Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 970

Amid the clamor of the crowd, Helen and Kendrick made their way from the outer perimeter to the main area.

On the preparation platform, all the raw stones were lined up, awaiting their turn to be cut and polished.

Helen easily located her five stones, which appeared quite modest compared to Freddie's impressive collection.

"Well, it looks like their gossip is endless," she teased, observing the crowd's lively buzz.

Brimming with excitement, Kendrick rubbed his hands together. Despite his vast experience with gemstone auctions, he had never witnessed a spectacle quite like this.

Amid the bustling crowd, Helen spotted Otto and Laura arriving. Flanked by security, they made their way through the crowd with a steady, deliberate stride.

Just as Otto's gaze was about to meet hers, she looked away.

Soon, the staff in charge of cutting the stones made their entrance, drawing cheers from the crowd as if they were competing in a beauty pageant.

The raw stones were assigned to different craftsmen. "Ms. Spencer and Mr. Muskham, please come to the front," a volunteer announced.

Freddie approached his assigned machine with the confidence of a soldier on inspection, standing tall and composed. It appeared that his dislocated hand had been properly treated.

Helen paused at the other end and addressed the gemstone cutter. "Wait, don't use the machine. Please use manual tools instead. Cutting it into two halves won't yield precise results."

As her words lingered in the air, murmurs of skepticism and derision swept through the crowd.

"Does she really think she'll end up with a flawless piece?"

"Wow, no surprise here—another top-grade gem!"

"No way, does the Muskham family have x-ray vision or something? The chances of finding emeralds in these stones are astronomically low."

Freddie's cutter became increasingly meticulous, determined not to damage the emerald inside. He carefully blew away the dust, revealing an even more translucent green.

The extraordinary cut captivated everyone's attention, leaving the audience eagerly anticipating the next reveal.

Meanwhile, Helen's insistence on manual polishing was causing her progress to lag significantly.

Freddie shot Helen a dismissive glance, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He had declared it from the outset—his victory was guaranteed.