Chapter 83

Bianca Semona had been thoroughly snubbed by Ethan Roscente.

She turned to Vivian Laurent with a perfectly practiced smile plastered on her face.

"Miss Laurent, you don't seem very experienced with jade gambling. Would you like me to pick a stone for you?"

Lucas Lefèvre immediately shook his head. "That won't be necessary."

With an expert like Vivian by his side, he didn't need anyone else's advice.

But Vivian gently pressed his arm.

She'd noticed Bianca hovering around Victoria Roscente earlier. This sudden offer of help was definitely calculated.

"How kind of you, Miss Semona." Vivian's lips curved slightly.

Bianca's eyes flashed with triumph. The fish had taken the bait.

She made a show of examining several displays before stopping at an enormous raw stone.

"This one will definitely yield premium jade."

Lucas's eyes lit up. Priced at three hundred million, if it contained high-quality material, the value could increase tenfold.

He looked expectantly at Vivian.

"Are you certain, Miss Semona?" Vivian's smile held hidden meaning.

She'd already assessed this stone earlier—its contents were worth at most one hundred fifty million. A guaranteed loss for the buyer.

Bianca's stomach tightened. Had she been found out?

"I...I'm just making a suggestion. The surface looks promising, but with jade gambling, no one can guarantee anything."

She deliberately told only half the truth. While one side of the stone showed potential, the other was worthless scrap.

"Miss Semona," Vivian's voice turned icy, "are you trying to make fools of us, or are you simply incompetent?"

Bianca's face paled.

How was this possible? She hadn't seen Vivian inspect this stone thoroughly.

"What would you know?" Bianca forced composure. "You're a nobody in jade gambling circles. That pathetic stone you picked for Mr. Roscente earlier—everyone saw it."

The crowd immediately chimed in:

"She's the daughter of Master Semona!"

"If you can't afford it, just say so."

"Coming to a jade gambling event without three hundred million? Pathetic."

"Step aside if you're not buying—I'll take it!"

People clamored to claim this "treasure."

Vivian chuckled softly...