Wendy’s criticism made Lady Wilson’s legs go weak, and she nearly fell as she sat on the ground directly.She would never have dreamt that the noble man who had brought her family back from the dead would actually be Charlie, whom she had always despised and wanted to look for an opportunity to seek revenge on!This reality was as shocking as the big bang explosion in Lady Wilson’s heart.This was because she thought that the noble man who had helped Wendy could be anyone in the world, but it was unlikely that it would ever be Charlie.However, that had to be the truth of the matter.Charlie had to be the one who had rescued Wendy from signing the contract, and he was the one who had handed the entire Mallow Stenhouse Etiquette Corporation over to Wendy so that she could manage it.Lady Wilson was feeling panicked and scared at this time. She came to a realization in the depths of her heart, ‘The tone of my voice when I spoke to Charlie just now was indeed a little too arrogant.
Lady Wilson felt a thump in her heart when she heard this.She knew that Charlie had already seen right through her intentions.For Lady Wilson, as soon as she found out that Charlie was actually Wendy’s noble man, she had realized that Charlie was not going down, but his ability and influence were actually far above her previous perception and cognition. After realizing this, Lady Wilson then began thinking of opportunities to repair and mend their relationship with Charlie’s family. That way, the benefits that she would be able to obtain in the future would certainly be far greater than what it was now.However, Lady Wilson would not have expected that Charlie would see right through her thoughts immediately. Charlie not only rejected her, but he also directly blocked her chances of indirectly looking for Claire, Jacob, or even Elaine. At this moment, Lady Wilson was filled with extreme regrets in the depths of her heart. ‘Sigh! If I had known that Charlie would be so capable, w
Wendy did not expect that the belt that she bought to give to Charlie had somewhat angered her grandmother again.When she saw her grandmother’s temper where she had to control everything and make decisions on everything, Wendy also got angry, and she blurted out, “Every single cent that I spend right now is all my own hard-earned money. It is my freedom to buy whatever I want! You have no right to interfere!”“What?! I have no right to interfere?!” Lady Wilson had just been stifled by Charlie, and even though she had tried every means that she could to please him, Charlie had rejected her directly. So, she was already feeling very depressed. When she saw that Wendy also actually dared to talk back to her, she instantly became very angry and enraged.Immediately after that, she stopped in her tracks and angrily rebuked, “Don’t forget that I’ve always been the head of this family. I was the head of the family in the past, now, and also in the future! Our family is facing the most dif
Lady Wilson assured her repeatedly, “Okay, then. I promise that I will definitely not interfere with your freedom in the future!”Wendy took the Hermes belt back from Lady Wilson’s hand, and she stared at it for a long time.She had originally planned to quietly place the belt inside Charlie’s mailbox before telling Charlie about it on WhatsApp.However, since her grandmother was beside her now, she did not want to do this in front of her.Moreover, Charlie’s attitude just now had already made her realize how distant Charlie actually was from her family and herself. It seemed as though Charlie was just helping her in passing, but at the same time, in his heart, he was also maintaining a distance from her where they should be minding their own business at all times. Since this was the case, if she were to act recklessly and give him a birthday gift at this time, she was afraid that she would only end up outsmarting herself and making him feel resentful toward her instead.As sh
When Christopher and Harold heard this, the father and son duo who were lying on the bed were both completely stunned for more than a minute.Harold was still in disbelief as he spoke up and asked, “Grandma... You’re not joking with me and just teasing me, right?”“How I wish that I was just joking!” Lady Wilson said resentfully, “I would never have dreamt that the noble man who helped Wendy would be him. If I could choose, I’d rather choose anyone else rather than him.”Harold had a puzzled expression on his face as he said, “But... But why would Charlie help Wendy? It would only be reasonable to say that Charlie should be holding a grudge against us, and he should be more than eager to make a laughingstock out of us. So, why would he help us?”Wendy spoke up, “Brother, you should not try to measure the stature of a great man using the yardstick of a small person. Brother-in-Law might have had a grudge against us before this, but that is also because we have constantly been findin
Wendy’s words hit the biggest sore spot in the depths of Harold’s heart directly. He too knew very well that he had always been nothing more than an idiot who could never get anything done at all.He had had the halo of the Wilson family hanging above his head in the past, and he did not have to worry about making ends meet at all. He could also barely be considered a rich heir. But now, everything was already down to zero.He would not have any halo to rely on anymore in the future, and he would not have anyone or anything to back him up so that he could just sit idly and use up all of his fortunes in time. If he were to continue being so muddle-headed as he got on with his life, it was very likely that he would end up being like those unemployed people who could not even find a partner even when they were already forty or fifty years old.He suddenly remembered Barty Willow’s movie called Mr. Tree in which Barty Willow had played the role of a character who seemed to be a litt
