shocked, Emmett was now numb. In the last half hour, he had watched Jeremiah, who was usually serious, sneak glances at Yvette, pouring her coffee and even placing a plate of fruit in front of her.
Emmett would not be surprised if Jeremiah offered to feed Yvette if she allowed him to. In all honesty, he felt Jeremiah would be more than happy to do so.
Since entering the room, Yvette had barely spoken a word. Apart from answering Jeremiah’s questions, she had remained salen. Jeremiah and her were a perfect match in their lack of words
Emmett couldn’t help but wonder how Yvette could stay so composed. This was Kransbay, not Clusia. Danger lurked around every corner.
It was suspicious enough for a young woman like Yvette to be at a stone gambling auction, but she was way too calm for someone who had just run into acquaintances here.
“Interested in stone gambling? Playing h**y?” Jeremiah pulled out a chair and sat close to Yvette, his voice warm and teasing.
Yvette set down her phone, narrowed her eyes, and replied unhurriedly, “So-so. I didn’t skip class, just took a leave.”
Emmett sighed inwardly. That’s not the point. Shouldn’t the bigger question be why she’s here in Kransbay and at an emerald auction exhibition hall of all places? This isn’t a place for college students