Chapter 767 Gem Brilliance
Hayley’s POV:
To my surprise, Truman didn’t fight back – not even a flicker of his wolf eyes to assert dominance.
He kept stumbling backward under my blows, and with one final kick to his chest, I sent him flying out through the restaurant’s front door.
I was just about to charge after him and give him a real lesson when Melody suddenly rushed in and stepped between us.
“Ms. Carson, please show some mercy.”
I frowned, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
I couldn’t care less whether Truman lived or not. But Melody–well, she’d actually helped me a few times. She was a decent person.
Since she asked for help, I couldn’t just ignore her.
“Take him and get out of my sight. Now.”
Turning away, I said quietly, “Ms. Melody, consider us even. I’ve paid back the favor I owed you. But next time, if you can’t keep him in check, don’t blame me for what I do.”
“Thank you.” Melody gave a small bow, then threw Truman a look. Together, they left.
Once they were far enough and no one was around, Melody couldn’t help but grumble at Benjamin, “I just don’t get it. Why do you seem so eager to get yourself hurt?
“I’m guessing you’ve known for a while now–your future Luna is an alpha just like you. Every move she makes could be fatal. And you didn’t fight back even once during that whole confrontation!”
“I told you, it’s called romantic banter. You wouldn’t understand,” Benjamin said with a chuckle, rubbing the spot on his chest where I’d kicked him.
His expression softened into something like bliss. “Fiery little Hayley, still adorable when she’s mad.”
Melody shot him a look of disbelief.
To her, this cunning, battle–hardened alpha always seemed to lose his mind the second Hayley came into the picture.
She’d never understand this bizarre kind of love between humans and wolf-kind.
Hayley’s POV:
After lunch, the inner hall of the auction venue reopened.
It was still reserved for VIP attendees to browse and select stones. The outer hall, however, had grown even livelier–alongside the display of lower–grade stones, a popular event had begun: the stone–cutting session.
Stones selected in the morning were now being cut open in the order they were registered. The head lapidary worked through them one by one.
Stone–cutting had always been the most exciting part of the rock betting scene. Crowds packed around the machines, the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation.
Unlike the Winterbite Pack’s slow and ceremonial style, this place focused on efficiency. Over a dozen lapidaries were working at once. Machines were lined up in a neat row.
I stifled a yawn and stayed on the sidelines, watching from afar.
The wait was long, but eventually someone gasped with excitement.
“Look at that quality! That color–absolutely stunning!”
“Top–tier for sure! You see that shine? Pure brilliance!”
“Who got so lucky to be the first one to strike a gem?!”
“Let me check the log … Truman White! It was him!”
At first, their dramatic reactions didn’t catch my attention.
But when I heard Truman’s name, my eyebrows shot up.
That playboy? He actually has real skill at rock betting?
My instincts kicked in–I started scanning the crowd, on edge, half–expecting him to pop up behind me.
The memory of him whispering into my ear at lunch sent a shiver down my spine. Just thinking about it made me want to tear him apart.
Now I kind of regretted letting him off so easy.
Darn it. He’s the one in the wrong. Why am I the one feeling flustered?
“Ms. Carson!”
Humbert popped up out of nowhere, hurrying toward me.
“What’s with the panic?” I asked irritably.
“They’re about to cut our stone–station nine. Thought you’d want to be there to watch,” he said.
“Right.” I nodded and followed him across the hall.
“She’s here! That’s her.”
“Once this stone’s done, it’s her turn!”
“She actually showed up! The rest being cut today are all from the inner hall–hers is the only one from the outer display. Wonder if it’ll be a surprise hit!”
“Huh? It’s from the outer hall? I’ll go check out the other stations instead.”
Their whispers meant nothing to me. I didn’t even bother looking at them.
Within a minute of me arriving, more than half of them had already walked away.
Honestly? That was a relief. Fewer people meant better air.
The lapidary started cutting my stone.
And just moments later, Humbert’s eyes widened in shock. “Our stone got the gem brilliance!”