Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 430 430: Bid

A collective hush fell across the hall at the announcement. One of the agents stepped forward to unveil the item.

The glass dome was lifted, and the necklace was brought forward, displayed on a black velvet bust. Its glow under the lights drew gasps from the crowd.

Murmurings echoed softly across the hall as each of the guests had something to say about it.

"The Duchess's necklace," the auctioneer said proudly, "is a thirteen–carat blue diamond, rare in both color and clarity, surrounded by thirty-six flawless diamonds set in platinum. Crafted in the 1800s, it once belonged to the Duchess of Zainland.

Since then, it has passed through three generations of nobility and was last seen at the Duchess's coronation gala. Tonight, for the first time in over a century, it is presented to the world again. Bidding shall begin at one million dollars."

In Julian's cubicle, the digital bid pad glowed green, a sign to show it was ready to announce the buyer's bid, and numerics were displayed on the touch pad to be used for the bidding.

His gaze lingered for a while on the necklace glittering under the spotlight.

With the auctioneer already stating the bid to start off at one million, he took a deep breath and decisively pressed two million.

Gasps erupted in the hall, a low murmur coursing through the hall at how high the bidding had started off.

In Davis's cubicle, his brow furrowed as his gaze settled on the stage where the necklace was placed as though he was reassessing the worth.

A fierce determination brimming in his eyes as they locked on the digital bidding pad before him. His lips curled up with a smirk as he raised the bid to three million.

But just as he pressed three million, Julian raised the bid for four million.

"Who's in that room?" Davis asked coldly. It wasn't the price that concerned him but the intent and the urgency behind the other bidder.

"I'll go find out," Ethan offered, stepping toward the door.

"Forget it." Davis stopped him with a sharp tone. Without hesitation, he pressed again. "Seven million."

The hall erupted into loud gasps.

While Julian and Davis were busy bidding unscrupulously, the situation inside Jessica's cubicle was anything but calm.

She had arrived at this auction with the plan of searching out a particular piece of her mother's jewelry, sold away by George Brown immediately after she died.

For years, Jessica had chased every rumor, every auction, every lead but she didn't expect all her plans would always go south.

From the time of unveiling the last item on the list "the Duchess's necklace" Jessica felt her heart stir with an unfamiliar feeling.

Her gaze lingered on the necklace under the spotlight, the blue diamond glittering with such brilliance that it seemed almost alive, pulsing with a rhythm that tugged at her heartstrings.

She felt her breath catch, her head ache, but she didn't give it a thought and simply rubbed the throbbing temple dismissively.

Yet she couldn't bring herself to look away, but the longer she stared, the less she saw the auction house, the curtains, the polished stage or the auctioneer's smile.

though she was being drawn into a

then all she saw

same shade of

intricate design of a necklace but different from the item on

"Familiar…" she whispered, dazed.

familiarity so uncanny as though she had come into contact

pulsating in her mind was where and

against her skull, low at first, then

eyes, hoping to block it out, but instead, flashes

in flashes that vanished as quickly as they came, and she

table with scattered sketches on papers under a bright light. A blurry image of

"Blue."

mouth was moving

ear hoping to hear what the voice was

as it throbbed harder, the pain sharpened, the buzzing louder now than

sweat dripped down her

frantically clutching her head, a low

nothing he noticed that might

mind, yet

alarmed by her trembling. "Jessica? Jessica, can

seemed to be trapped in her

call Davis, but on a

couldn't be taken out of the cubicle

be done to help her out of this situation. Though the environment was wrong, this would have definitely happened sooner

breath, he called the driver

a low, deep chuckle. She could feel the softness and gentleness

several flashes she couldn't

nerves in her head were struggling to secure a position

gripped the armrest of her seat, struggling

breaths hoping to ease

tender and worried voice echoed through her dark, "Babe, are

as though a bucket of cold water had been poured on her. Her eyes snapped open. She glanced around but

she asked,

"Are you feeling

her head lightly, though it still felt heavy. "What happened?"

on her worriedly. "Did you remember anything?" he

access her memory,

tore through the silence of the hall, snapping their talk to a

"Nine million!"

briefly. He was now certain the person bidding against him must have had either of

this necklace, or he wanted to increase

If the purpose was the latter, surely he had