Under the Heiress' Facade novel Chapter 109

"It's simple. There should be no unfair bids. We both state our intended price for the Eclipse Stone. Whoever offers the higher amount gets it."

Hera parted the bead curtain to face Bernard.

"And what's the penalty for the loser?"

His eyes narrowed.

After all, there needed to be a bargaining chip when challenging the grandmaster of Astral Nova.

"If you win, I'll pay the bid value. If I win, I'll still pay it," Hera said boldly.

Bernard chuckled lightly.

"Isn't it just money? Who can't afford it?"

Hera fell silent. She hadn't anticipated him using her own words against her. Reading between the lines, she understood that the stake wasn't enough to pique his interest in playing games with her.

"I'll help you save three lives if I win."

Hera changed her bargaining chip.

Life was priceless; that was the miracle doctor's strongest bargaining chip.

"Alright, I'll go first," Bernard agreed.

He picked up the bidding device from the coffee table and entered a series of numbers before handing it to her.

"No need. I brought mine."

She lifted the bidding device from her cloak with her left hand.

As she did, his attention was drawn to the bracelet on her fair wrist. It accentuated her skin's radiance by alternating between pink conch pearls and white diamonds.

Bernard's eyes were fixed on the bracelet. It was a unique piece that held a deep familiarity for him.

The four unique pink conch pearls on it were the result of years of searching across various locations and spending millions of dollars.

After meticulous crafting, they were set together with diamonds to make that bracelet. It was a birthday gift from Daphne to Hera on her fourth birthday.