After a couple of items, the auctioneer presented a stunning green emerald necklace, starting at a price of 2 million.
As Zoye gazed at the necklace, thoughts of her mother flooded her mind. She turned to Zara and said, "I'm considering buying this emerald necklace. Don't you think it would look lovely on my mom?"
"Don't pretend you're not thinking about it. I know you want to buy it to win your mother over so she'll support you when you return home."
Caught off guard by Zara's insight, Zoye pouted and replied, "Did I ask you to read my mind? I only inquired about the green emerald necklace. Why do you always have to call me out?"
Zara chuckled and shook her head, amused by her friend's playful antics.
Zoye examined the green emerald necklace closely, her curiosity piqued. After scrutinizing it, she turned to Zara, who was engrossed in her phone, and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Luna, don't you think this necklace looks fake? To me, it definitely seems like a knockoff."
Zara glanced up at the displayed necklace, her expression serious. "You're right. It is a fake. Impressive, Zoye! You've really sharpened your skills," she said, giving her friend a thumbs up.
"Of course! Who do you think I am? I can spot a fake from a mile away!" Zoye replied, her pride evident as she tossed her head back. Zara, still focused on her phone, could tell her friend was basking in her own glory.
Eventually, the auction wrapped up, and the item Zara had been eagerly anticipating was finally presented on stage.
The auctioneer announced, "Alright everyone, we've reached the grand finale. This is the last item up for grabs today. This plant is rumored to have medicinal properties that can permanently cure heart disease. We're starting the bidding at 100,000. Feel free to jump in with your bids now."
Zoye couldn't help but chuckle at the auctioneer's pitch, saying, "Looks like they have no clue what this plant is really for. But hey, bidding like this is a piece of cake for us." With a cheeky grin, Zoye added, "Should we just sit back and see how high the bids go?"
"That's fine by me. But I want that plant delivered to Mediquest Manor," Zara replied, eyeing the plant intently. Zoye gave her a thumbs up, saying, "Consider it done."
At this point, the price had soared to five hundred thousand. Just as the auctioneer was about to call it for the third time, Zoye jumped in with a bid of one million.
Everyone was taken aback when a plant was auctioned for a staggering one million dollars, jumping straight from 500,000 to that incredible amount. What made it even more surprising was that the auctioneer had mentioned it was just a rumor, so it wasn't confirmed.
The auctioneer himself was astonished but quickly composed himself, smiling as he announced, "We have a bid of one million from room 104. Is there anyone else who would like to place a higher bid?"
He scanned the audience, but no one stepped up to increase the offer, leading to the plant being sold to Zoye.
Zoye clicked her tongue in disappointment and remarked, "I expected a more exciting bidding war. I can't believe it ended so quickly."
She had already arranged for someone to handle the logistics and instructed them to deliver the plant to Mediquest Manor, so they wouldn't have to worry about the auction procedures.
After finishing the bidding, Zara and Zoye stepped out of their room and headed for the elevator.
As they walked, Zara mentioned, "Zoye, I need to hit the washroom." Zoye replied, "Me too! I'll go with you." And she followed Zara.
It was already past 10, and they had both eaten some food in their private room. After using the washroom, Zoye came out and noticed Zara gazing at the night view through the large window.
Zoye was aware of Zara's tendency to get lost in the night scenery. So, without interrupting, she quietly approached and stood next to her, giving her some space to soak it all in.
When Zara looked out at the night, she completely immersed herself in the moment, oblivious to everything else around her.
At that moment, a man in his early thirties, dressed casually but looking a bit disheveled, rushed into the hall from the side of another hall where Zara and Zoye were standing. He appeared frantic as if he were being chased.
As he sprinted toward another waiting area where Zara and Zoye were standing, a thought crossed his mind: he could take one of the girls hostage to make his escape easier.
With this plan in mind, he approached the girls and grabbed Zara, holding her hand behind her while pressing a knife close to her neck. Zoye was taken aback by the sudden turn of events but quickly gathered herself and focused on the man threatening Zara.
Zara, lost in the beauty of the night view, was unaware of the approaching danger, which led to her becoming a hostage. Despite the tense situation, both Zara and Zoye remained surprisingly calm and didn't call for help.
Zoye stared at the man holding Zara captive, feeling a mix of emotions that left her unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Right then, David and a few of his bodyguards stepped in front of him, and they were taken aback to see Zara being held captive by the guy they had been pursuing.
When the man spotted David and his crew, he looked scared but managed to keep his cool. He warned, "Let me go, or you'll watch this girl die right in front of you. If you try to catch me, I'll take her out before you even get the chance."
He was pretty sure they wouldn't risk going after him while he had a hostage, knowing they wouldn't want to put an innocent person in danger during their confrontation.
David was stunned but quickly gathered himself and said, trying to stay calm despite his racing heart, "We just want to have a conversation. First, let her go, and then we can discuss everything else."
The man scoffed and remarked, "Do you really think I'm that naive? If I walk away from her, do you believe I can just slip away?" "Even if you stay with her, your chances of escaping are zero," a voice interjected just as the man finished speaking.
Carter strolled in with a few other bodyguards from the far end of the waiting area. From where he stood, he could only catch a glimpse of the man's back and couldn't identify who he was holding captive.
As he listened to the exchange, David felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead, torn between wanting to silence Carter and keeping his composure.
David tried to convey a warning to Carter with a glance, urging him to think before he spoke, but Carter misread the signal.
With a cocky grin, he continued, "Mr. Harris, it seems you've forgotten who you're dealing with. You can't just threaten us with some random person off the street."
David seethed with rage at Carter's words, but he knew he had to protect Zara's identity, fearing the man might exploit it.