Chapter 260

After the host finished speaking, the hall erupted with enthusiastic applause. Among those present that day were some of Riverdale's top families and business elites. Some were emerald collectors, others were purely here for charity, and a portion saw this as a stepping stone to connect with other influential families. Everyone had their own motives, but they all shared the same goal—to bid for items they fancied at this auction. Queenie attended because she had angered her grandfather, Oliver Thompson, during a previous banquet when she offended Gavin. This resulted in her shares in the subsidiary company being taken back. Oliver had always been fond of emeralds and antiques, so Queenie saw this charity auction as the perfect opportunity to buy an emerald piece and present it to Oliver to appease him and regain her standing in his eyes. "Today's first auction item is a Mother Mary statue carved from AAA-grade emerald. The raw stone was sourced from the Longhern emerald mine in My