The sensation of James' breath tickling Emily's ear made Emily awkwardly respond. "It's... okay."
"Hmm," James said, then straightened up, and relaxed as he watched the auction unfold.
"The starting bid is two million dollars, with minimum increments of one hundred thousand dollars," the auctioneer announced. Daniel was the first to bid two million dollars.
Soon, other bidders began raising their offers.
Emily could tell these gems were valuable and uncertainly asked, "Are these from the royal collection?"
"How did you figure that out?" James inquired.
"From the enlarged photo on the screen, the platinum setting around the gems is a pattern exclusive to the royal family..." Emily examined it closely. "Based on the craftsmanship, it must have been made by ancient royal artisans, so it
