Chapter 275

To keep things private for everyone bidding, the VIP section upstairs was split into separate rooms. No one could see who was next door.
Ten minutes later, the auction began. The host walked on stage and kicked things off, announcing that eighty percent of tonight’s proceeds would go to the Astoria Children’s Foundation, helping kids in need with medical care and education.
Charlotte was sitting on the couch, phone in hand. When she heard that number, she looked up for a second. Eighty percent. That was more than she expected.
There were ten items up for bidding tonight, all kinds of things. The first was a diamond necklace designed by a famous jeweler. It was the cheapest item of the night, but everyone wanted it because Princess Diana had worn it at her wedding. That alone made it a collector’s dream.
The bidding started at two million, and every bid had to go up by five hundred thousand. As soon as the auctioneer called out the price, the crowd jumped in. The numbers kept climbing, round after round, until it hit eight million.
“Eight million, going once
Anthony heard the auctioneer and glanced over at Charlotte. She didn’t look interested at all. He smiled to himself. Clearly, this necklace wasn’t her thing.
He flipped through the catalog, and when his eyes landed on a picture of a dazzling diamond, his heart skipped a beat. With Charlotte’s fair skin, that diamond would look incredible on her, whether it was set in a ring or a necklace. He looked over at her again, a new idea forming in his mind.
Next up was an ancient painting, starting at three million. Charlotte watched the excited crowd for a moment, then set her phone down and zoned out. She had no interest in this one, either.
Almost an hour passed. The first nine items were auctioned off. The lowest price was eight million, the highest was sixty-five million.
Finally, the host took the stage again, voice full of excitement. “Our last item tonight
is also the star of the show, the world’s largest diamond-Sakura.”
As he spoke, an attendant wearing
white gloves pushed a cart onto the stage. On it was a box covered in blue velvet. Everyone in the room. leaned forward. Even the most experienced collectors had never seen this diamond in person.
“This is a flawless, vivid purple-pink diamond weighing 15.81 carats. It’s
the largest and brightest of its kind,
Truly one of a kind.
The host’s words had everyone’s attention. People craned their necks, hoping to get a look.
“Let’s unveil it now
The cameras in the room all turned, lenses zooming in. The velvet cloth was pulled away revealing a glass box inside a diamond glittered a under the lights, throwing out a rainbow of colors.
“Wow, it’s stunning!”
“I’ve bought a lot of diamonds in my life, but I’ve never seen one so pure or so perfectly cut.”
“Diamonds are rare enough, but a purple-pink one this size is something else “Just tell me the price so I can stop dreaming.”
“It looks even better than the photos. I’m starting to regret bidding on those other things.”
“Even if you didn’t, you couldn’t afford this,” a friend laughed. “The starting price has to be at least fifty million