Chapter 469

The diamond ultimately went to Camille.

Arlo had braced himself for this outcome, yet the official announcement still left him reeling.

He watched in disbelief as Camille and Talia moved to complete the transaction.

Only then did he snap out of his daze and message Damien.

"Camille just spent 1.8 billion on the diamond..."

A single word came in reply.

"Okay."

That was it?

Just... okay?

Arlo frowned at his screen.

"What did that earlier message you sent mean?"

Damien must have been occupied.

Several minutes passed before his response arrived.

"It meant mind your own business."

Arlo stared at the words, utterly speechless.

He'd only been trying to share the shocking news.

Perhaps to prove her marriage to Damien hadn't been about money, Camille had always dressed modestly during their time together.

Her transformation was staggering.

Helena and Rosalie sat equally stunned by Camille's extravagant purchase.

They remained motionless long after the gavel fell.

It was only when Everett rose to leave and approached to greet them that Helena finally stirred.

Rosalie seemed to recall something suddenly.

"That diamond... she must have bought it for her, right?"

She didn't need to specify who.

Helena knew immediately she meant Audrey.

Everyone remembered Audrey's passion for diamonds, particularly one exceptionally valuable stone she'd owned years earlier.

The memory made Helena lower her gaze.

After completing the paperwork, Camille and Talia prepared to depart.

Camille's bold move had drawn considerable attention from other attendees.

Beyond Arlo, Everett, and Helena's group, several others at the auction recognized Camille.

While she finalized her purchase, many had already begun investigating her background.

They discovered her family circumstances were actually quite ordinary and that she was currently dating Gabriel.

Gabriel came from a prosperous family.

With NovaSight Labs's rising success, he had become both a sought-after elite in their circles and an "ideal son-in-law" in the eyes of many wealthy families.

The prevailing assumption was that Camille had relied on Gabriel's financial backing to secure the diamond.

This realization caused many who had initially wanted to approach her to quickly abandon the idea.

However, those who had worked with NovaSight Labs or sought to build connections with Gabriel still approached her.

Camille understood their motives perfectly.

After exchanging brief pleasantries, she found an excuse to leave.

Many members of the Lancaster and Hartwell families had been intensely interested in the diamond.

They desperately wanted to see it in person, but with only one invitation among them, attendance had been impossible.

When Rosalie and Helena returned, Giselle immediately rushed over.

"Aunt Rosalie, who won the diamond?"

"What was the final price?"

As she asked, Selene and Nora, along with others, turned expectantly toward Helena.

Their curiosity was palpable.

After a brief pause, Helena responded.

"The final price was 1.8 billion."

"And the winner was... Camille."

"W-What?" Giselle stammered, certain she had misheard.

Nora and Rosalie reacted with similar shock.

Nora's expression darkened instantly.

"Her?"

"How could it possibly be her?" Giselle exclaimed.

"Where would she get that kind of money?"

Selene also froze upon hearing the astronomical price and Camille's name.

After a moment, she simply lowered her head and silently studied the teacup in her hands.