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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Hold up,” Gemma said, looking back and forth between her two aunts. “What paperwork?”

“Contracts for an auction of the Pavlin Private Collection,” Elodie said, looking directly into her eyes. “And I need your signature, too.”

24

Gemma couldn’t believe what she was hearing: Elodie couldn’t sell pieces from the family’s private collection without her signature? She’d been cut off from the Pavlins—and the company—since she was a child. It didn’t make any sense. But it did give her leverage.

“Well, I’m not signing anything . . . unless you hand over my mother’s ring.”

Elodie pursed her lips. After a pause, she said, “That’s a big ask. But I am willing to negotiate—with both of you. That’s why I wanted the three of us to talk in person.”

The waiter appeared with coffees, detected the tension at the table, and discreetly slipped away after setting down the mugs.

“I understand that I’m asking both of you to sign paperwork allowing me to sell off valuable jewelry, and you’re wondering, what’s in it for you? Well, I’m happy to share some of the proceeds from the auction.”

“I’m not interested in Pavlin blood money,” Celeste said. Gemma looked at her in surprise while Elodie just sighed.

“Please don’t be so dramatic,” Elodie said. “If you don’t want any money, that’s fine. But then don’t stand in the way. You can’t have it both ways.”

To be honest, Gemma wouldn’t mind some money. She had no idea what an auction would bring in, but she was pretty sure even a fraction of the proceeds would allow her to grow her own company. This could be her answer to the investor issue. She could incorporate, develop a better website, buy more material for making inventory—possibly outsource production to scale up. Who knows—she could even lease a storefront. When money wasn’t an issue, anything was possible.

But it was a catch-22. Her ultimate goal was bigger than just money. She wanted to change the jewelry industry; she believed in changing the industry. She wanted to put the old guard—specifically, Pavlin & Co—out to pasture. She wanted to push them to the side—as they had pushed her aside. The auction wouldn’t just raise a lot of money, it would no doubt generate a lot of publicity. And she had no interest in helping Pavlin & Co with publicity.

But then, the money guy Jacob Jabarin had invited her to return at the end of the summer. She had to do something to raise her profile. Yes, she wanted the famous diamond for personal reasons. But she needed it for professional ones. If she could relaunch it in the context of contemporary jewelry, with her own “jewelry should be personal” ethos, it would amplify her brand in a way investors would take seriously.