Chapter 183: A Serious Lesson

Hayley’s POV:

I couldn’t contain my excitement when I heard those words and quickly turned to look. But there was only a small patch, about the size of a fingertip, and the mood in the room shifted to one of disappointment. Such a large stone, and yet there was barely a sliver of emerald—though it looked good, this was a 50-million-piece of material, which meant a massive loss if it didn’t yield more.

“Don’t rush. This is just a small piece we’ve cut off. We haven’t even reached a third of it yet. There’s still a chance for more emeralds to show up,” someone tried to comfort us.

“This stone looks promising. I’m sure it’s not just this little bit of emerald. We might still have hope.”

People murmured their thoughts, but my heart was already in my throat. I’m an alpha, and I’ve never been one to panic, but I’d never felt this tense before. On the other hand, Benjamin remained calm, his face devoid of unnecessary emotion. I couldn’t help but glance at him with admiration and envy. “Your mindset is incredible.”

Benjamin casually replied, “It’s fine.”

I pursed my lips. I need to learn how to keep a level head like he does. Otherwise, as an alpha, my management of the Shadow Pack might need to catch up to his Midnight Pack. If Benjamin can stay this calm after spending 50 million, and it’s not even my money, then why should I be so nervous?

After realizing this, I felt much calmer, no longer so tense. I fixed my gaze on the stone again. As the stone cutter carefully sliced deeper, we reached about a third of the way in, but still, no more emeralds appeared. The cutter seemed a little anxious, too—after all, this was the store’s most prized piece. It could ruin the store’s reputation if it didn’t show emeralds.

“Hold on a second,” Benjamin suddenly called out.

The stone cutter quickly stopped, asking, “Alpha, what’s your command?”

Benjamin took a quick glance and said, “Cut it vertically.”

The stone cutter was surprised. “Alpha, the risk with a vertical cut is high. If…”

Before he could finish, Benjamin calmly interrupted, “It’s fine. Just do it.”

The cutter quickly moved the stone, positioning it for a vertical cut and starting to slice down the middle. I watched eagerly along with the others. But when the stone was cut, we were all stunned—two halves of the stone, and there wasn’t a trace of emerald!

We were speechless. Fifty million down the drain?

“To think this expensive stone only yielded a sliver of emerald. Looks like Hobert’s supply isn’t that great after all,” someone commented.

“I was thinking about buying a piece myself, but now it seems like the chances of profit are slim.”

“Let’s hold off on buying. This batch definitely isn’t worth it. We should wait and see.”

I listened to their words, my gaze shifting to Benjamin with concern. As I was about to offer comfort, Benjamin turned to the cutter and said, “What’s that on the left edge?”

At his prompt, the cutter’s eyes lit up. He quickly reached out to touch it and excitedly said, “Quick! Keep cutting. There’s a blue diamond inside!”

The crowd held their breath in anticipation. The stone cutter carefully continued to work, and slowly, the glimmering gem began to take shape. I heard a seasoned gemstone merchant beside me exclaim in awe, “A blue diamond! It really is a blue diamond!”

At that moment, the whole room erupted in excitement! Even I couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment, and before I knew it, I was hugging Benjamin in excitement. Surrounded by his scent, I nearly lost control of myself; my instincts almost marking him immediately. I quickly pulled away from him, flustered. The crowd around me immediately parted, taking my spot and rushing to congratulate Benjamin.

“How is this even possible? A blue diamond? That’s the rarest and most valuable gemstone in the world!”

“Alpha, you’re fortunate to have found a blue diamond!”

“Congratulations, Alpha! Would you be willing to sell this stone to me?”

“Alpha, I’m also interested. How about selling it to me?”

I was forced to step away from Benjamin, and Hera, already on the edge of frustration, was now seething. I quickly tried to calm her down. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reveal that I, too, was an alpha. Otherwise, these people wouldn’t dare act so… familiar around me.

Just then, Hobert walked over with a broad smile on his face.