Chapter 225

Christina's impression of Hayden plummeted further. To her, he was starting to seem like one of those compulsive gamblers who was willing to stake everything without a second thought. Hayden paid for the gem quickly and immediately requested it be cut open. His decisiveness drew a crowd, curious to witness the outcome. "This kid spent 75 thousand dollars on that! Bold move!" "For sure. At his age, how much experience can he possibly have? Maybe he's some master's protégé testing his skills?" "That gem has been examined by plenty of experts, and none thought it was worth buying. Guess we finally found a sucker." The crowd's murmurs were laced with amusement, convinced Hayden was throwing his money away. The grinding wheel whirred, slicing through the rock. When the stonecutter held up the first piece, his expression froze. The exposed surface revealed a vivid green that seemed to grow richer and deeper toward the center. The stonecutter's jaw dropped, his hands trembling. "My g