Vivian seemed entirely oblivious, but Taylor couldn’t help thinking that Vivian was acting like a total fool—an idiotic one at that! She didn’t even want to waste another word on her.

Vivian, however, was completely caught up in her own triumph, munching on fruit from the table, looking smug. “Hmph, Nancy isn’t as great as she thinks. She didn’t even dare to challenge me after 15,000. I thought Charlie spoiled her, but I guess he’s not giving her that much money.”

Taylor rolled her eyes, refusing to respond.

Meanwhile, Nancy, Linda, Emily, and Henry were each holding a catalog of the auction items. As Nancy flipped through the pages, she realized that the items only got more expensive as the auction went on. The earlier lots were just warm-ups.

Emily’s heart raced with excitement as she scanned the pages. “I heard the Phoenix Bracelets were up for auction this time. I can’t believe they really are!”

“The Phoenix Bracelets?”

Nancy and Linda leaned in curiously.

Emily turned to the relevant page and showed them. “Here, it’s the Dragon and Phoenix Bracelets, a set.”

“A set?”

Nancy furrowed her brow. “If it’s a set, wouldn’t auctioning just the Phoenix Bracelets make it less valuable?”

The starting price for the Phoenix Bracelets was listed as 500,000.

Emily nodded vigorously. “Exactly. If you had both the Dragon and Phoenix Bracelets together, you could easily auction them for 10 million. But since this auction only has the Phoenix Bracelet, it’s much cheaper.”

Her face lit up even more as she added, “But I already own the Dragon Bracelet! That’s why I have to win the Phoenix Bracelet at this auction!”

“Aha!”

Linda exclaimed, delighted. “So, in your hands, the Phoenix Bracelet has maximum value. It’s worthless to anyone else.”

Emily smiled as she closed the catalog. “That’s true, but lots of people know about the Dragon and Phoenix Bracelets. And…”

She glanced down at the audience below. “One of my late husband’s enemies is down there. He knows I’ll be bidding for the Phoenix Bracelet today, so… it won’t be easy for me to get it.”

Nancy and Linda looked down but couldn’t figure out which person Emily was talking about.

“The starting price is 500,000, and even if you assemble the set, the base value is 10 million. Even with aggressive bidding, it shouldn’t go much higher than a few million or maybe hit a ceiling of 10 million, right?”

Emily sighed heavily, shaking her head in frustration. “It’s hard to say. He’s much wealthier than my late husband. If he’s determined to stop me from getting the Phoenix Bracelet, I’m not sure I can outbid him.”

Nancy found it hard to believe someone would be so petty as to drive up the price beyond the value of the bracelet just to spite Emily. But apparently, there were such people in the world.

As the auction progressed, the Phoenix Bracelet finally appeared on stage.

The auctioneer had barely finished introducing the piece when a man in the audience raised his paddle. “Ten million!”

What!??

The entire room fell silent. Despite the packed venue, not a sound could be heard. All eyes turned in shock toward the man who had just called out the bid.

The starting price had been 500,000, yet he immediately jumped to 10 million? Was this man insane?

Nancy turned to Emily and saw her biting her lip so hard it looked painful, her beautiful eyes shimmering with unshed tears.