Wendy was feeling so sad and hurt right then.She had invested all her hopes and dreams of a beautiful and happy life on Gerald alone, but he pushed her into the abyss of misery with his own hands!Not only did he dump her after messing up her feelings but he even showed such strong dislike and disgust towards her in front of so many people! It was totally unacceptable! Her wrath of fury nearly exploded right there and then!Gerald was unusually calm and emotionless at her wailing and accusation. He said coldly, “It’s normal to fall in love and break up, what has it to do with respect? Please stop pestering me.”Charlie walked towards them as he assumed Wendy was about to cause a scene.Blood drained from Gerald’s face as Charlie came at them and quickly explained, for fear that Charlie would dismiss him for this situation. “Master Wade, please calm down. It was this shameless b*tch who jumped at me and threw a tantrum…”Wendy glared at the exchange in shock. Gerald, who was qu
Gerald was fully aware that he had nearly offended Master Wade because he was deceived and brainwashed by these fools. Fortunately, Master Wade was the bigger person and forgave his wrongdoings. Otherwise, he would have brought disastrous harm to his entire White family.Now, this shameless Wendy had the nerve to attempt reconciling with him?!It was like pushing him back into the fire pit!He shoved Wendy away and kicked her in the stomach as she fell to the floor and growled, “Wendy Wilson! From now on, get the hell away from me! If you come at me again, I swear to God I’m going to kill you!”Wendy sat on the floor in a trance as if she had been struck by lightning.Looking back at Gerald’s face in a furious grimace, she found it so strange and unfamiliar. He didn’t look like the man who was once in love with her at all.Although Claire was a little agitated by Wendy, they were cousins, after all. She couldn’t bear seeing her being insulted like this, so she said to Gerald, “Mr
Christopher was trembling in fright as Albert growled at him.He had no doubt about Albert’s remarks. As someone who was regarded as the king of the underworld and had ruled the underworld for many years, killing two people was a piece of cake for him.He looked desperately at the two brawny men who were dragging Wendy and went up to Claire to ask for help. “Claire, could you please talk to them? She’s your cousin, how could you just watch her being taken away?”Claire pursed her lips and said to the brawny men, “Please stop, she was confused…she didn’t mean to hurt me…”Claire found Wendy irritating, but they were cousins, after all. She couldn’t bear seeing her being beaten by these men.Albert looked back at Charlie and waited for his orders.Charlie smiled and said, “Why are you looking at me? Listen to what my wife says, then…”Albert ordered his men, “Since Mrs. Wade has stated her view, let them go!”Charlie nodded and turned his gaze at Lady Wilson. “See? I told you, yo
Claire said nervously, “Oh, no, I can’t make you do that…”Charlie took her hand and said with a gentle smile, “Dear, since Miss Young would like to offer her help, just accept her kindness as a form of respect.”“Huh, it’s not that I don’t want to accept her offer, but that’s too much help…”Charlie took the check from Bobby and put it in Claire’s hand. “Since Miss Young said that it’s free, keep the money. Emgrand Group is a large company with a net worth of hundreds of billions of dollars, they won’t mind your menial rent. Besides, you’ll have projects and collaborations with them in the future. Let’s not make everything so formal and rigid.”Claire was a little moved when she listened and pondered upon Charlie’s remarks.He was right. Emgrand Group was the largest company in Aurous Hill and the company alone was comparable in scale to the entire Moore family. If she made things complicated with Doris Young because of the hundred and eighty grand check, it might probably make D
“What?!” Claire shrieked in panic. “How’s Dad? Where are you now?”Elaine’s trembling voice echoed with a mixture of shock and sobbing. “We’re at Silverwing Hospital. Your dad was unconscious after the accident, come here quick!”Never did Claire expect to receive such bad news when she was celebrating the grand opening with joy…She cried into the phone, “Okay, I’ll go there right now!”Charlie heard the conversation clearly and realized the seriousness of the matter. He turned to the guests and said, “I’m sorry guys, Claire and I have to leave immediately. Please make yourself comfortable here!”Under normal circumstances, it would be rude for the host to leave the guests aside, but since these people were Charlie’s fans, they didn’t mind it.Hence, Charlie drove his wife straight to the hospital.After he parked the car at the parking spot, they quickly went straight to the ICU. They pushed the ward door open and saw Jacob lying on the bed with his eyes closed tightly. He w
Elaine looked very pale and shocked. She said, “Oh, I’m fine, my head simply hurts a little. The doctor checked on me and he said that I’m okay, it’s just that your father…the truck had hit his side…”She wailed loudly.It was a fatal blow to her that her husband might end up being permanently quadriplegic.After a thorough investigation, Charlie discovered that the muck truck had already escaped after the accident. Elaine and Jacob were unconscious after being hit by the truck, so they couldn’t see the truck’s license plate nor any significant feature of the truck.Later, they were sent to the hospital by Good Samaritans.Elaine’s situation was slightly better. She was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time, so she was unconscious after the accident and suffered some bruises and minor injuries. She woke up after arriving at the hospital.Jacob, on the other hand, was unlucky. Sitting in the driver’s seat, he suffered a major impact as the truck had hit his side and he e
