Chapter 31
“Yasmin, I’m sorry.” Jeremy looked uneasy. They had promised to get the emerald bead necklace for Yasmin, but someone else had won the bid.
Yasmin knew this wasn’t his fault. “You’re not the one who should be apologizing. Gornjoy yourself”
Given Jeremy’s intelligence, he had likely only found out that Veronica and Wanda had tampered with Annie’s keepsakes when he went home.
Brenda and Yasmin turned to leave. Before they could step out of the hall, the proxy bidder from earlier rushed over, carrying a rosewood jewelry box.
“Ms. Whitmore, please want!”
za
He opened the box, revealing the very thing Yasmin had longed for–the emerald bead bracelet. Just moments ago, the bracelet had been the highlight of the auction. No one had expected such a twist.
Caleb had been instructing someone e to settle the fi
the final payments of the auction items. When he heard the proxy bidder, his movements stilled, and his gaze turned razor–sharp.
“Who’s the buyer?” Yasmin asked in puzzlement. She didn’t reach for the box.
The proxy bidder replied. “I’m not sure. The buyer said he knows how much this piece means to you. He doesn’t want you to feel bad, so please accept it.”
Before Yasmin could reuse, the bidder added, “He’s an old acquaintance. Consider it a small gift after years apart. Ms. Whitmore, this is your mother’s keepsake. There’s no reason to let it fall into someone else’s hands just because of others. Don’t you agree?”
Yasmin had no choice but to accept the gift. “Please thank your employer for me.”
She took the emerald bracelet, her fingers gently caressing the beads with deep reverence.
The guests exchanged glances. This wasn’t a matter of a few thousand dollars; it was a multimillion–dollar gesture.
Who could afford such generosity? Was this old acquaintance an elder or a suitor?
Everyone instinctively turned to Caleb. He had always kept his emotions tightly controlled. From the outside, it was impossible to read his true thoughts.
At most, one could tell that he wasn’t pleased. And who wouldn’t be?
Did the item really belong to Annie? If so, the Whitmore family truly had no bottom line.
“Let’s go, Brenda” Yasmin had no reason to linger at the auction any longer after getting the necklace.
The Maserati roared through the night.
Brenda chuckled and said, “We still don’t know who was behind this, but at least Caleb knows how popular his wife is. Though I have to say, Caleb is really good at keeping his cool He didn’t even flinch back there!”
“He doesn’t care about me, so it’s natural that he didn’t react”
Yasmin planned to set the money aside. If she ever got the chance to meet the buyer, she would pay him back for it.
Her apartment was downtown, not far from the auction house. They beaded back and ordered takeout.
An hour later, the delivery guy called Yasmin. The property management wasn’t letting him in, so he asked if she could come down to collect it.
It wasn’t a big deal. She called out to Brenda, who was in the bathroom washing up, then slipped on her slippers and headed out. She had just stepped out the door when a figure lunged from the stairwell.
Yasmin instinctively raised her arm to shield herself, but the other party was fast. His hand clamped over her mouth in an instant, pinning her arms and locking her waist in one swift motion. Before she could react, he had her pressed against the stairwell wall
The strong smell of alcohol hit her nose. Just as she was about to call for help, the man called out, “Minnie.”
His voice was low and deep, not loud enough to trigger the stairwell’s sensor lights.
Yasmin calmed down slightly and met his gaze. The lighting was too dim to make out his face, only the vague outline of his tall frame.
However, even in the darkness, she could feel the heat of his stare.
