Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 983

Because she hadn't known about this auction in advance, she hadn't prepared a massive reserve of funds.

The absolute maximum she could pull together was fifteen million dollars.

Besides, the absolute peak market value of that tiara was five million.

She never could have anticipated a competitor instantly jacking the price up to twenty million.

Claire was so fraught with tension that her hands were physically shaking. She tried to call Noreen for help, but kept fumbling and tapping the wrong screen.

By the time she finally got the call to connect, the auctioneer's hammer struck the podium, officially declaring the item sold to the guest who bid twenty million.

Noreen had no idea what was happening on Claire's end. When she picked up, she asked casually, "What's up, honey?"

"Nothing," Claire said, sounding as though every ounce of life had been drained from her body. "Just wondering if you've eaten yet."

Noreen checked the time.

It was three in the afternoon. Who ate a meal at three in the afternoon?

She immediately realized something was terribly wrong with Claire's mood and quickly asked, "Did something happen?"

"No, I'm fine. Really."

She absolutely refused to be a burden to Noreen.

Noreen didn't press the issue, but the moment she hung up, she immediately dialed Wilbur's number.

Wilbur wasn't in the main hall at the moment; he had just finished discussing a potential partnership with a highly renowned collector.

After seeing the man off, he turned to his assistant. "Did The Aquaria Tiara sell?"

"It did," the assistant confirmed. "And it went for an incredible premium. The buyer dropped twenty million dollars on it."

Wilbur's footsteps faltered. He frowned sharply. "Why did the price get pushed that high?"

The assistant looked confused. "Isn't a high price a good thing?"

A higher price meant a massive commission for the auction house.

As one of the owners, shouldn't Mr. Wilbur be thrilled?

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