Christopher’s words did not really comfort Harold in any way at all.On the contrary, what he had said was too pragmatic, and this instantly made Harold feel in despair about his future life.He had always thought very highly of himself, and he had always felt that he would definitely become a big shot in the future. He even felt that his future wife would have to be a good, first-class woman. She must not only have the best looks and the perfect figure, but she also had to have a strong and extraordinary family background.That was also the reason why he had been so intent on pursuing Loreen with all of his heart. He had wanted to become the son-in-law of the Thomas family.But now, his father’s words made him realize that he would have absolutely nothing to do with a woman such as Loreen anymore in the future.In the future, he might only be able to become a blue-collar worker who had to work hard to earn money, and he was also afraid that he would have a hard time finding a wom
Claire wiped the sweat off her forehead and smiled as she said, “It might look like there are a lot of dishes, but it will not seem too much when we eat it. Moreover, since it’s your birthday dinner, it’s only natural for it to be a little grander. Besides, it was no hard work at all.”Jacob also smiled and said, “Charlie, why don’t the both of us have a drink together too?”Charlie nodded and said, “Of course I will have to drink with you. I’ll go to the storage room and get some liquor.”Elaine hurriedly said, “Charlie, bring a bottle of red wine here too. Claire and I can also drink a little with you.”“Okay,” Charlie agreed before he asked Claire, “Wife, can you drink?”Claire nodded as she smiled and said, “I’ll have to drink even if I cannot drink, but if the both of us are going to drink, we will not be able to drive to the concert later.”Charlie spoke up, “It’s fine. I have a way to metabolize all the alcohol within a short period of time.”Claire laughed helplessly and
"Five hundred grand?"Mick chuckled. "Well, the sculpture looks Renaissance, and the craftsmanship as well as the material are all ideal. It would sell for up to two million in an auction, while established antique traders like us could offer up to a million. So, why the lowball?"Bill sighed. "I won't lie—it belonged to my old man, who just croaked this afternoon. But you see, he left a will stating that every antique in the house would be given to my brother… Since he's playing favorites, I thought I had to get something for myself.""That's why I quietly sneaked this baby out without anyone else knowing and am trying to sell it quickly to change my own circumstances. You don't have to tell me how many millions it's worth—I'm not that greedy. Give me five hundred grand, and it's yours."Mick shrugged as he shot back, "If it's as you say and your old man intended for your brother to have it, the fact that you sneaked it out here makes this theft. Do you think I'd buy stolen proper
It was half past six, and the skies were darkening when a figure hurried into Antique Street, heading straight toward the center—to Vintage Deluxe.Mick Crane, the manager, was holding the fort with some of his employees, and there were some guests window shopping there as well. As Mick asked the employees to assist the guests, he waited anxiously for Billy—Zachary's henchman.Nonetheless, a certain figure rushed inside within minutes, asking eagerly as he entered, "Is the manager in? Do you still buy antiques?""Yes, and yes!" Mick exclaimed as he approached Billy enthusiastically, asking, "May I ask what you're planning to sell?"Billy looked around before sneakily holding up a parcel wrapped in red cloth, carefully lifting a corner to reveal an edge so that Mick could see.Then, he promptly lowered the cloth again, whispering, "This is the good stuff. I'm just not sure if you have the money to buy it."Mick grinned. "What are you saying? If it's something Vintage Deluxe coul
Jacob chuckled. "Can't tell you right now. But I will once it's done.""Well, have you decided when we're going to Dubai?" Elaine quickly pressed.Jacob said, "I'd have to wait until tonight to see if this deal works, but we're leaving first thing tomorrow. I'll get the tickets first, and we will be staying at the Burj Al-Arab that I told you about. People are always saying how amazing it is on the internet every day, seeing how luxurious the seven-star hotel is, but I'll be the judge of that."Elaine was overjoyed to hear that. "That's amazing! And I was just thinking we can't go sooner! Go about your business, then. I'll pack our luggage right away."Jacob chuckled smugly. "Don't pack so much, though. Just stick to the necessities, since we can get the rest over there!""Alright!" Elaine exclaimed, beside herself in excitement. "Alright, you hurry up and get your thing done over there. I'll start packing now!"After hanging up, Elaine called Charlie, who was in Champs Elys Reso
