She dampened the towel and wrapped it tightly around the area where the bird's 'poisoning' was at its worst, making a ring.Next, she poured in the fiery alcohol.Holding a water-dipped brush, Madeline gave Willa the nod to bring the heat. Willa, lighter in hand, was frozen solid, too scared to even twitch.Madeline gave her a comforting smile. "Relax, I've got this."It took an eternity for Willa to work up the nerve and spark a flame.The fire flared up, and Willa nearly burst into tears.However, Madeline was as cool as a cucumber, guiding the brush with gentle flicks, expertly controlling the burn.Once the 'poison' was purged, she slapped on a wet towel and snuffed out the flames.The scorched traces left by the alcohol had vanished, leaving the surface pristine and snow-white.Hector was taken aback by Madeline's unexpected expertise, grinding his teeth in frustration.It made sense why Yash was so keen on mentoring her, not even fazed by the prospect of failure.As Ma
Madeline lingered for a moment, then a small smile played on her lips.That was for the best.Their relationship had been a mistake from the start. Drifting apart was the natural course for them.Madeline's lunchbox was packed with more food than she could eat alone, so she waved Willa over to join her.Willa had seen Trevon drop off lunch for Madeline before and felt a pang of jealousy."Madeline, isn't Mr. Gibson eating with us?" she asked.Madeline shook her head. "He's tied up with work at the office. Don't worry about him."Willa relaxed and sat down, comforted by the fact that Trevon would not be joining them."Man, Mr. Gibson's life is something else. His hands were all bloody, and he still rushed off to work."Madeline paused, recalling the sight of him leaving with a streak of red on his right hand.She gripped her spoon a little tighter.It was her fault he got hurt.Madeline lowered her head.…[Don't forget to change Mr. Gibson's bandages.]Daniel chuckled at
"The live stream's a hit, way beyond what we hoped for. The museum's thinking about teaming up for a mega live stream with other museums."Restoring paintings all day could be a drag. The painting was a long-term project. What could she do in the meantime?Madeline's curiosity piqued. "A team-up? How's that gonna work?"The director, full of awe, explained, "You know, it's the young folks who get this live streaming stuff. Mr. Hector Ferguson's idea was to throw down a challenge in the stream. For the first round, we're talking about treasure hunting.""A treasure hunt? That's Mr. Hector Ferguson's brainchild?" Madeline quirked an eyebrow."Yes, so we're moving this afternoon's stream to Antique Street for a full-on treasure hunt. The Ember City Museum crew's in town too, so it's showdown time between our museums."Madeline watched the director's excitement with a mix of amusement and disbelief.What's Hector's angle there? Did the director even realize that Hector was playing
Before long, the expert team from Ember City Museum popped up on the screen, stationed at a different spot on Antique Street.There, in the studio, was a familiar face—Sadie.Madeline was dumbfounded.They were not even trying to be discreet.Did Sadie not mention that she was going to Opal City for studies? What was she doing hobnobbing with the Ember City Museum crowd?Sadie's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Madeline, her look turning sour in a flash.She would not have bothered with that live broadcast if Hector had not mentioned that Madeline was her rival.The expert on the other side was all smiles as he explained, "We've got a young lady here, and since I'm not exactly a spring chicken, it wouldn't be fair for me to swoop in. So, I brought in another young lady to even the playing field."He went on to introduce Sadie as Yash's protege, raised and trained by Yash herself, with an eye for antiques that rivaled even the most seasoned collectors."Do you mind stepping
Sadie was showing off a plate with a sunny yellow backdrop and intricate blue floral designs—roses, to be exact—which were highly prized in ancient times.Madeline's mind flashed back to an auction where a plate from the Edo period, adorned ith chrysanthemums and a yellow glaze, fetched upward of 600 thousand dollars.That style, with its mix of underglaze and overglaze, first popped up in Japanese kilns back during the Edo era and was a hit with the collector crowd.That plate could easily rake in close to 1.2 million dollars.In the world of antiques, it was like finding a diamond in the rough. For years, treasures like those had been the stuff of legends. The clueless vendor had let it go for a mere pittance—just a few thousand dollars. Sadie's luck had been off the charts.Madeline could only marvel, her tongue clicking in disbelief.The chat in the live stream was going wild.[With just that one find, Sadie's ruling the stream. Madeline's chances of winning are slim to no
Willa was floored.Everyone tuned into the live stream could tell the shop owner was pulling a fast one, but Madeline seemed clueless.The chat was blowing up with comments.[Look at that guy—a total scam artist. Madeline can't be that gullible, right?][Who knows? Maybe she's trying to one-up Sadie, thinking she's got it too easy?][Come on. If you're gonna take a risk, at least go for something legit! Madeline's just being naive.]Meanwhile, Sadie was watching the stream and could not help but laugh."That's so fake. Someone tell Madeline not to fall for it. We're just putting on a show here, all in good fun. No need to throw away money like that. "Her words set off a wave of agreement in the chat.[Exactly, it's all for laughs. Don't be the one who gets played.][Seriously, what's the point of bidding on a fake painting?]However, Madeline still eyed the painting intently, and she reminded the shop owner, "You haven't named your price yet." Willa tried to get her atten
The online crowd was momentarily stunned, then the comments exploded across the screen.[Hah! You thought Madeline would get played, but she's the one playing you for being so gullible.][I knew it! With Madeline's sharp eye, how could she not spot a fake?][Hahaha! The shop owner caved so fast. Did he think Madeline's offer was too generous?][Not at all. The guy even spun a tale to make the sale. He's just scraping by.][Seriously, this shop owner's got zero business sense. Of all the artists to fake, he picks Raphael? Like no one would notice?][He thought he could fool Madeline like some naive college kid.][As a college student, I object. Even we can tell it's a phony.][Why on earth did Madeline snag a fake painting? She must've spaced out and thought she was on a casual shopping spree instead of in the middle of a showdown.][Right? Sadie's already scooped up loot worth a whopping 1.5 million bucks, and Madeline's sitting pretty with a measly 45-dollar trinket. Is she e
Knock, knock.Daniel knocked on the door to Trevon's office and announced, "Mr. Gibson, we've got it all figured out. The stuff Ms. Ferguson bought was prepared by Mr. Hector Ferguson ahead of time."Mr. Hector Ferguson seems to have challenged Mrs. Gibson to a bet. Looks like he had a game plan for this wager from the get-go."Trevon's expression turned stormy. "Does Stephen have any clue what his siblings are up to?"Daniel stayed silent, his face saying it all."So, do we send a care package to Mrs. Gibson? At this rate, she's heading for a loss."So far, Madeline had only snagged a painting for 45 bucks."What's the stake Hector put up?"Daniel adjusted his glasses. "Um… Mr. Hector Ferguson got Ms. Sanders to let Lydia go."Trevon paused, taken aback. "They're acquainted?"Daniel was at a loss for words.Trevon let out a wry chuckle. "Let it be. I've been blind to her true colors all these years."Lydia had been overseas for three years, so it would not be odd for her t