“I’ll pay thirty-two million!”
Ms. Copperfield’s voice rose above the crowd—her bid the highest so far.
She was desperate. Her store had been running short on high-end material for months. Even if she didn’t turn a profit, a piece like this would draw in countless premium clients.
No one else raised the price. After all, few would risk buying something at cost just to resell it later.
Mr. Codd wanted to speak—to buy back what had once been his stone—but the words stuck in his throat. Spending a fortune to reclaim your own discarded waste? That would become the biggest joke in the jade-gambling circle.
Ethan Blake met Ms. Copperfield’s eyes and said with a polite smile, “Sorry, this jade isn’t for sale.”
“Thirty-three million, then?” she asked, a trace of hope flickering in her tone.
