Under the Heiress' Facade

"It's simple. There should be no unfair bids. We both state our intended price for the Eclipse Stone. Whoever offers the higher amount gets it."

Hera parted the bead curtain to face Bernard.

"And what's the penalty for the loser?"

His eyes narrowed.

After all, there needed to be a bargaining chip when challenging the grandmaster of Astral Nova.

"If you win, I'll pay the bid value. If I win, I'll still pay it," Hera said boldly.

Bernard chuckled lightly.

"Isn't it just money? Who can't afford it?"

Hera fell silent. She hadn't anticipated him using her own words against her. Reading between the lines, she understood that the stake wasn't enough to pique his interest in playing games with her.

"I'll help you save three lives if I win."

Hera changed her bargaining chip.

Life was priceless; that was the miracle doctor's strongest bargaining chip.

"Alright, I'll go first," Bernard agreed. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

He picked up the bidding device from the coffee table and entered a series of numbers before handing it to her.

"No need. I brought mine."

She lifted the bidding device from her cloak with her left hand.

As she did, his attention was drawn to the bracelet on her fair wrist. It accentuated her skin's radiance by alternating between pink conch pearls and white diamonds.

Bernard's eyes were fixed on the bracelet. It was a unique piece that held a deep familiarity for him.

The four unique pink conch pearls on it were the result of years of searching across various locations and spending millions of dollars.

After meticulous crafting, they were set together with diamonds to make that bracelet. It was a birthday gift from Daphne to Hera on her fourth birthday.

Bernard raised his eyes slightly and stared intently at the woman before him. Despite her makeup and brown contact lenses, he glimpsed the familiar coldness in her eyes.

A sense of revelation surged within him as if he had stumbled upon a hidden truth. Hera had misled him into believing she was at the Everett residence.

Hera submitted her bid and said, "Let's reveal the final bet."

As she looked up, she sensed a subtle change in Bernard's demeanor. His piercing, previously cold eyes now held a glint of genuine joy behind his mask.

Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered if he had won.

The bodyguard beside her also noticed an imperceptible difference in Bernard's behavior and wondered the same thing.

He immediately instructed the coordinator to send the information over. Both parties had entered 880 million. It was truly an incredible coincidence.

"Grandmaster..."

The bodyguard approached and whispered the information into Bernard's ear.

Bernard nodded, gazed deeply at Hera, and said, "You've won!"

The bodyguard was taken aback at Bernard's exclamation.

He muttered, "Wait! Grandmaster, did you mishear me? I clearly said it's a tie. Shouldn't a tie mean we start over?"

The two coordinators who heard this result through their headsets were also shocked. Their eyes widened as they repeatedly compared the two sets of bidding figures.

They confirmed that both were indeed 880 million. It was precisely the same and not even a decimal off.

They couldn't understand how one bid would win over the other when both were of equal value. They started to wonder if they were taught math wrong.

"Point taken."

Hera was somewhat surprised. She thought Bernard was surprisingly honest and willing to accept defeat. A faint smile crept up beneath her mask.

She instinctively rubbed her bracelet.

She had discovered it while sorting through Daphne's belongings. Inside the box was a note that read, "A gift for Hera's fourth birthday." It was a lucky bracelet left to her by Daphne.

She cherished it and rarely wore it out. But every time she did, it brought her good luck.