Upon hearing about a bracelet valued at five or six million dollars, Elaine’s eyes widened with excitement, glimmering with a hint of sparkle!

“A bracelet? Where is it? Show it to me!”

Charlie felt a wave of caution wash over him. He replied evenly, “Mom, the bracelet is in my bedroom, but I intend to return it.”

“What? Return it?” Elaine frowned, clearly dismayed. “Are you out of your mind? Why would you want to give back such a magnificent gift?”

“It’s just a small favor; I don’t think I deserve such an extravagant present.”

“Nonsense!” Elaine exclaimed. “Since it’s already been given to you, just keep it! Where is the bracelet? If you don’t want it, I’ll take it!”

Charlie recognized the sly intentions of his mother-in-law. He genuinely wanted to give the bracelet to Claire but struggled to find the right words to justify it, so he set it aside for now. Little did he know, his father-in-law would casually mention it!

It wasn’t that Charlie was hesitant to part with the bracelet; he had nearly 10 billion dollars in his account and could easily buy all the bracelets in the world!

However, the core issue was that his mother-in-law lacked the grace to wear such expensive jewelry. She was better suited for more affordable accessories that matched her style.

Yet, Elaine wasn’t about to let such an opportunity slip away. Wearing a six-million-dollar bracelet would be a tremendous source of pride for her!

Therefore, she continued to pester Charlie, “Where is the bracelet? Come on, show me!”

Claire realized that if her mother got her hands on the bracelet, it would be nearly impossible to retrieve it. She interjected, “Mom, we really should hold onto it. We plan to return it in case we accidentally damage it. It wouldn’t be right to return something in poor condition.”

“What? Are you actually considering returning it?” Elaine stood up abruptly, scolding loudly, “Have you lost your mind?”

Claire understood that her mother was on the verge of throwing a tantrum, so she stated firmly, “Mom, please stop. I’ve already discussed this with Charlie, and our decision is final.”

As a mother, Elaine was well aware of Claire’s stubborn nature. She knew she couldn’t change her daughter’s mind about returning the bracelet, yet she couldn’t help but sigh, her eyes glistening with tears. “It’s bad enough having a son-in-law who’s such a pushover; now my daughter won’t even support me! This isn’t fair!”

Claire sliced a piece of food from Elaine’s plate and reassured her, “That’s enough, Mom. I’ll get you a bracelet later.”

“Yes! You promised, and you can’t go back on your word!”

***

On the day of the auction,

Charlie emerged from his room early in the morning to find Jacob anxiously waiting in the living room. As soon as he spotted Charlie, he greeted him with enthusiasm.

“Charlie, let’s go! We can’t be late!”

Jacob was buzzing with excitement at the thought of the auction, having barely slept. He had been waiting for Charlie since before dawn, eager to head out as soon as Charlie appeared.

The Treasure Pavilion was an association for antiques and cultural relics, founded by a group of enthusiasts in Aurous Hill. Their headquarters was a manor situated in a picturesque suburb of the city.

Rumor had it that the association’s president was a real estate tycoon from the province, a passionate collector of antiques. He invested 100 million dollars to create the Treasure Pavilion, gathering a group of like-minded business magnates.

When Charlie and Jacob arrived at the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion manor, they parked in the designated area and stepped out of the car, taking in their surroundings with curiosity.

The scenery was stunning and tranquil, exuding an air of luxury. All the cars parked outside were high-end vehicles, with the least extravagant being Porsches.

In contrast, Charlie’s BMW 5 Series stood out as an eyesore among the sea of luxury automobiles.

Without hesitation, Jacob began walking toward the entrance.