Chapter 18

A bunch of folks headed to the room where the stones were kept, and it was buzzing with activity. Some stones had already been cracked open, but they were just your run-of-the-mill gems.

Some people left disappointed, while others stuck around, hopeful.

No one knew what was inside an uncut rough stone. If it turned out to be vibrant and the light shone through it just right, it could be worth a fortune,potentiallymaking the speculator overnight rich.

But if it was dull and not very clear, it would be worthless, maybe even causing the speculator to lose everything.

When James walked in, the staff running the machines noticed him and quickly came over to see what was up.

Eric asked James, "So how does this gambling work? Is it all or nothing with just one stone?"

James replied calmly, "Eric, you be the judge."

Emily glanced at James, who looked sharp in his suit, with an air of confidence like he was in control of everything.

Emily slowly looked away, eyeing the strange stones nearby,and said,"Mr.Smith,you go first."

James didn't hesitate, his eyes scanned the room, and he pointed casually."That one."

The staff brought over the stone, which was kind of black. But with green streaks running through it, maybe it was jadeite. James told the staff to cut it open. The staff, a bit shaky, used the machine to cut it, and everyone wvatched anxiously.

When the patterns in the stone were revealed, everyone was stunned.

Eric exclaimed, "James, it's mauve jadeite!"

Mauve jadeite was usually of poor quality and lost its shine in the light,but this piece was pretty standard, except it didn't have the green color to make it the popular 'Spring with Color.' Still, it was very valuable.

Eric's eyes lit up. "A piece of mauve jadeite this big must be worth millions,right?"

Everyone was shocked. Just a random pick turned out to be mauve jadeite.All eyes then turned to Emily.

Veda hesitated for a moment, walked up to Emily, and gently tugged at her sleeve. "Emily, let's not gamble, okay? You shouldn't do this just to get Mr. Smith's attention without reaI skills."

Emily gave her a cold look, slowly pulling her arm back. Veda's words really put her on the spot.

There were many superior jadeites, but with over a hundred raw stones here, it was unlikely to pick one of equal value.

Suddenly,everyone was looking at Emily with a hint of regret in their eyes.

The staff hesitated. This raw stone had been sitting for two months witho Emily accepted the compliments gracefully, then turned to James and asked,"Mr. Smith, about the stake you mentioned earlier..." James raised an eyebrow. "I just agreed to gamble with you. When did I ut being sold.

But Emily was sure. "Open it."

As the raw stone was cut open, everyone's eyes widened instantly. It was the purest and most intense purple in the purple gemstone category,known as Royal Purple. It was very rare, with extremely high collectible value. Most importantly, it was more prestigious than mauve jadeite.

Everyone gasped in amazement.

Emily chuckled and said to James, "Mr. Smith, looks like you lost to me this time.What do you think?"

Immediately, a crowd gathered around Emily, bombarding her with questions. "Ms. Johnson, who taught you? How did you pick such a big piece of Royal Purple?"

Emily smiled warmly. "My grandfather, Hayden Williams, taught me."

The Williams family had made their fortune through stone gambling.Hayden had never lost a bet on stones. Those who wasn't in the jewelry business might not know him.

The whole place erupted in excitement.

Veda watched Emily being surrounded by everyone, her expression souring. But even if she was upset, she couldn't say anything right now. promise you a stake?"

Emily's smile faltered for a moment. Looking at James' somewhat mischievous face, she was reminded of his teasing nature in bed.

Every time in bed, James would slowly rub his hardness against her vagina,making Emily beg him to go faster.

The naughty images flashed in her mind, making Emily blush and clench her teeth.

Eric frowned and spoke up for Emily, "James, isn't that unfair? Ms.Johnson just wants to discuss design drafts with you. Why are you being so difficult?"

A hint of annoyance flashed in James'eyes as he shrugged off Eric's hand from his shoulder, coldly saying, "I don't like being manipulated."

James glanced at his friends. "If any of you tell her anything, don't bother coming to see me again!"

That was harsh. Eric frowned, looking surprised, but was pulled back by someone beside him, who shook their head. It was better not to cross James right now.

Everyone was curious why James was so angry. He had never spoken such harsh words for any other woman before. And Emily had no relationship with him. Plus, James wasn't usually this petty. With James' warning, the men who had been surrounding Emily backed off a bit. It wasn't worth getting on James' bad side for her. Seeing Emily being shunned, Veda suddenly felt better. Even Emily's beauty had its moments of failure. Since James didn't want to discuss, Emily didn't stay long at the venue.She and Veda returned to the company one after the other.

During the lunch meeting, John was in a good mood,his voice cheerful."Mr. Smith wants us to send Ms. Johnson to Golden Birch Group tomorrow to discuss the design draft details."

Emily was slightly taken aback. She had just been turned down, and now James agreed?

Someone asked, "Which Ms.Johnson?"

At the mention, everyone's eyes focused on Emily and Veda.

While Emily was still processing, Veda spoke softly, "Mr. Williams,it's me who negotiated it."

"I heard that at the venue, Ms. Emily Johnson offended Mr. Smith, so it must be Ms. Veda Johnson who got Mr. Smith's approval."

John heard someone praising Veda and smiled proudly. "Veda, I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

Then he cast a cold glance at Emily, the disdain in his eyes clear.