Alpha Hayley's Destined Mate by Andrea Townsend

Chapter 111 Lacks the Natural Talent for It

Hayley’s POV

“Are you quitting already? It seems like you can only focus for about three minutes!”

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I felt a surge of resistance to that remark, my lips forming a slight pour “Maybe I just lack the natural talent for it”

Benjamin offered nie some encouragement, saying, “Rock betting requires a lot of patience. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment. When you’re choosing rocks, examine their colors and textures from different angles. There’s a saying in this game: Often, the most unremarkable rocks yield the best surprises. Keep that in mind, and you may discover a rock that you genuinely adore.”

His words ignited a spark of determination within me. I took another look at the room filled with raw stones, deciding it was worth another attempt.

After perusing the collection, I strolled around until I found a small heap of rocks near the entrance. The shopkeeper let out a sigh and remarked, “Miss, these are our least expensive rocks. They’re priced at 3 thousand dollars each.”

These so–called “cheap rocks” were practically worthless. An expert could easily tell that these pieces had afmost no chance of containing emeralds due to their poor quality and dull colors.

Kneeling down, I examined two medium–sized rocks. They weren’t too costly, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to buy them just for fun. I’ll take these two.”

The shopkeeper looked taken aback by my willingness to purchase such rocks. As a businessman, he felt obliged to caution me. “Miss, the odds of these rocks containing emeralds are exceedingly low, nearly non-

existent.

His warning was straightforward. Buying these rocks would be like throwing my money away.

I appreciated his concern, but I saw potential in the two rocks, so I decided to go through with the purchase.

After I paid, the shopkeeper seemed hesitant to say more, but Benjamin jumped in. “Since you bought them, let’s open them right away.”

I nodded in agreement. “Sir, we’ll need your rock cutter’s assistance, please.”

had selected. “Miss, these rocks have a slim chance of containing emeralds. Would you

reply when Benjamin interrupted, instructing the rock cutter, “Start grinding from the

but followed his instructions. He began grinding the rocks with précision, making gradual progress. Just as he reached about a centimeter in, his expression shifted

and I focused intently on the rock. A faint green tint was emerging from what had previously appeared as a

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111 Lacks the Natural Talent

smirked and whispered to me, “Celestial emerald–you’ve struck it lucky.”

smile spread across my face as I asked,

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state, it’s worth about a million dollars. If it’s crafted into jewelry, its value could multiply

couldn’t hold back my excitement. “I wonder how big

fully cut open, revealing

is remarkable,” the shopkeeper remarked, his admiration evident. I never expected this seemingly worthless rough rock to reveal such a

passersby who flocked in, eager to purchase rocks of their own. Suddenly, the shop was buzzing with activity, and

do with this

grin, I said, “This large piece would be perfect for making a pair of bracelets. I’ll give them to my grandmother for her birthday next time.”

this, Benjamin offered, “I know a reliable raw stone processing company I can

to you.

I

had mentioned earlier about the careful handling of the rocks. “Mr. Benjamin, do you have some sort of sixth sense? How did you know this rock would contain an emerald, and you seemed to know just

smile without answering my question. Instead, he said. “That’s why I’m the expert and you’re

“Is it possible that his

mean I can smell what he can. He’s just more experienced, Hera shot back,

heavily on luck. Don’t think of it as a guaranteed way to get rich,” Benjamin

worry! Unless it’s with you I won’t return to places like this on my own.”

satisfied. “We’ve had our fun; now it’s

nodded in agreement. “Sounds

home. Once we landed, I bade my farewells. “Mr. Benjamin, I hope to learn