Chapter 42
Inside the exhibition box shone a pink peach-shaped pendant, dazzling the eyes that saw it.
“As you can see,” said the host, “this peach-shaped pendant was cut from a single whole piece of pink. crystal, and it was given
an incredibly romantic name-Everlasting Heart…”
This is far from being a normal crystal pendant,” the host continued. “Legend has it that it was specially made for the adopted
daughter of the king of a small kingdom in Varangia, which means that this… is a royal treasure, ladies and gentlemen. It is
absolutely one of its kind in this world. Currently, it’s being valued at around three million dollars!”
The host’s colorful descriptions endowed the already luxurious pendant with even more hype and splendor. The audience’s
continuous gasps in awe were enough to show how highly regarded this crystal. pendant was. Numerous ladies even cast an
envious look at Charlotte.
“So,” Micah took Charlotte’s hand and asked in a groveling manner, “do you like this surprise that I’ve given you, baby?”
Charlotte’s vanity was fully assuaged by that point, and the grin on her face could not get any wider.
Meanwhile, Liam was frowning slightly in the first row as he studied that pendant with a scrutinizing gaze. Disdainfully, he said,
“The crystal’s coloring is mediocre at best, but I guess the label of being a royal jewelry managed to get it to be valued as high as
three million dollars. Do these people think that we’re all idiots with too much money in our hands?”
“It is indeed a good quality crystal,” responded Renee in a half-smile and a vaguely mysterious tone, “but as for whether or not it
comes from a royal family, well…” 1
“Right,” the host continued, “we have just presented to you all the items that will be auctioned off today, and among all the
donated items, the most valuable one is the pink peach-shaped crystal pendant that Mr. Micah Larson donated in the name of
his girlfriend Charlotte Milford, therefore, I’d like to invite Miss Charlotte to please come on stage.”
And so Charlotte appeared on stage like a celebrity amidst loud cheers and applause. She took the microphone and spoke to the
audience in an obviously affected tone, “Thank you for your applause, ladies and gentlemen. I’m really happy to be here with you
today in the name of charity. To spread the love, I would like to invite my cousin-in-law, Renee Everheart, to come on stage and
share this beautiful moment with me.”
As she finished her sentence, she extended her arms toward Renee as an inviting gesture.
Renee knew at the drop of the hat that Charlotte must have some hidden bad intentions for her, but still, she showed no sign of
timidity and proudly walked up on stage.
She really wanted to know what kind of trick this silly cousin-in-law of hers had up her sleeve.
In an instant, the audience’s attention was focused on Renee’s beautiful figure. They were mesmerized by her blinding beauty.
This made Charlotte even more jealous of her now.
“Anyway, I invited you up here because I’ve got a simple question for you. You see, we’re gathered here in the name of charity
this evening, and everyone has donated so much to show their support for the cause, and yet it seems that you’ve… not donated
anything at all?”
“In any case,” Charlotte continued, “you are a part of the Hunt family. You must’ve obtained a substantial amount of money these
past few years, so wouldn’t it look like you’re a little cold-hearted when you don’t contribute anything at all?”
Evidently, she had done everything up to this point just to embarrass Renee in front of the huge audience, making it too shameful
for her even to leave the stage. Surely enough, the people in the audience had begun to criticize Renee, each standing on the
moral high ground, accusing Renee of being one of those greedy rich people who had no charitable heart at all, painting her as
the kind of woman who only knew how to suck on the fortune of the Hunt family, yet being unwilling to give anything back to
society. She might look stunning outside, but her heart was hollow and ugly.
“F*ck!’ cursed Liam. He clenched his fists in anger as he watched it all transpire. He could barely stop himself from rushing
onstage and beating those people up. In fact, he knew of no one else in this world who was kinder and more charitable than
Renee!
Meanwhile, Stefan, who was seated in the same row as Liam, merely pursed his lips tight. His handsome face was gloomy and
severe. His eyes were focused keenly on Renee as he waited for the situation to develop.
Despite being surrounded by vocal disparagement and criticism from the audience, Renee appeared perfectly calm. She faced
the audience and said, “Don’t worry, ladies and gentlemen. I will definitely donate something to the cause in time, but before I do
that, I would like to give everyone a sincere apology on behalf of my cousin-in-law.”
Those words completely confounded the crowd.
Charlotte gritted her teeth and, in a lowered voice, asked her, “What the hell are you talking about, your gold digger?”
Without bothering to look at Charlotte, Renee continued, “Because the pendant she had just donated is a fake!”