Tessa fought the urge to run. She forced herself to stay focused on the stage, trying to ignore the sound of her heartbeat pounding out of control.

The necklace up for auction was breathtaking. The emerald gleamed under the lights, like a fragment of the forest trapped inside a crystal.

“Starting bid at eighty thousand dollars,” announced the auctioneer.

“Nathan, once you buy one thing, we’re leaving, okay?” Tessa whispered, half-pleading.

“The color’s just like ...