Only now did Zoe Carter realize how serious this was. She covered her mouth in shock.

Mrs. Chen sat with Lauren Shaw in the front row—seats the organizers had specially reserved for them, as Mrs. Chen was an important invited guest at tonight’s charity auction.

The charity auction began.

There were three lots up for auction tonight, and the first two had already been sold.

Now, it was time for the final—and most anticipated—item: a twelve-carat emerald necklace.

The auctioneer began explaining the necklace’s provenance on stage, and many wealthy ladies in the audience were visibly itching to bid.

It was clear—most people this evening had come specifically for this necklace.

Mrs. Chen turned to Lauren Shaw. “Shengsheng, what do you think of this necklace?”

For a moment, Lauren Shaw didn’t realize there was a deeper meaning to Mrs. Chen’s question; she simply replied, honestly appreciative, “It’s perfect.”

A gentle smile spread across Mrs. Chen’s face.

As soon as the auctioneer finished his introduction, people began to raise their paddles.

“Ten million.”

“Twelve million.”

“Fifteen million.”

…

Within seconds, the price soared from an initial eight million to twenty million.

Unhurried, Mrs. Chen raised her paddle. “Thirty million.”

Lauren Shaw stared at Mrs. Chen in disbelief.

To be honest, she’d always thought the Shen family was well-off—but tonight’s spectacle was on a whole other level.

Bids kept coming, but Mrs. Chen calmly pushed the price up to fifty million.

Many wealthy ladies, seeing it was Mrs. Chen bidding, gave up competing with her.

In the end, with the auctioneer’s crisp gavel strike, the necklace was sold to Mrs. Chen for fifty million.

After the sale, Mrs. Chen swiftly signed the paperwork. Once payment was confirmed, the staff brought the necklace to her.

Every mother of high society had their eyes fixed on that fifty-million-yuan emerald necklace.

Mrs. Chen smiled at Lauren Shaw. “Shengsheng, put it on.”

Lauren Shaw was utterly stunned.

“Me? Wear it?”

“Of course. I bought it for you.”

Mrs. Chen’s words were like a bomb dropped into the crowd, instantly setting off a commotion.

“The Shen family really knows how to spoil their own—with fifty million for just one necklace.”

“It looks like this third young madam is truly cherished. But, obviously, she must be quite outstanding, too—why else would Mrs. Shen like her so much?”

“Exactly. Some people just aren’t that lucky, and can’t stand to see others doing well.”

Zoe Carter felt as if her face was being ruthlessly ground into the dirt; she wanted nothing more than to disappear.

Mortified and furious, she left the auction in shame.

Lauren Shaw let the staff clasp the necklace around her neck.

She happened to be wearing a green tassel evening gown tonight, and the emeralds—resting against her pale skin—gave her an even more striking, unique charm.

Mrs. Chen nodded in satisfaction.

With this, news that the Shen family’s third son was married would spread throughout their social circle—no one would dare look down on Lauren Shaw anymore.

—

Back home, Lauren Shaw saw Yancy Shaw sitting on the couch, reading.

She walked over, and Yancy Shaw looked up at her.

“How many secrets are you keeping from me?” Lauren Shaw placed the emerald necklace on the table and gave him a searching look.

Yancy Shaw set down his book and pulled her into his arms, answering gently, “You never asked, so I never told.”

Well, he really was a low-key one! If she hadn’t attended that charity gala tonight, she’d have never known the extent of his wealth.

Seeing that Lauren Shaw was lost in thought, Yancy Shaw reached out, pinching her cheek. “What are you thinking about? Mad at me?”

Lauren Shaw shot him a sidelong glance. “Yancy Shaw, why didn’t you tell me you were rolling in money? Were you worried I’d be after your fortune?”

Yancy Shaw let out a soft laugh. “All my money is yours—what’s there to covet?”

Lauren Shaw was about to reply, but then remembered something he’d once told her—and suddenly understood.

His family’s wealth and status could let him live lavishly for a lifetime, yet for the sake of his own dreams, he chose to hide his identity and work as a doctor, healing and saving lives.

She decided to let it drop—there was no need to bring up his sore spots.

Instead, she pouted. “Tonight, your mom spent fifty million to buy a necklace for me.”

“I know.”

Lauren Shaw stared at him in surprise. She had just gotten home—how did he already know?

Maybe Mrs. Chen had told him? That seemed likely.

Lauren Shaw didn’t dwell on it, still reeling from her sudden upgrade to ‘wealthy woman’ status.

Then, seeing Yancy Shaw’s book on the side table, she suddenly remembered something.

“Sisi’s father—he’s having surgery tomorrow, right?”

Yancy Shaw nodded.

“What are the odds it’ll be successful?” Even though Sisi wasn’t her family, Lauren Shaw couldn’t help but ask.

Yancy Shaw stroked her head. “Don’t worry, the chances are very good. Everything will be fine.”

—

Sisi watched as her father was wheeled into the operating room. She sat waiting in a chair in the hallway.

After a while, she felt someone sit next to her.

Looking up, she saw it was Lauren Shaw.

“Sister Sheng… you–why…?”

“I heard your dad was having surgery today, so I came to keep you company.”

Tears sprang from Sisi’s eyes in an instant.

“Sister Sheng, I…”

“Don’t say any more—let the past stay in the past.” Lauren Shaw knew Sisi well; although she’d made mistakes before, her heart wasn’t bad. Good and evil are often separated by just a single thought. Lauren Shaw wanted to give her another chance.

A few hours later, the operating room doors swung open.

Yancy Shaw emerged, and Lauren Shaw helped Sisi to her feet so they could go meet him.

“How did the surgery go?” Lauren Shaw asked.

“Very well. It was a success.”

Hearing this, Sisi finally relaxed.

“Sister Sheng, Dr. Shen—thank you so much.”

In this moment, Sisi felt not only guilt, but also immense gratitude. Her emotions were a tangled mess; her heart ached.

Lauren Shaw comforted her, soothing her nerves.

“What I did before was inexcusable, Sister Sheng—you can scold me, hit me if you want.” These last few days, Sisi had been wracked with remorse. But it was too late now—her regret could change nothing.

Lauren Shaw patted her shoulder. “If you really want to make it up to me, come back to work at the studio. We need you—Xiaomei and Wendy miss you too.”

Sisi stared at her in disbelief. She hadn’t expected to be accepted again.

“I… can I really come back?” she hesitated.

Lauren Shaw gave her a gentle smile. “That depends—do you want to?”

Sisi looked at her with determination. “I do, Sister Sheng. I’ll never let you down again.”

Truthfully, Lauren Shaw had her reasons for inviting Sisi back. After the script-stealing incident, no other studio would hire her. But Sisi still needed to care for her father and would surely need the income.

By having her return now, Lauren Shaw could help Sisi—and herself as well.