Chapter 94
Charlotte was about to speak when Alexander suddenly grabbed her arm tightly.
"Charlotte, let it go. You can't beat Sabrina."
Charlotte glanced at him coolly and pulled her hand back again. "My business is none of your concern."
Alexander's face darkened.
Charlotte didn't bother looking at him again. She turned directly to Sabrina and said word by word, "Of course we'll continue."
"Good." Sabrina stared into Charlotte's eyes, her smile growing brighter. "But I want to change the stakes."
"Because I suddenly don't like that butterfly brooch anymore. What I want now is your sapphire pendant."
Almost simultaneously, both Charlotte and Alexander's expressions changed slightly.
Jenna didn't even think before cursing out loud, "Sabrina, you actually want the sapphire pendant? Shameless!"
That sapphire was something Lynn had acquired by chance while she was alive.
Later, she had it carefully designed into a pendant and gave it to her beloved daughter Charlotte before she died, as a coming-of-age gift.
So although the watch Charles left to Sabrina was also Lynn's work, comparing the two, the sapphire pendant was far more precious than the watch in both value and meaning.
Or to be more precise, the sapphire pendant was priceless.
Sabrina certainly knew how to manipulate the situation!
However, Sabrina completely ignored Jenna, only staring at Charlotte provocatively. "Charlotte, well? Have you decided?"
Charlotte looked back at her in silence, her face calm, saying nothing at all.
At this point, the parents watching from the side began to grow anxious.
"Are you betting or not? The competition is about to start."
"Why even bet? It's obviously going to end in a loss."
"One is an Aurora College graduate, and the other is just a housewife. How can you even compare them?"
"Just give up already, stop wasting everyone's time."
Hearing these condescending remarks, Jenna's knuckles turned white from clenching her fists.. Just as she was about to argue with them, Charlotte stopped her.
"Bet. Why wouldn't I bet?"
When Charlotte said she would continue the bet, the parents immediately grew excited.
"No way? She's really going to bet?"
"How is this any different from simply giving it away?"
Even Cynthia muttered under her breath, "What a fool who doesn't know her limits!"
But Sabrina laughed, very happily. "Then it's a deal?"
Staring at Sabrina's radiant smile, Charlotte's face was cold. "It's a deal."
Seeing Charlotte agree to continue the bet, Sabrina was thrilled inside.
Actually, she was the one who least wanted Charlotte to back out.
Because just thinking about publicly humiliating Charlotte in front of everyone and easily getting the sapphire pendant made her feel amazing.
Seeing through the subtle changes in Sabrina's expression, Charlotte couldn't help sneering inwardly.
"However..."
Sabrina's face changed. "You want to back out?"
"Of course not." Charlotte looked at her and smiled meaningfully. "But you still haven't said how you'll compensate me for ruining my dress."
Damn it!
Sabrina thought that the matter was already over, but she'd brought it back around.
Or maybe this was Charlotte's excuse to back out?
Thinking she'd figured out Charlotte's intention, Sabrina put on a pitiful, troubled expression. "Charlotte, aren't you deliberately making things difficult for me?"
"If I compensate you for the dress, I won't be able to participate in the competition, and naturally you'll win."
The parents also looked enlightened.
So Charlotte wasn't completely stupid—she'd been waiting for Sabrina all along.
Charlotte silently looked around, then brought her gaze back to Sabrina. "Fine, I won't make you compensate me. There's no point wasting everyone's time."
With that, she walked over to Philip, bent down, and said something to him quietly.
Philip's eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled something from his pocket and pressed it into Charlotte's hand.
Charlotte smiled, closed her hand around it, and walked leisurely toward the original dressing room with Philip.
Though Jenna was upset, she still picked up the bag with the dress and followed closely behind them.
Landon didn't move, just leaned against the table, watching Charlotte's retreating figure with an unreadable expression.
Seeing this, everyone thought Charlotte had backed down, so they dispersed and headed back to their dressing rooms to change for the performance.
Sabrina, Cynthia, and the others, confident of victory, walked back chatting and laughing.
By coincidence, the two groups ran into each other at the backstage entrance.
Elara was eagerly carrying Sabrina's dress and couldn't help shooting Charlotte a smug look. "Charlotte, Sabrina just promised me that when she wins, she'll lend me the sapphire pendant for a month."
"She's much more generous than you."
Looking at Elara's triumphant face, Charlotte remained eerily calm and even smiled slightly at her. "Yeah, so generous. Why don't you ask her to just give it to you?"
Elara was speechless.
Then Charlotte suddenly reached out and patted her shoulder lightly. "Elara, the more I look at you, the more I think you're stupid."
Elara was stunned.
Was this really the same Charlotte who had always been so meek around her?
Before she could snap out of it, Charlotte's hand suddenly slipped!
Something seemed to fall into the bag in Elara's hands.