Chapter 6 My Choice
Magnus finally turned to Elias, his expression cold and irritated.
“You shouldn’t celebrate too early, Mr. Creed,” he said sharply. “The diamonds aren’t yours yet.”
Elias only gave a relaxed, almost flashy smile. Then he pulled Sophia a little closer to his side, his hand resting lightly at her waist.
“That’s alright,” he replied calmly. “Sophia is very particular about the things she chooses.”
His gaze flickered toward her for a brief moment before returning to Magnus.
“I’m sure she’ll pick the best piece for herself,” he added smoothly. “And besides…”
His smile deepened slightly.
“I have plenty of time to make sure she gets exactly what she wants.”
Isabel, who was standing beside Magnus, quietly watched the exchange. Her eyes moved back and forth between the two men. A small crease formed between her brows.
‘Why does it feel like they’re not talking about diamonds at all…?’ she wondered silently.
“All right,” Elias finally said. “We’re going to take our seats now.”
He gave Magnus a smug look before guiding Sophia toward the front of the auction hall. They took seats in the first row.
Magnus watched them sit down side by side. His expression darkened before he started walking toward the front as well.
He headed straight toward the seats next to Sophia.
Isabel rushed to his side and grabbed his arm.
“Let’s sit over there, Magnus,” she said, trying to pull him toward the opposite side of the seating area—farther away from Sophia and Elias.
But Magnus ignored her.
Without even looking at her, he walked straight to the chair beside Sophia and sat down.
Isabel stood there for a moment, staring at him in disbelief. Anger and frustration flashed across her face. But she quickly walked after him and sat down beside him, clearly annoyed.
Soon after, the auction began.
One by one, the items were presented, and the bidding started. Guests raised their paddles as the prices climbed higher and higher.
As the bidding progressed, the items became more expensive and rare.
Then a particular diamond appeared on the stage.
Elias studied it carefully.
He leaned slightly toward Sophia and spoke quietly.
“What do you think of this one?” he asked. “Isn’t it one of the rarest?”
Sophia looked at the diamond and nodded thoughtfully.
“It’s a good one,” she said calmly. “It will probably sell for a very high price.”
Elias lifted the bidding paddle slightly.
“Do you want it?” he asked. “I can bid and get it for you.”
He started to lift the paddle, but Sophia quickly placed her hand over his and pushed it back down.
“No,” she said at once. “That’s not necessary. I don’t want it.”
Elias looked at her with a small frown. “Are you sure?”
Sophia shook her head again.
“It’s fine,” she said lightly. “Don’t worry about it.”
She glanced back at the stage before continuing.
“It’s not useful to me. If you buy it, it’ll just end up sitting in one of my rooms collecting dust.”
“Alright,” Elias said calmly, then settled back in his chair.
Beside Magnus, Isabel suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Magnus, I want this one,” she said excitedly, shaking his hand lightly.
Magnus glanced at her briefly before turning his attention toward the stage. The bidding for the diamond had already reached one million dollars.
“Two million,” Magnus called out calmly.
The room quieted slightly at the sudden jump in price. No one raised their paddle again.
“Sold!” The auctioneer announced.
Isabel smiled brightly, pride and happiness filling her face as she looked at the diamond displayed on the stage. In her mind, she was already imagining a gorgeous necklace made from it.
The auctioneer soon moved on to the next item.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the next diamond is something you may have seen before, but rarely to this degree. This is a naturally bright stone with exceptional shine and multiple reflections formed naturally on its surface. Any jewelry crafted from it will have unmatched brilliance.”
Everyone’s attention shifted toward the stage, where a smaller diamond was now displayed under the bright lights.
“The starting price is one million dollars.”
The bidding began immediately.
The price rose rapidly.
Two million.
Five million.
Seven million.
Within minutes the price had already crossed ten million dollars.
After that, the bidding began to slow. Only a few people were still competing.
Elias leaned slightly toward Sophia.
“What do you think?” he asked quietly. “Do you want this one?”
Sophia studied the diamond carefully for a moment before nodding.
“Yes. This one is perfect for me,” she said softly. “Let’s get this one.”
Elias gave a small nod before raising his paddle.
“Fifteen million.”
The room fell quiet for a moment as people turned toward him.
Only one person raised the price.
“Seventeen million.”
Without hesitation, Elias responded.
“Twenty million.”
After that, silence filled the auction hall. No one seemed willing to challenge the price.
The auctioneer began the final countdown.
“Twenty million going once… going twice—”
“Sixty million.”
