The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains
Chapter 163 Auctioning Jewelry

The exhibition was finally kicking off.

Thanks to Emily's help, Michael was in a much better mood.

They walked in hand in hand, remembering Mason's orders to put on a good show for everyone.

"I'll stick with you tonight, since this is your scene," Michael whispered in Emily's ear.

Emily felt his warm breath on her skin, making her shiver and her head spin for a moment.

Luckily, Michael pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her back. It was only when someone came up to greet them that Emily started to feel normal again. Emily was puzzled, "Most people here know you, not me. Why are you sticking with me?"

Michael replied, "Everyone's here to see the jewelry designed by Ms. Blair. There's also an auction later, which I don't get. So, of course, I'm sticking with you." "Don't even think about ditching me. I'm your date tonight," Michael emphasized.

Emily found his smug look pretty amusing.

Just as she was about to respond, she saw Veda and Daniel walking in from the entrance.

As soon as Veda saw Emily, she excitedly waved and winked at her, signaling that she had followed her heart and came with Daniel.

Emily said, "It's Veda."

Michael turned around at the sound, his good mood momentarily freezing.

Veda walked up to them.

"What are you doing here?" Michael asked while frowning, cautiously eyeing Daniel.

Veda replied, "Daniel invited me."

It was clear that Veda was very happy. She was holding Daniel's arm, wearing a black and green haute couture dress, long and elegant, making her look particularly dignified. Daniel complemented her perfectly in a custom black suit. The two of them standing together looked like a perfect match.

Daniel didn't react much to seeing Michael. But today's Emily truly amazed him. "Emily, long time no see. It's rare to see you in this color." Daniel's eyes couldn't move away from Emily.

The reason he invited Veda was partly to cheer her up. But the main reason was that he had anticipated Emily would come with Michael, since the host was Penelope, Michael's friend's mother.

In other words, Veda was Daniel's second choice. All four of them knew this well, but no one exposed the secret.

Veda was just trying to enjoy the moment, pretending to be oblivious.

But seeing Daniel's passionate gaze, Michael couldn't help but get angry. He pulled Emily closer to assert his dominance and said to Daniel, "Take good care of Veda. If she gets even a scratch, I'll hold you responsible." "Michael!" Veda frowned, looking at Michael with displeasure.

Daniel, of course, didn't take Michael's warning seriously. Since he had invited Veda, he would take good care of her, without needing Michael to put on airs.

"Veda, let's go inside." Daniel knew Michael was unreasonable, so he chose to ignore him and led Veda into the main hall.

Emily and Michael followed closely behind.

Halfway through the exhibition, the small auction kicked off. Penelope showed up with the auctioneer, grabbing everyone's attention.

Penelope was rocking a red dress today. Her hair was simply tied up, and she had a full set of jewelry on her ears and neck. Emily could tell right away it was pricey. Penelope graciously thanked the guests and invited Alice, Michael, Emily, Daniel, and Veda, all the prominent young folks, to say a few words on stage. Jessica arrived late with her team and the media, instantly amping up the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Bryan stood quietly in the audience, clapping. He wasn't into these social gatherings, and his career goals were way beyond this.

Despite Penelope's numerous requests, Bryan stayed put. But he couldn't figure out why his father, Richard, wasn't at Penelope's first domestic exhibition. Having always lived a sheltered life, he couldn't resist sneaking out and calling Richard.

Meanwhile, Emily and Alice were both captivated by the same piece of jewelry. It was the first item in the auction, the Star of Ruby.

To someone like Michael, it was just a red gemstone, nothing special. At most, it was bright, big, and shiny, no different from others on the market.

But Emily seemed mesmerized.

"Do you like it?" Michael asked her.

Emily replied, "It's not just about liking it. This ruby isn't just beautiful in color; it's a classic cut, flawless inside, and most importantly, it's from Crimson Flame Mountain."

Seeing Emily's confident answer, Michael was amazed. "You can even tell where it's from?"

He was completely clueless about jewelry.

Emily replied, "It's not hard. Ms. Blair put this gem first in the auction for a reason."

Michael asked, "What reason?"

Emily replied, "To gauge the audience's expertise in jewelry."

At the jewelry exhibition, Michael asked Emily three questions in a row. Emily patiently answered, but her eyes never left the ruby on stage.

Alice was the same. Having lived abroad for a long time, she had seen many good things. But this ruby was unique and truly captivating.

The auctioneer said, "Alright, everyone, let's not delay any longer. Ms. Blair has set the starting price for this Star of Ruby at $70,000! Now it's time to test your speed! We'll count down from three. Three... two... one, the auction begins!" The audience mostly shook their heads. Some cautiously wanted to wait, while others outright dismissed the ruby as just a showpiece, nothing special.

Only Emily and Alice raised their paddles simultaneously, exchanging a knowing smile.

Penelope nodded in satisfaction. This was her brilliance. At the start of the auction, using just one ruby, she could identify who had a discerning eye and who truly understood her.

The auctioneer said, "Alright! We see that number three and number four have raised their paddles. One is Mrs. Smith from Smith Corporation, and the other is Ms. Saunders! Who will win this gem? Let's wait and see!"