Chapter 750 Miracle
Hayley’s POV.
The folks from Winterbite Pack had no idea about the grudge between Freya and me, but they definitely recognized me as the girl who dropped four million on a chunk of what looked like useless arone.
As soon as I stepped into the room, they all exchanged smug looks, waiting to see me make a fool of myself.
“Took you long enough,” Celine mocked, “Let me guess—you realized you bought junk and didn’t have the guts to cut it open in public?”
“Or maybe,” I replied, my voice slow and steady, “I was just waiting for you to go first. It’s only when you’ve seen what’s average that you can truly appreciate what’s exceptional.”
I shot Henry a look. He nodded, caught the cue instantly, and carried the stone to the table.
“Lapidary,” I said, “use the finest grinder. Hand-cut it.”
Freya curled her lips into a mocking smile, clearly enjoying herself.
The scent of her perfume alone was enough to make Hera growl in disgust. I casually stepped a bit farther away.
The lapidary didn’t say much. He simply grabbed the thinnest tool from his kit and got to work.
Like the others, he clearly had low expectations, as evidenced by his bored expression. With mechanical indifference, he began to grind down the outer layer.
Powder flaked off bit by bit, and with it, the stone’s dull surface. But as he worked, a color began to emerge.
The lapidary froze.
At the same moment, someone near the front gasped. “A miracle! An absolute miracle!”
Humbert stretched his neck to see, eyes wide with disbelief.
“It’s sapphire! A rare sapphire!”
The crowd surged forward, elbow to elbow, trying to get a glimpse.
“No way! I can’t believe I’m actually seeing one of these with my own eyes!” someone exclaimed. “Look at the fire in that color—pure brilliance!”
“What? Did she just say sapphire?”
“It’s real! The rarest kind!”
Suddenly, all eyes were on my stone. The air vibrated with excitement.
People trembled with adrenaline, completely transfixed. I remained calm and lifted a hand. “Don’t stop now. Keep going.”
The lapidary jolted like someone snapped their fingers in his ear. He snapped out of his daze and resumed work—but this time, with full focus, treating each inch with utmost care.
By the time he finished, it was already past 1 p.m. Not only had the crowd not thinned, but it had grown; more jewelers had heard the news and rushed back to see for themselves.
When the lapidary finally stepped back, the truth became clear: that rare sapphire made up over 80% of the entire stone.
A once-in-a-century treasure—this big, this pure.
Half the people in the room were mesmerized, as if the gem had cast a spell on them. They stood still, staring, their eyes glassy with awe.
Freya, clutching her premium rough stone, glared at me, her teeth clenched so tightly her jaw trembled.
I was in too good a mood to bother with her—though honestly, if I hadn’t held Hera back, she might’ve leaped out and torn Freya’s throat wide open.
That’s when the offers started flying. A sharp-eyed businessman stepped forward. “Miss, I’ll give you 20 million. You make 16 million profit on the spot. That’s a smart deal.”
“Twenty million? Are you kidding me?” Someone else barked. “Don’t insult her intelligence! Miss, sell it to me—I’ll give you 50 million!”
“I’ll go 70 million!”
“One hundred million! Cash on the table!”
I smiled and shook my head. “Sorry. It’s not for sale.”
“Then at least let us place custom orders—jewelry made from it!”
“Yes! I’d like to pre-order a piece too!”
I shrugged, then raised my voice. “Well, that’s not really up to me. Its fate lies in Humbert’s hands.”
I turned toward where he stood.
Our eyes met, and he instantly got it.
He gave me a thrilled, “I got it” look. Then Humbert announced to the crowd, his voice booming with pride, “Seventy-five percent of the gem will be used to craft custom pieces. The remaining quarter will become the signature showcase of Byrd Jewelry!”
The crowd erupted with gasps and buzz. As the murmurs swirled, I walked toward Humbert with Henry at my side, carrying the sapphire that glowed in my hands.