The new voice echoed clearly across the hall.
Gasps immediately spread through the crowd.
All eyes turned toward the person who had spoken.
Magnus.
Elias’s gaze shifted toward him instantly, anger flashing across his face.
“Mr. Graves,” Elias said coldly, his voice low with irritation. “Are you really not crossing a line here?”
Magnus gave him an arrogant look, completely unfazed.
“I can buy whatever I want,” Magnus replied calmly. “If you want something, you’re free to bid for it yourself. It’s not like I’m holding your wallet.”
Elias’s anger flared at the remark. He raised his paddle again.
“Eighty million.”
A wave of shocked murmurs spread through the hall.
Magnus immediately followed.
“One hundred million.”
Isabel, sitting beside him, was thrilled. Her face brightened with excitement as she assumed Magnus was bidding for her.
Her face glowed with happiness as she watched the stage. Every time Magnus raised the bid, her smile widened.
At the same time, she cast subtle, triumphant glances toward Sophia and the people sitting nearby, clearly enjoying the attention.
Around them, the crowd watched with growing excitement as the bidding war between the two powerful men pushed the price higher and higher.
Sophia gently placed her hand on Elias’s arm and leaned closer to him.
“There’s no need to get it,” she whispered. “It’s not even that good.”
Elias looked at her with a displeased expression and replied quietly, “Don’t worry about it. I can get it easily.”
“There’s no need, Elias,” Sophia repeated softly.
She smiled at him reassuringly.
“Trust me. It’s not even that big of a deal. I can get a diamond like this at other auctions. I only wanted it because it looked pretty.”
She tilted her head slightly and added lightly,
“If it was important, I would have bought it myself. It’s not like we lack money.”
Sophia gave him a warm smile, clearly trying to reassure him.
Elias studied her face for a moment before finally lowering his bidding paddle.
He gave up on the bid.
The auctioneer’s voice soon echoed across the hall.
“Sold to Mr. Magnus Graves.”
The auctioneer stepped down from the stage carrying the diamond placed on a velvet tray and walked toward Magnus.
Magnus stood and quietly walked to the side of the stage to complete the payment. As he handed over his card, he leaned slightly toward the auctioneer and whispered something in his ear.
The man nodded with a polite smile.
Magnus then returned to his seat.
Once the payment was confirmed, the auctioneer picked up the tray again and began walking toward the seats to deliver the diamond.
Isabel sat up excitedly in her chair. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she watched the auctioneer approach.
She leaned closer to Magnus with a bright smile.
“Thank you, Magnus,” she said happily. “I really love this diamond. I can’t believe you bought it for me. It’s so expensive!”
However, Magnus wasn’t even looking at her.
His eyes were fixed on the auctioneer walking through the aisle.
And then the man stopped.
Right in front of Sophia.
Sophia looked up in surprise.
Her gaze shifted slowly from the diamond tray… to Magnus.
Magnus was watching her with steady, expectant eyes. A faint smile touched his lips.
Sophia didn’t return the smile.
Beside Magnus, Isabel immediately froze.
Her face darkened as realization hit her.
The diamond… wasn’t for her.
It was for Sophia.
Her expression twisted with anger and humiliation.
Sophia stood up and walked toward Magnus.
Magnus also rose to his feet, and the two of them stood facing each other.
“Mr. Graves,” Sophia asked, confused, “what is going on? What are you doing?”
Magnus slipped his hands into his pockets. “You liked this diamond, didn’t you?” he said casually. “So I’m gifting it to you.”
Then he gestured slightly toward the tray.
“So I’m gifting it to you.”
A faint smile touched his lips.
“I hope it makes you happy.”
“I don’t need you to make me happy,” Sophia answered at once.
Her expression settled into a frown as she looked directly at Magnus.
“What makes you think I would want anything from you? Not to mention a one-hundred-million-dollar diamond.”
Her voice hardened slightly.
“I do not need any gift from you.”
The proud and satisfied expression on Magnus’s face faded instantly. The faint smile disappeared as he stared at her in silence.
“I’m giving it to you to thank you,” he said after a moment. “For helping me with my auctions. It’s not a big deal, so please just accept the gift.”
Sophia still didn’t look pleased.
“Mr. Graves,” she said firmly, “I already received payment from you for hosting those auctions. I do not need any gift from you. I did my job, and I got paid for it. That’s all.”
Magnus frowned.
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing,” he replied. “I’m just giving you a gift. Don’t you love this diamond? You helped me when I had an emergency.”
He gestured toward the diamond tray.