Chapter 172

A group emerged from the opposite entrance.

Leading them was a distinguished middle-aged man with striking features and impeccable grooming. By his side walked a young man—tall and handsome—and a dazzling young woman.

The entourage also included a man in his fifties, along with several assistants and bodyguards.

Aria Bennett's pupils contracted.

Lucien Valmont.

The scum who had betrayed her mother.

And those siblings—Julian and Celine Valmont.

The Valmont family specialized in jewelry, a perfect match for the Whitmore family's jade business. Her mother's engagement to Lucien should have been a powerful alliance.

But this man had secretly carried on with Vera Whitmore, her stepmother.

When her mother discovered the affair, she immediately called off the engagement and exposed their disgrace. Yet her grandfather, swayed by Vera's manipulations, blamed her mother for being unreasonable.

Later, her mother suffered an "accident." Heartbroken, she left the Whitmore family, changed her surname, and moved far away.

There, she met Aria's father.

In her past life, Aria had been relentlessly attacked in the entertainment industry—not just by Serena Blake and her entourage, but also by Vera and her daughter.

Celine Valmont was a ruthless character in the original story.

She stole her best friend’s fiancé, swallowed the Whitmore empire, and became CEO—a textbook "successful woman."

Her most notorious talent? Jade gambling. She once swept a third of an auction’s top-grade jade, setting an unprecedented record.

And her rise began at this very auction.

Aria still remembered how, in her past life, Vera had hired international assassins the moment she discovered Aria’s mother was alive.

Celine, meanwhile, openly and covertly aided Serena in crushing Aria.

At first, Aria couldn’t understand why they would hunt her mother down when the Whitmores were already in Vera’s hands.

Then Roman Vale’s words had struck her like lightning.

Her grandfather had once declared he would pass the family legacy to his trueborn daughter.

That single sentence had marked her mother for death.

The irony? Her mother had never wanted the Whitmore empire.

To Aria, inheriting such a tainted family would only dirty her mother’s hands.

"Quite a few major companies are here today," Wesley Hart remarked, pulling Aria back to the present.

The guide smiled. "This is the largest domestic jade auction. All the top jewelers attend. That’s Mr. Valmont of Valmont Jewelers over there."

Caleb Monroe marveled, "He looks so young—barely thirty."

"Mr. and Mrs. Valmont are known as the industry’s model couple," the guide added.

Aria’s lips curled into a cold smirk.

Model couple?

In her past life, Lucien had hounded her mother, begging for forgiveness and vowing to make amends.

Pathetic.

Back then, he’d complained her mother wasn’t gentle enough. Now he found Vera vulgar.

A man like that deserved to be played by both women.

Vivienne Archer snorted. "Nine out of ten ‘perfect couples’ in this industry are faking it."

Audrey Lane quickly elbowed her—they were still live.

Vivienne rolled her eyes but dropped the subject.

As the cameras panned to the trading floor, Aria murmured, "You know them?"

"That bitch Celine stole my best friend’s fiancé," Vivienne hissed through gritted teeth. "Like mother, like daughter."

Aria smirked. "The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree."

Her stepmother seduced a married man; now her daughter stole a friend’s man. A true family tradition.

"Guess we’re sisters in hating the same people," Vivienne said cheerfully, linking arms with Aria.

When the cameras returned, they seamlessly switched topics.

The guide led the group through the trading area.

Wesley asked, "Can we get expert advice? We know nothing about raw jade."

"Sorry, that’s not possible," the guide admitted. "Even veterans with decades of experience can’t guarantee a win."

"In this business, luck matters more than skill."

"Some strike it rich overnight; others lose everything. Just treat it as fun."

Wesley abandoned the idea of hiring an expert.

The guests dispersed—some examining rough stones, others watching the cutting process.

Audrey and Vivienne stuck close to Aria.

"Aria, are you buying raw jade?" Vivienne asked curiously.

Aria crouched, fingertips brushing a dull gray stone. "Since we’re here, why not try?"

"What about you?"

In that cultivation world, she had studied jade gambling extensively.

Jade was an excellent vessel for spiritual energy, invaluable for formations and cultivation.

Audrey frowned. "I want to, but I don’t know how. Aria, do you understand this?"

She was startled to see Aria inspecting the stones like a seasoned expert.