Chapter 228 In Full View, It's Actually a Fake?
They never thought Ada would just up and donate that necklace in front of everyone!
'How can this be happening?'
Debra whipped her head around to look at Jessica. They locked eyes from across the room, both freaking out but unable to say a word!
When Alexa's work was revealed, the whole place went nuts.
Jewelry buffs and experts leaned in, craning their necks to get a look at the legendary designer's bling.
Edward and Gilbert, who'd been Alexa fanboys forever, had their eyes light up for the first time that night.
They clutched their paddles, ready to throw down some serious cash.
"Debra, why are you standing up? Sit down, everyone's staring at you!" Tiffany hissed, yanking on Debra's arm.
"Tiffany, something's seriously wrong!" Debra slumped back down, her voice all shaky.
"What's wrong? Spill it!" Tiffany demanded.
"The necklace Ada donated... it's the one I gave her." Debra explained, sweating bullets.
"You gave it to her? How'd you get your hands on an Alexa piece?" Tiffany's shock turned to rage. "That thing's worth a fortune, and you just handed it to Ada? You should've given it to me! I can't believe I raised you!"
"Tiffany, that necklace is a fake." Debra's voice was barely a whisper.
Tiffany's heart skipped a beat. "What did you just say? Fake?"
"Yeah, Jessica hooked me up with one of Alexa's apprentices to make a replica." Debra stammered. "Ada was on the fence about signing the contract, so I had to pull a fast one. I figured if I gave her a piece that looked like Alexa's, she'd be impressed. The replica's spot-on, and since it's one of Alexa's lesser-known works, Ada didn't catch on. I knew the truth would come out eventually, but I thought by then, the contract would be signed, and Ada couldn't back out. But I never thought she'd donate it at the auction! If they find out, the Wellington family's toast!"
"You're such an idiot!" Tiffany hissed, jabbing Debra with a fingernail. "Even if you have nothing to give, a fake is not an option! If they find out, the whole Wellington family will be humiliated, got it?"
"This wasn't my idea. It was Jessica's. Don't pin this all on me!" Debra pouted, feeling wronged.
"Jessica's playing you like a fiddle, can't you see that?" Tiffany stomped her foot, eyes blazing. "If no one notices, you get the hosting rights, which fits her plan against Evelyn. If they find out, the necklace was donated by the Wellington Group, not Jessica. She walks away clean, leaving you to deal with the fallout."
Debra suddenly realized how she'd let her greed make her Jessica's pawn.
"Tiffany! What do we do now?"
"Stay cool and do nothing." Tiffany took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "There are tons of Alexa's pieces out there. Who's gonna know this one's fake? If Ada doesn't catch on, no one else will!"
Debra's tense face relaxed a bit, but she was still sweating over the fake being discovered.
"I have a few words to say about this piece of jewelry." Ada stood up with the mic, smiling at the crowd.
Her eyes finally locked onto Debra, who looked like she'd seen a ghost. "I got this Alexa piece thanks to Debra from the Wellington Group. This necklace is a gift from her."
Evelyn casually pulled out her phone and shot a message to William backstage.
Bam! A dramatic spotlight hit Debra's pale face.
The big screen on stage zoomed in on her, showing every little twitch and bead of sweat in HD.
Debra forced a smile, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there.
"Even though I adore Alexa's work, I think it's better to share it with others, to give back to society and help those in need. This is what Alexa's always been about in her designs. As a fan, I want to follow her lead. I hope Debra doesn't mind. It's not that I don't love it, but because I love it so much, I want it to have a bigger impact."
With Ada saying all that, Debra had no choice but to nod along.
All she wanted was for that damn spotlight to turn off, for her face to disappear from the big screen, and for herself to just vanish!
"Alexa's work is rare and significant. So Ms. Smith has decided to auction this piece with no reserve price!" The auction kicked off, but the crowd was hesitant.
"Six million dollars." A clear voice rang out, and Gilbert raised his paddle with a smile.
Six million dollars was the highest bid of the night so far!
Even though Alexa's work was worth it, it scared off a lot of bidders.
"Ten million dollars." Edward raised his paddle, his face cold but his eyes burning with ambition.
The crowd was stunned.
A jump of four million dollars made everyone else back off.
"Fourteen million dollars." Gilbert raised his paddle again, not even flinching. He was clearly challenging Edward!
Edward shot back, "Eighteen million dollars."
Gilbert countered, "Twenty million dollars."
The crowd gasped! The place went nuts!
Alright, it was clear Gilbert had deep pockets too.
Evelyn crossed her arms, her lashes fluttering, and her red lips pressed into a line.
Watching the bids climb like crazy, she didn't crack a smile.
"Ms. Taylor, these two aren't bidding, they're fighting." Even Eiss could see it!
"Yeah." Evelyn frowned, thinking about sending someone to snatch Edward and Gilbert's paddles!
Meanwhile, Tiffany was in shock.
"Tiffany, didn't you say Gilbert was broke? But he just bid twenty million dollars! How does that look like someone without money?" Debra asked, stunned.
Tiffany was speechless, thinking, 'Did I misjudge? Is Gilbert a wolf in sheep's clothing?'
"Twenty-four million dollars." Edward raised the bid again, stone-faced.
Alexa had always been a sore spot for him, so he was dead set on winning tonight!
"Thirty million dollars!" A clear, pleasant voice rang out. Evelyn's eyes were icy cold as she finally couldn't take it anymore and raised her paddle.