As Zachary agreed to do a favor for Vintage Deluxe's Mick Crane in passing, he and Jacob agreed to meet up at 7pm at the car park by Antique Street.He first took Jacob back to the Calligraphy and Painting Association and called Billy, one of his boys whom he thought was smarter than the rest, giving him the gist of the plan and telling him to familiarize himself with the script.Then, he took the sculpture back to Heaven Springs and met up with Billy in office, telling Billy what to do in finer detail and making sure he committed everything to memory.Zachary's strength as a judge of character certainly proved itself—Billy had never done anything like this before, but he took to the plan like fish to water. He committed the script to memory soon enough, and he was flawless.Once he made sure that Billy was fine, Zachary called Mick.As soon as Mick answered, he immediately asked, "Hello, Mr. Evans. How is that thing we talked about going?"Zachary chuckled. All the arrangements
Zachary continued, "Why do you think casinos are always making a profit? It's exactly because no matter how unassuming a guest is the first time, they would be allowed to win a couple of hands, making a little profit.""And suddenly, they would think that they are the chosen one, destined to win against all odds and always come out triumphant! Once such radical, blind confidence hits them, every last bit of his money would be lost to the casino!""At that point, you can get anything from them—their house, their wife, their children… hell, they'd be willing to die if you'd just let them gamble again!"Turning toward Jacob with a grin, Zachary then asked, "So, with all the points I made and that sculpture you're holding… Do you still think Raymond wouldn't fall for it?"Jacob laughed out loud. "Oh, talk about a plan within a plan! No one would ever see it coming! Raymond Cole is so screwed!"Zachary smiled and nodded. "That's why there's no reason to rush—I'll arrange a man to get r
As soon as they drove out of the village, Jacob asked Zachary eagerly, "So, when do you think we should make our move? I can't wait!"Zachary didn't hesitate, "Let's do it today. It's better than waiting! I'll get someone reliable to bring this to Treasure Measure and get him interested. I'm sure that since he has just returned to Antique Street, he'll need a hot deal to generate hype and make himself known. That's why I'm sure he'll take this sculpture."Jacob nodded repeatedly as he chuckled. "I think so too. Today is definitely best since I'll be going to Dubai soon and probably leaving once I'm done with this. Once you get this settled by the end of today, I'll get tickets for the flight tomorrow!"Zachary grinned. "Don't worry, chief. We will definitely get it settled today…"He trailed off for a moment before continuing, "Still, you should be a little patient. We should do this in the evening—at the second just before Raymond Cole closes shop.""But why?" Jacob asked in curi
Jacob was naturally gleeful that he could get the late medieval bronze sculpture along with its base. Right after he wired the agreed upon ninety-eight grand to Mr. Cardensky, he was already imagining how Raymond would buy it from him for several hundred grand.On the other hand, once Mr. Cardensky received the transfer, he saw the name on the account: Jacob Wilson.He was left perplexed—wasn't that man's last name Montague? Who was this Jacob Wilson?Still, he didn't worry about it too much since most antique hustlers preferred to work with anonymity and therefore, using a different name was perfectly normal.He then carefully wrapped up the bronze sculpture before passing it Jacob, asking politely, "Would you happen to have any other requests, Mr. Montague? I have plenty of other items here if you'd permit me to give an introduction."Jacob shook his head, "Just this sculpture will do. I'm not fully confident in your work either since this is our first deal, so I'm just trying i
Jacob asked, "Then, what would this sculpture be worth if it was genuine?"Mr. Cardensky thought about it. "Well, there are standards when it comes to Renaissance relics, but with something this exquisite, it'd definitely be auctionable for one or two million—and that's the conservative estimate.""How much would you sell it to me for?" Jacob then asked."Thirty percent of the market price," Mr. Cardensky quickly replied. "As I've said, the conservative estimate for this one is around one to two million, so we will set the price with the median estimate value at 1.5 million. And thirty percent means 450 grand."Jacob shook his head right away. "No, no, no… that's too expensive. What if I end up unable to sell it, on top of that?"In his mind, while he could barely accept that pricing, he still needed Raymond to be able to afford it if he wanted to swindle Raymond for twice the money.Mr. Cardensky quickly chuckled, "Oh, Mr. Montague—now you're being too serious. In this business,
"Okay!"Mr. Cardensky smiled and pointed at a nearby farmyard. "There's our workshop—the good stuff is all in there. Allow me to take you there!"The farmyard seemed uninteresting at first glance, but Mr. Cardensky soon led them to the stables and brushed off the straws covering the floor, revealing a plank laid flat on the ground.Mr. Cardensky then lifted it, revealing a passage below—they had dug a cellar into the ground beneath, with the stables as an entry point.As Jacob followed Mr. Cardensky down the cellar, he exclaimed in awe, "Your operation is definitely big, digging such a huge cellar!"Mr. Cardensky smiled humbly. "Anyone working in the business would have sustained their losses before. In the end, we're all folk of humble origins, starting out with raiding tombs or excavating artifacts. Just digging a cellar is really nothing."As they conversed, they cleared the stairs and arrived at the main hall.It was certainly a hall as it was around a hundred square meters,