Chapter 348
The cutter regretted his earlier bravado. Andrew had proven far more formidable than anticipated, even surpassing Aspen. He wished he hadn't been so absolute in his pronouncements.
“What are you waiting for? Don't you trust me?” Aspen snapped, noticing his hesitation.
The cutter flinched. “I’ll cut Ms. Stevens’ stone immediately. This time, Miss, you’ll definitely win.”
Andrew chuckled. “Aspen, your judgment is clouded. The Stevens family of Bridgefields isn't wealthy. This extravagance is unwise.” He gestured towards the largest raw stone.
Aspen laughed coldly. “Andrew, a raw stone’s size is irrelevant. You can’t seriously believe this large stone is necessarily valuable?”
Several gambling experts nodded in agreement. The central stone, with its hard texture, mottled colors, and chaotic patterns, was clearly worthless—little more than ordinary rock.
In contrast, Aspen’s stone, though smaller, possessed a promising green tint with darker undertones and a softer texture, suggesting valuable contents.
The cutters began working, the crowd holding its breath. The tension between Andrew and Aspen had escalated. If the Stevens family’s golden girl lost, she would share Orion’s fate—losing money and reputation. Andrew’s loss, however, would be insignificant. In stone gambling, wins and losses were expected; maintaining a winning record sufficed to preserve his reputation.
“Andrew, I went first last round,” Aspen said, signaling her cutter to stop. “You open yours first this time.”
“Very well,” Andrew replied casually.
Soon, the largest stone’s outer layer was removed, revealing a multicolored gem.
“Just as expected—low-grade material. Look at the colors and surface. Mr. Lloyd made a mistake,” someone in the crowd commented.
Others agreed, calling it worse than Andrew’s previous stone, barely scrap material.
“Don’t worry, Andrew. We’ve already won once,” Francesca consoled him.
Aspen breathed a sigh of relief. With Andrew's worthless piece revealed, she couldn't lose.
Just as Aspen was about to order her stone cut, displaying a triumphant smile, Andrew called out, “Wait!”
“What now?” Aspen sneered. “Are you admitting defeat before I reveal mine? If so, this stone is too worthless for my victory to matter—you’ll compensate me with an additional fifty million.”