The Beginning Of All Sins

Naomi looked nervous. The emcee announced, "The current highest bid is 580,000 dollars. Anyone willing to go higher?"

Tyler didn't lift his bidder card this time. Seeing this, the emcee sensed the bidding might be over. She announced, "It seems we have no higher bids than 580,000 dollars." Even Olivia thought that was the end, but then Tyler casually raised his card, saying, "650,000 dollars."

Tyler was determined not to give Claude another chance to bid by raising it significantly.

The crowd gasped at the unexpected high bid. Everyone murmured about the Harrises living up to their reputation as a prestigious family.

Claude, with a slight smile, then raised his bidder card, "680,000 dollars."

The emcee got more excited, her cheeks red as she called out, "680,000 dollars going once! The price has reached 680,000 dollars! Will it go higher? I can't wait to see!" Naomi quickly turned to Linda, who was watching intently, "Forget it. Tell Tyler to stop bidding."

Linda replied, "Don't worry. Let's see what he does next."

Naomi was anxious Tyler might bid again.

The emcee continued, "680,000 dollars going once, 680,000 dollars going twice. Any more bids, Mr. Harris?"

Tyler stayed silent, not lifting his card. After a pause, the emcee finalized, "Alright, 680,000 dollars for the third time! Congratulations to Mr. Pearce!" She sounded thrilled. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

The audience stood and clapped for Claude, who smiled at the applause.

Meanwhile, Tyler's expression turned stern. Olivia, surprised, thought Tyler would keep bidding.

The escalation in price was unheard of recently, especially since this was a charity event, with all proceeds going toward building schools for children in the mountains. The high bid turned into a generous donation.

The emcee thanked Claude repeatedly before inviting him to speak. Standing under a soft light, Claude took the microphone, "Firstly, I bid on this locket for the children in the mountain village. Secondly, I really like this locket, and I'm giving it to a friend as a gift."

He scanned through the crowd and briefly looked at Olivia as he spoke. His glance was fleeting, and he quickly looked away.

Olivia sensed this, and her palms began to sweat.