The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 984 Bidding

Even Sheryl, who was not much keen on jewelry, gazed at it in astonishment.

"Do you like it?" asked Charles, noticing that Sheryl couldn't take her eyes off the jewelry.

Sheryl smiled lightly. "Not really. It's just that it looks kind of gorgeous."

Cary smiled and went on, "This jewelry is from my private collection. Today, I have decided to auction it for the good cause. I believe you are aware of its value. The bid starts at ten million and we will raise it with the least amount of two million at a time. Let's begin!"

As soon as Cary announced the beginning of the bidding, Charles raised his card. "Fifteen million."

Charles hadn't bid for anything the whole night. Although he was very much willing to donate to the charity, he wasn't really intrigued by any of the previous items, but this one was different. Sheryl had obviously taken a liking to it and he wanted to give it to her. He even fancied how pretty she would look if she put it on.

"Charles! What are you doing? This is crazy!" Sheryl exclaimed in a low voice. She was utterly shocked by Charles' bid and tried to pull his hand down. She inquired, "That's a lot of money. Why are you bidding for the jewelry?"

Sheryl wasn't against donating the money to charity, but spending it on such a useless and extravagant object was a lame idea.

Charles could read her mind clearly. He patted Sheryl's hand to put her mind at ease. "Don't worry about the money. I can afford it. And since you like it, I will make sure that I win the bid."

"No! I don't really like it. I was just... I..." Sheryl stammered. She didn't want Charles to spend so much money in buying her some luxurious jewelry.

Seeing Charles' gushing demeanor towards Sheryl, Holley was filled with envy. She was jealous that Charles would waste so much cash only to make Sheryl happy. Despite the fact that she felt sulky, she turned her head to confront George who was sitting beside her and pulled his sleeve lightly. "George, I like it."

George looked at Holley, and realized at once what her actual goal was. He figured that Holley didn't need the jewelry, yet she simply wanted to contend with Sheryl. In any case, she had requested something and George couldn't just deny her.

And since he loved her, he wanted to do his best to fulfill her needs. Without any hesitation, he raised the card and stated, "Twenty million."

Charles showed no surprise and raised the price to thirty million. George followed with a forty million bid and Charles raised the price of the jewelry again to fifty million. And this time, George hesitated. "Why did you stop bidding?" asked Holley, annoyed at the delay in his response. George knew clearly that Charles had an advantage over him, yet Holley didn't want to give up.

She simply wanted to take away everything that Sheryl set her eyes on.

She nudged George with her elbow and demanded, "What are you waiting for? Raise the card. Don't you love me? I want that jewelry. Aren't you going to buy it for me?"

"Holley, I think we should stop here. If you really like ornaments, I will buy better ones for you. Don't you think that's a much better option?" asked George with a slight frown. He was certain that the diamond was worth around thirty million and no more, yet the bidding had now unquestionably surpassed its own value. George knew that it was not beneficial to proceed with the bidding.

"No!" Holley retorted firmly. "I like this one and I want it. Nothing else can replace it. You must get this one for me today."

George heaved a long sigh and raised the bidding card again, putting the price of the jewelry at fifty-two million.

On the other hand, Charles was bound to get the jewelry. When he was about to raise the card once again, Sheryl squeezed his hand and shook her head. "Enough, Charles! Don't bid higher than this. It's really not worth it and I don't even like the diamond that much."

She gazed lovingly at Charles and smiled. "I know that you truly desire to gift the jewelry to me, but Charles, if Holley really likes it, then just let her have it."

Sheryl really wanted this to end.

Charles frowned. "Sher, are you sure? Do you really not like it?"

"I don't." She grasped Charles' hand and realized that he loved her with all his heart, which was more important than anything else.

Charles sighed and gave up the bid to George.

"Fifty-two million! Mr. Han's bid is fifty-two million. Do we have another bid?

Fifty-two million going once! Fifty-two million going twice! Fifty-two million-"

"Sixty million!" A voice suddenly came from the back of the hall just as George was about to win the bid.

Holley looked towards Charles, but discovered that he wasn't the one who had raised the card. She glanced around, and found that the person who had increased the bid was Donna.

There was a trace of resentment in Holley's eyes. It looked like Donna was all set to bid against her and had no intention of letting her have the jewelry.

She sneered and was about to ask George to continue the bidding, but she saw the look in his eyes. He said, "I'm stopping the bidding right here.

If my mother likes the jewelry, then I will let her have it."

Holley was furious and she shouted at George, paying no mind to the people around them, "Don't you love me? I want that it. Get it for me if you really love me."

"No matter how much I love you, I won't let that or anything else damage my relationship with my mother. Holley, you should stop being so stubborn," replied George lightly.

In the end, the bidding was closed at sixty million. After Donna paid for it, she smirked and gave it to Sula. Holley gritted her teeth in frustration as she watched this. She cursed them under her breath. The rest of the auction went by smoothly. Cary sent Susan home. Charles and Sheryl returned home as well. Everyone was absolutely satisfied with the day's event, except for one person-Holley.

She never said a word to George on their way home. George could sense the tension between them and her anger. As they entered the house, he grabbed her wrist and questioned her, "What's the matter with you? Are you still mad at me for not winning the bid? It's only a piece of jewelry. I can buy a dozen of those things if you like. Could you stop being so childish?"

"I am being childish?" Holley scorned, and shook off George's hand. She turned around and bellowed, "Your mother was trying to humiliate me! She bid for the jewelry on purpose. She did that to insult me. Didn't you see that the moment she got the jewelry, she gave it to Sula? Why do you think she did that? Are you blind?"

Holley couldn't control her rage anymore. "It's just some jewelry today. What about tomorrow? If she keeps doing this to me, what will you do then? If she asks you to be with Sula, will you comply with her request?"

"What nonsense are you talking? You are not making any sense." George knitted his eyebrows in frustration and said, "I really don't understand why you always have to think so badly of others. My mother surely didn't mean to hurt you. Besides, it's just a diamond! What in the world makes you think that she tried to humiliate you with it? That's totally absurd. Why do you bear this grudge against my mother? Why?"

"It's not about the diamond! For me, it's..." Holley paused and sneered. After a while, she sighed and said, "Forget it, you wouldn't understand my feelings. I am tired. I just want to get some rest."

Holley didn't want to waste her time explaining her emotions to George. She knew perfectly well that Donna had done it deliberately and she would get her back, no matter what it took. She made up her mind that she would not let anyone look down on her again and that she was not that easy to be struck down either.

That night, George was distressed because of his argument with Holley. He didn't go back home, but stayed at a hotel for the night. When he woke up the next day, he received a phone call from his mother, asking him to come back home for dinner after he was done with work.

Originally, he had calmed down after being alone for the night and had planned to have a proper talk with Holley, but after considering it once again, he felt that he could not indulge Holley at the moment and decided not to tell her anything.