As soon as Elaine heard that Jason had brought a renowned doctor to their ward, she shrieked in excitement and said, “Oh, Jason, thank you so much! Thank you for coming, Dr. Lynch!”Jason smiled lightly and said, “You’re welcome, I’m just offering some help whenever I can.”Then, he turned and respectfully said to Joshua behind him, “Dr. Lynch, this is Uncle Jacob, please check on him.”Joshua stepped forward and said in a confident tone, “Don’t worry, he hurt his spine, didn’t he? Although it sounds like a horrible injury, I can assure you it’s a piece of cake for me.”The doctor gasped in surprise. “As far as I’m concerned, no one can cure spinal injuries. Even the richest people in the world can only lie on the bed after they have injured their spine. Just look at Stephen Hawking—he is so bright and awesome, but he’s only able to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life and can only move three fingers due to motor neuron disease. Why are you so confident?”Joshua laughed an
Elaine’s face twisted into a disdainful grimace and she shouted, “Charlie, just shut up, you loser! Who do you think you are?! You have no say in this!”She shot daggers at Charlie and growled, “Stop messing with Dr. Lynch’s treatment. Get out!”Charlie frowned in dismay.At the same time, he thought, ‘Could it be that Joshua was the first to buy the pill from Zachary? If so, he must be the one who sold the pill to Anthony Simmons for five million dollars, that dishonest and profiteering prick!’Jason must have spent a lot of money to hire him.At this moment, Jason sneered, thinking that he had something on Charlie, “Charlie, you deadbeat loser. You must be pretty good with your mouth, huh, since there’s absolutely nothing you can do here? You and your bluff!”Then, he slapped his hands together as if something struck his mind and said, “Oh, I get it! You questioned Dr. Lynch because you don’t want Uncle Jacob to get better!”“Huh, I’m bluffing?”Charlie could endure Elaine’s
Zachary couldn't help pointing at the screen and snapping, "Fucking loser! The more you feel pressed, the less you should be nervous! What are you thinking?! You're falling right under that bastard's trap!"Jacob was frustrated too, growling through his teeth, "Shit! I didn't think that bastard was a sly old fox. Fucking hell!"He then sighed, shaking his head. "Forget it, Zachary—I'm going home to pack my shit, and I'll depart for Dubai first thing tomorrow. Just handle that bronze sculpture for me and wire the money over."As he was about to get off, Zachary sighed in exasperation and apologetically said, "Sorry, Mr. Wilson… but it's fine! Even if this plan screwed up, just let me cook up another plan to destroy Raymond Cole!"Jacob ignored him as he strode out of the car, but that was when Raymond spoke audibly from Zachary's phone, "You can calm down. I'm not accusing you of lying to me. I just think that it's not Renaissance… Rather, it's medieval.""E-Early medieval…?" Billy
In Treasure Measure, Raymond unwrapped the red cloth around the bronze sculpture in front of Billy and the camera.There was a brief flash of surprise on his face, and it was soon gone.Still, he picked up the bronze sculpture, fiddling with it as he asked, "Do you know where it's from?""Yeah," Billy nodded. "A Renaissance-era sculpture. I think the base makes it obvious."Raymond looked up at him and asked in curiosity, "Are you sure about that?"Billy, presuming that Raymond had already noticed a catch, quickly said, "Well, the old man had an expert check it, and the expert said it was immediately obvious! To be honest, I want to sell it because the old man just passed away—gotta sell this baby before my brother goes for a garage sale."He had certainly added more details to the script, and Raymond nodded as he said nonchalantly, "But it doesn't look Renaissance to me. Sculptures from that era—be it the craftsmanship or the unique attributes? It's quite different from this one
In the antique trade, items that raised eyebrows would only be shown in the evenings—when various shops were about to close.That was certainly the case in Antique Street, as most items arriving in the evening were either freshly excavated, stolen, or forgery used to dupe unsuspecting victims.Even if Raymond had started his career abroad, he had learned every last unspoken rule during his earlier stint in Aurous Hill.Seeing the wariness on Billy's face and the way he was holding something in his arms, Raymond knew right away that what he carried wasn't legal.Still, the antique trade was no different here than it was abroad.Tomb raiding, forgery, or adding some touch-ups that increased the value of an item—everyone across the globe pretty much played the same tricks, and Raymond had his fair share of experience.Still, he did not let his wariness show, instead grinning, "Yes, of course. Come on in—let's talk inside!"And with that, he quickly led Billy inside.Meanwhile, bot
"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