Chapter 5 The Gift
From the corner of his eye, Ronald noticed Adeline zooming in and out on the Nebula's Heart photo, making his smile widen.
Before Adeline arrived at the office, he had speed-read her graduation thesis.
It was clear she had extensive knowledge of classic jewelry, though such pieces could usually only be viewed in pictures, with few opportunities to see them in person.
Especially rare collector's items, which remained in private collections, were unavailable even in museums.
He knew Adeline couldn't resist such a temptation.
When they arrived at the auction, there were still ten minutes before it began.
Ronald was shown to a VIP seat in the front row.
As soon as he entered, people stood to greet him.
As the heir to the country's largest jewelry brand, Ronald's status was unmistakable.
Everyone's gaze inevitably fell on the woman beside him.
The girl looked young and fresh, with an indescribable natural charm.
For years, Ronald had been accompanied by his secretary Shirley Walker. This was the first time he'd brought someone new.
Many had speculated that with no women in Ronald's life, perhaps Shirley would become the future Mrs. Williams.
But now that he'd brought someone else, especially someone with Adeline's pretty face, people began to speculate about her identity.
A middle-aged man sitting next to Ronald stood up with a jovial smile, shaking his hand. "Mr. Williams, arriving so late? Were you escorting this lovely lady?"
"She wasn't feeling well. We stopped at the hospital."
As soon as Ronald spoke, a wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.
Ronald, the business legend of the jewelry world, a life winner beyond most people's reach, who never showed warmth to anyone, actually cared about a young girl's health and personally accompanied her to the hospital?
Feeling the curious gazes around her, Adeline's scalp tingled with discomfort.
Her mind raced frantically before she came up with an explanation. "Yes, Mr. Williams is considerate of his staff. He was concerned I might not be able to perform my duties."
"Staff?" The middle-aged man blinked.
Adeline nodded immediately. "I'm Mr. Williams' secretary, Adeline."
The middle-aged man made a sound of understanding. "No wonder I didn't see Shirley. So there's been a change."
He gave Ronald a meaningful look, then turned his gaze to Adeline.
Ronald casually shifted his body to block the man's view.
Adeline clenched her fists, struggling to maintain the expressionless professional secretary facade.
But inside, she was crying. She had just said she didn't want to be a secretary, and now she'd admitted it herself—there was probably no going back.
Looking at the people around them—either jewelry industry moguls or representatives from prominent families—she realized that if she offended Ronald, she'd probably end up delivering food for a living.
Contemplating her bleak future, Adeline sat mechanically beside Ronald, a cloud of gloom hanging over her.
However, once the auction began, her spirits revived.
This auction featured exclusively rare jewelry pieces, each one exquisite.
She had attended auctions before but had never seen so many world-class top-tier jewelry pieces in one place.
The first three items alone were national treasure level, making her heart race with excitement.
As she watched each item, she quickly sketched draft designs in her notebook.
This had been her habit for years.
Whenever she saw inspiring works or had creative ideas, she would draw them in her notebook that she carried everywhere.
Inspiration was fleeting, and she never wasted an opportunity.
Noticing her notebook, Ronald chuckled softly. "Want to go backstage for a closer look later?"
"Really?" Adeline's voice rose with excitement, drawing glances from several people.
Ronald nodded indulgently, then turned his attention back to the item on stage, taking Adeline's hand and raising it.
"Bidder number 01, five million!"
Adeline startled, looking up at the pair of rings on display. She quickly slipped back into work mode—this was one of the target items Ronald had mentioned earlier.
By the end, the rings, originally valued at five to six million, had been bid up to ten million, and Adeline's hand trembled as she held up the bidding paddle.
Ronald calmly accepted the price.
Seeing Adeline's crestfallen expression, he asked with amusement, "You don't think they're worth it?"
"It's not that." She secretly glared at the middle-aged man beside Ronald.
If it weren't for that fat guy driving up the price, they could have closed the deal at six million.
Seeing her expression, the amusement in Ronald's eyes deepened. "These rings have special significance, don't they?"
"Indeed. I heard they were crafted by a European king himself. Once worn, they cannot be removed," the middle-aged man chimed in. "My wife wanted to try them, but seeing Mr. Williams' determination, I had to let them go."
Adeline examined the rings carefully. The inverted V design was beautiful and unique, but she couldn't see any mechanism that would prevent removal.
Thinking about not being able to take them off, her eyes widened suddenly. "Wait, these weren't looted from a tomb, were they?"
How else could such rings appear at an auction?
Surely they didn't cut off the queen's fingers after her death?
The gruesome image made Adeline shudder.
The middle-aged man was speechless, while Ronald looked expressionlessly toward the stage. "Pay attention to the next item."
Adeline sensed his displeasure and quickly shut her mouth, though she felt slightly relieved.
A CEO should maintain a cold demeanor—it would be creepy if her boss smiled at her all day.
Fortunately, the competition for the subsequent items wasn't as intense, and Adeline successfully completed her tasks.
Soon it was time for the final highlight: the Nebula's Heart.
"I believe more than half of those present came for the Nebula's Heart, which is our final item today."
As the host's voice rang out, the atmosphere instantly tensed.
The display platform slowly rose, presenting the Nebula's Heart to everyone.
Adeline's eyes widened, afraid to miss any detail.
The massive sapphire was set in the center of the necklace, surrounded by colored diamonds arranged to resemble the galaxy.
Under the lights, each diamond sparkled with unique brilliance.
This was an effect that no online image or video could capture. Sitting in the front row, looking at this exquisite necklace, Adeline's eyes shone even brighter.
Feeling her breathing become more rapid, Ronald's thoughts drifted back to the previous night—she had breathed the same way at a certain critical moment.
Soft, enticing breaths that made his heart race.
"The starting bid for this necklace is eighty million!"
As soon as the host finished speaking, voices erupted throughout the venue.
When the bidding reached one hundred million, Adeline nervously glanced at Ronald.
"Mr. Williams, are we continuing?"
She didn't know Ronald's limit, only seeing his lips pressed into a thin line.
When the price climbed to three hundred million, Ronald took Adeline's hand and slowly raised it.
"Five hundred million."
Everyone looked at him in shock, including Adeline, who was still holding up the paddle.
She quickly lowered it, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest.
Five hundred million?
A price she wouldn't dare dream of!
Ronald suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Do you like this gift?"