Grinning, Bennett countered, "To me, it's a fair price. I've got the money."

Directing her gaze towards the display, he inquired, “How about this bracelet?"

Claudia shook her head and expressed, "Honestly, this bracelet's style just isn't my type.”

Her sense of style might be somewhat traditional, making the bracelet design less appealing to her.

"Okay, I see," he responded with an understanding nod, refraining from bidding. He smiled and then added, "There'll be something even more splendid up next."

The bracelet was bought soon. Claudia took a look at the woman who bought it. She was a well-dressed and fashionable woman.

It was evident; at times, Claudia's taste was a bit out of sync with modern trends.

Jewelry, especially diamonds, holds an allure few women can resist.

Claudia understood the commercial hype behind diamonds, driving their desirability.

Yet, when she was faced with their glittering beauty, resisting their charm was a challenge.

Still, appreciating beauty didn't necessarily mean possessing it.

The diamond necklace currently up for auction caught Claudia's eye, exuding a girly, delicate allure.

However, its price was anything but girlish, certainly not something she felt she could splurge on at her age.

The opening bid stood at a staggering 1.5 million dollars. As bids flowed in rapidly, Claudia tightly gripped her bid card, fearing a momentary lapse might lead her to bid impulsively.

Bennett caught her slight fidgeting, eyes darting to her tapping finger on the bid card. Inquisitively, he queried, "Is that necklace beautiful?"

Claudia responded, a bit sheepishly, “It's quite captivating.”

She genuinely found it enchanting. There was no harm in admitting that, right?

"Then let's get it," Bennett declared.

Anticipating his response, Claudia instinctively held his wrist, protesting, "It's too expensive."

The bids had already soared to two million, and she predicted it wouldn't close below three million.

"Mrs. Dreskin, are you worried that I can't afford it?" Bennett teased, arching an eyebrow.

Blushing slightly, Claudia reasoned, "Not at all. It's just that such a pricey necklace would make me anxious wearing it out. What if it's misplaced?"

"It's okay. If we lose it, we can always get something else."

While talking, he smoothly grabbed the bid card from her grasp. With a casual gesture, he raised the necklace's price by an additional hundred thousand.