?Chapter 817:


    How blissfully unaware Leah was.


    Corrine hoped she could hold on to that sense of triumph—because the real challenge was yet toe.


    Nate leaned in, his voice tinged with amusement. “So, what did the organizers promise you in exchange for ying bait?”


    Corrine tilted her head, eyes sparkling with mischief as she shed him a yful wink. “Why don’t you take a guess?”


    Seated nearby, Zeke observed the moment with mild surprise. Without a word, he reached for his coffee mug, only to find it empty.


    Just as he was about to ring for service, Nate’s voice rang out, sharp as a de. “You’re the heir to the Cooper family, yet you’ve been reduced to mooching coffee?”


    Zeke paused, lifting his gaze to meet Nate’s, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. His voice was cool,ced with irony. “Mr. Hopkins, for a boyfriend, you’re rather inattentive. You didn’t even notice Miss Hond’s empty coffee cup.”


    Nate’s dark eyes narrowed. His voice dropped to an icy chill. “My fiancée doesn’t need your concern, Mr. Cooper. Someone, show him out.”


    At hismand, Saul and Matias stepped forward from their post at the door. “Mr. Cooper, please.”


    Zeke studied Nate for a moment before turning to Corrine. “I’ll be next door if you need me.”


    Corrine met his gaze with unwavering rity. “Goodbye.”


    She had no interest in indulging ambiguity. It was best to extinguish Zeke’s hopes decisively.


    His departure barely made a ripple in the proceedings.


    The auctioneer introduced the next item—a historic gold emerald ring from the famed shipwreck Nuestra Senora de Atocha. The square-cut emerald weighed an impressive 5.27 carats. “The bidding starts now,” the auctioneer dered.


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    Jewelry had always held a certain irresistible charm for women, but pieces salvaged from one of the world’s six legendary shipwrecks carried an allure that was almost hypnotic.


    “One million!”


    “Two million!”


    “Three million!”


    The bidding war ignited with fervor, voices ovepping in a battle of wealth and desire. Leah, eager to join the fray, hesitated. Her gaze flickered toward Corrine, waiting for her to make a move.


    Was Corrine too intimidated to make a move?


    Just as Leah pondered this, Bruce’s voice rang out. “Five million.”


    The sheer leap in price sent ripples of astonishment through the crowd.


    “The new elite of Lyhaton—how generous!”


    “I bet he’s buying it to keep Miss Burgess happy.”


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