Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 132 Additional Bracelet

He raised his paddle and shouted, "One million two hundred thousand!"

He thought the auctioneer in the front row would keep raising the bids, but to his surprise, there was no movement at all!

Mr. Blake was stunned.

After a three-second reminder from the auctioneer at the centre table, there were still no new bids.

With a decisive bang of the gavel, the auction was settled.

Mr. and Mrs. Blake were shocked. They had outsmarted themselves, one million and fifty thousand was already ridiculous, but now they were stuck with a price of 1.2 million. What a waste of money! However, backing out now would be too embarrassing.

They had to swallow their frustration, their expressions grim.

Next to them, Zelena was overjoyed.

Although she didn't acquire a bracelet valued in the tens of millions, obtaining a 1.2 million bracelet was still pretty great!

"Mom, Dad, thank you so much! I love you guys!"

Mrs. Blake forced a smile. "Lena, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Although Zelena liked it, they always felt that they were at a loss.

The auction was over.

Irene still felt a little regretful that she didn't help Violeta buy the bracelet she wanted.

In the auction house's backstage, the owner personally expressed gratitude for their robust support during the event.

Having been a steadfast patron of the auction house for many years, Anton's acquisition of the bangle that day boosted his total expenditure by an additional 600 thousand.

As the proverb states, mutual gain forms the foundation of enduring collaboration.

When the staff brought over the violet jade bangle they had won and packaged it into a gift box, they also brought along another string of glassy jade flower bracelets.

Irene opened the gift box and was slightly surprised to replace another bracelet inside.

"What's the deal with the additional bracelet?"

The owner of the auction house smiled and said, "It is our honour to have you two, as our distinguished guests, come to Verdancia in person this year. I saw Mrs. White really liked the floating flower glass bracelet before, but I don't know why you withdrew from the auction later."

Irene returned the smile. "Because the people who participated in the auction at that time had some favours for our family, I opted to let them have the bracelet."

The auction house owner nodded and introduced the bracelet with floating flowers and said, "To be honest, this bracelet is made of the same material as the one auctioned before, but the floating flowers on this one are very rare. It has green jade, yellow jade, and purple jade. These three floating colours are rare and even I have rarely seen them in all my years of working at the auction house. It is more precious than the previous one. I wanted to keep it for myself, but seeing that Mrs. White was quite regretful about the previous bracelet, I am happy to give this bracelet to you as a personal gift."

The owner's words caught Irene off guard.

Upon close inspection, she observed that each bead of the bracelet displayed various floating colours, rendering it more exquisite and stunning compared to the previous one adorned only with green floating flowers.

But the price of such a beautiful bracelet must be different from the previous one.

Irene and Anton looked at each other.

"No, we will buy it."

The auction house owner waved his hand. "Since I said it was a gift, it has to be a gift. You don't need to say more. We have cooperated more than once. If you feel uneasy, just think of it as you paid for it." Aside from the additional 600 thousand spent that day, Irene has purchased a significant amount of jade from their auction house over the past few years.

Middlemen profited from the transactions, and they've made a good amount from her purchases.

Giving away one bracelet to secure a major client and guarantee future sales is a no-brainer.

They wouldn't be this generous with just any customer.

A jade bracelet featuring three vibrant floating colours, so rare and lively, is indeed a precious discovery. Those unfamiliar with jade might easily mistake it for simple glass rather than something so valuable. Due to the auction house owner's firm insistence, Irene and Anton agreed to accept the bracelet.

This new bracelet made up for Irene's earlier disappointment of not winning the jade bracelet.

Her mood lifted considerably.

"We've got both a bangle and a bracelet now. When we get back, we'll give them to Vio. She's going to love them."

Seeing his wife happy made Anton happy, too.

After leaving the auction house, they returned to their hotel. Once there, Irene video-called Violeta.

With a six-hour time difference, Violeta and her group had just arrived at Willowbrook when Irene's call came through.

Staying in a yurt on the Willowbrook Grasslands, Violeta stepped out with her phone in hand, looking for Niall. "Niall!"

Niall was outside smoking with a few Yurtlandians. When he heard Violeta calling, he quickly put out his cigarette.

"What's up?"

"Mom and Dad are on a video call. Come here!"

Niall walked over to join Violeta.

Seeing Irene and Anton on the screen, he greeted, "Hey Mom, Dad! How's Verdancia treating you?"

Irene held up the bangle and bracelet they had won at the auction. "Vio, your dad and I got some great stuff at the auction tonight."

Even through the screen, the jade bangle and bracelet sparkled brilliantly, radiating a luxurious glow.