Chapter 232
"In no time at all, a group of affluent wives flocked towards Cassie, their words dripping with flattery.
""Cassie, where did you find such a stunning dress?""
""And that necklace—it must be a recent piece from Tiffany's, isn't it?""
Their voices trailed off as another figure approached. Charlotte, a wine glass delicately held in her hand and a clear malice in her eyes, sauntered over. ""Well, Cassie, I'm surprised to see you in such a charitable mood tonight.""
Taken aback, Mrs. Anderson quickly jumped to Cassie's defense. ""Miss Jones, what exactly are you implying?""
With a heavy sigh, Charlotte began to weave her tale. ""You may not be aware, but I heard at the Peace Group annual gathering last night, Cassie had an altercation with Richard, the gentleman from New York.""
""No way, the Richard from the Hernandez family?""
""That's right,"" Charlotte nodded, a smug smile on her face. ""Word has it that Cassie gave Mr. Hernandez quite the bruise. He was furious. Cassie, that was a reckless move. The Hernandez family isn't to be trifled with. I do hope we'll still see you around safe and sound.""
The women present gasped in unison, taking a step back in shock.
""Oh my, my husband is calling for me.""
""Mrs. Deramond, it's been ages since we last met!""
In the blink of an eye, each woman had found her excuse to leave, leaving Cassie alone. Crossing the Hernandez family was akin to signing a death wish—there was no need for pleasantries anymore.
Cassie chose not to respond, merely giving Charlotte a look reserved for someone who was clearly out of the loop. She was close friends with Olivia—how could the truth have not reached her yet?
Charlotte, unable to hide her satisfaction, taunted Cassie. ""Feeling cornered, are we? I didn't expect you to be dethroned from the chairman's seat so soon."" She turned to Joseph, who was standing nearby. ""Mr. Hernandez, I would keep my distance if I were you. You don't want to get dragged down with her.""
Joseph remained unfazed, a single eyebrow raised in mild amusement.
Misinterpreting his reaction, Charlotte hastily added, ""You know, a relative of mine is Richard's right-hand person. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I'll certainly help you out.""
Cassie almost laughed out loud. Everyone knew how terrified Richard was of Joseph. As if Joseph would care about some minor assistant.
""Joe, don't waste your time on her. Let's find our seats,"" she said, linking her arm with Joseph's as they walked away, leaving Charlotte in her blissful ignorance.
Behind them, Charlotte scoffed in contempt. Enjoy it now, she thought. They'll come crawling back later.
Once they were seated, Joseph turned to Cassie. ""Why didn't you correct her? Is this part of the 'big show' you mentioned?""
""Joe, you know me so well,"" Cassie said, grinning.
Joseph noted that since she took over as CEO, she had become a bit more cunning. But that's okay, he thought. She'd need a bit of spunk to deal with what's to come—as his future wife.
Soon, the auction began.
The night's bidding was actually a guise for a charity event. Cassie raised her paddle for a couple of paintings, their worth just in the millions.
But the grand finale was the ""Queen's Heart.""
Resting on black silk, a stunning red diamond necklace sparkled brilliantly. Its design was intricate, each little diamond adorning the chain like a scatter of stars.
Every lady in attendance was in awe, and even Cassie's gaze lingered a moment longer than usual.
Joseph watched her intently.
""Now, for the moment we've all been waiting for,"" the auctioneer began with fervor. ""This piece took the former king of France two whole years to complete with a top designer. With a total of 383.4 carats, legend has it that giving the 'Queen's Heart' to your love ensures a lifetime together.""
""It's the necklace every woman dreams of possessing. We'll start the bidding at $160 million.""
The price caused an uproar among the crowd.
But soon enough, a bid was placed. ""170 million.""
Cassie curiously glanced over to see it was none other than Arthur Lewis."
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