Chapter 469

The diamond ultimately went to Isabella.

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

He watched in disbelief as Isabella and Caroline moved to complete the transaction.

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

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

A single word came in reply.

"Okay."

That was it?

Just... okay?

Oliver frowned at his screen.

"What did that earlier message you sent mean?"

Alexander must have been occupied.

Several minutes passed before his response arrived.

"It meant mind your own business."

Oliver stared at the words, utterly speechless.

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

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

Her transformation was staggering.

Eleanor and Beatrice sat equally stunned by Isabella's extravagant purchase.

They remained motionless long after the gavel fell.

It was only when Dominic rose to leave and approached to greet them that Eleanor finally stirred.

Beatrice seemed to recall something suddenly.

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

She didn't need to specify who.

Eleanor knew immediately she meant Evelyn.

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

The memory made Eleanor lower her gaze.

After completing the paperwork, Isabella and Caroline prepared to depart.

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

Beyond Oliver, Dominic, and Eleanor's group, several others at the auction recognized Isabella.

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 Nathaniel.

Nathaniel came from a prosperous family.

With NovaTech'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 Isabella had relied on Nathaniel'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 NovaTech or sought to build connections with Nathaniel still approached her.

Isabella understood their motives perfectly.

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

Many members of the Kensington and Sinclair 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 Beatrice and Eleanor returned, Genevieve immediately rushed over.

"Aunt Beatrice, who won the diamond?"

"What was the final price?"

As she asked, Victoria and Diana, along with others, turned expectantly toward Eleanor.

Their curiosity was palpable.

After a brief pause, Eleanor responded.

"The final price was 1.8 billion."

"And the winner was... Isabella."

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

Diana and Beatrice reacted with similar shock.

Diana's expression darkened instantly.

"Her?"

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

"Where would she get that kind of money?"

Victoria also froze upon hearing the astronomical price and Isabella's name.

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