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Chapter 513

Author: Glassy Bear
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
Stephen stood by Hector's car, a dark smile on his handsome face.

Hector shuddered, pocketed his phone, and ended the call. With a sense of defeat, he opened the door and stepped out.

"Bro..."

Stephen's laugh was icy. "Don't call me that. I'm not your brother."

If Dallas had not called him, Stephen would have been clueless that Hector had sneaked three big items out of the storage.

"Why do you always have Madeline's back?" Hector blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

It seemed to him that Stephen's protective streak for Madeline went way beyond what he would expect for a sibling. Heck, even Sadie came in second to her.

Stephen was not the type to lose his head over a crush.

Stephen's eyes narrowed into slits. "Do you really want to know?"

Hector nodded eagerly.

With a mocking laugh, Stephen said, "Alright. You're into betting, right? Let's make it interesting."

A chill ran down Hector's spine as he listened.

"If Madeline loses, I'll spill the beans and yo
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    The owner could not hold back and blurted out the question on everyone's mind.Madeline gave a small, knowing smile. "You need the cash for medical bills, and I just can't ignore that."The director sprang into action, quickly confirming the authenticity of the owner's item. It was the real deal, and the price matched Madeline's estimate almost to the dollar.The owner was gobsmacked.His treasured porcelain, which he was told was a fake, had him fretting over how he would pay for his wife's treatment.Then, Madeline told him his supposed fake painting was genuine.The highs and lows were overwhelming. He stared at Madeline, speechless.The online comments that had been slamming Madeline for shady dealings went silent.[Didn't they say Madeline was on the hook for someone's life? Why so quiet now?][She could've won but she chose not to. She's got a heart of gold.][To walk away from millions just like that... I don't know if I could do it. Hats off to her.][What does it ma

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    Sadie held three things.A large plate with a yellow background and blue peony flowers, a piece of bluish-white jade charm, and a chicken blood stone ornament she picked up without much thought at the end.The chicken blood stone, despite its attractive color, was practically worthless, especially when compared to the other two items. It was just there to fill out the count.Madeline's haul was even more comical. She did not even manage to gather enough items.She had just two things. A painting valued at 45 dollars and a jade bracelet worth 78 dollars.The director looked at Madeline, his face a mix of conflicted emotions. 'Couldn't you just randomly pick one more item to go with the 45-dollar and 75-dollar ones?'Madeline's face was slightly pale, but she managed a smile and stayed silent. She was simply exhausted.Trevon, standing on the outskirts of the crowd, saw Madeline's pallor and his expression turned grim.What was the museum thinking with that setup?Madeline arriv

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    Everyone's attention shifted their way.Sadie huffed. "What's up? You're not going to claim that painting's legit, are you? Can't handle a little defeat?"Sadie was not fooled. Madeline's chair was not like the rest.Madeline's seat was clearly cushier than the stiff wooden chairs they were stuck with.She had seen it with her own eyes, Trevon's assistant delivering the throne to Madeline.How could Trevon play favorites like that?They were all girls, all had shopped for the same two hours, so why was Madeline the only one who got to rest her legs?They brought her a chair, so why not one for Sadie too?She was left perching on that uncomfortable piece of wood, practically bruising her behind.To top it off, Trevon could not take his eyes off Madeline, which just added salt to the wound.It was Sadie who had triumphed, who had dazzled everyone!Madeline seemed taken aback by Sadie's snippy tone but did not dwell on it. She approached the painting and murmured, "The painting

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    Spotting the genuine took more than just sharp eyes. It was about experience and secret family tricks of the trade.Baxter felt like he was overstepping, but curiosity was clawing at him. He was dying to know her secret and could only watch Madeline with hopeful eyes, swallowing his pride.Madeline was not fazed."There's an unwritten rule in the forgery game. Always leave a tell. No matter how slick the fake, there's got to be a giveaway."Baxter nodded as he remembered. "Ms. Sanders pointed that out once back at the auction with the Water Lilies."Jared shot Madeline a look of disbelief.Madeline kept going. "The technique in the forgery is actually pretty solid. In the less important areas, the strokes are super smooth. However, there are these parts that are just awkwardly done."Everyone glanced at the painting, quickly spotting the exact spots Madeline was talking about.Those awkward spots made the painting kind of... Well, hard to describe."He messed up those parts on

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    Was Stephen hinting that the two items Sadie stumbled upon were part of a setup?Madeline thought back to how Sadie had casually perused the market stalls and everything clicked. She had not really been choosing at all.That explained it.Madeline gave Hector a sly look. "Mr. Ferguson was a stand-up guy like the rest of us, but you, Hector Ferguson, I suppose... "Hector's face flushed a deep red. "What's it to you? In battle, anything goes!"Stephen's voice was icy. "You pulled out all the stops and still came up short."Willa snorted with laughter, which only made Hector glare at her harder.Scared, Willa bolted. "I'm off to make some coffee!"Madeline's gaze remained focused on Hector. "Mr. Hector Ferguson, you've lost. You know the deal. Stay out of Lydia's life and you don't get to see her again."So, that was the bet Madeline had made.Trevon and Stephen both looked down, their faces clouded.Hector was seething as he bit back his words.Madeline raised an eyebrow. "W

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    Madeline walked into her house and immediately sensed something was up. She nudged the door wider and there was Yeneth, sparking an involuntary grin on her face."I thought you were going to be hibernating today?"Yeneth had been swamped with the Skylandia project, barely getting any sleep. She had texted Madeline about sleeping in on her day off.With a shrug and a smirk, Yeneth said, "Guess I'm just wired to work. Woke up at the crack of dawn, hung around in bed not to wake you, and by the time I showed up, you were already out and about."Madeline shut the door behind her, musing aloud."I've been turning it over in my mind. All this press and pest hunting is kid's play for the Sanders Group. To really take them on, we've got to… Yank the carpet out from under them?" Yeneth's smile was the answer Madeline needed as she shared her strategy."How's that sound?"Yeneth's thumbs-up was quick, but her frown came just as fast. "Fashion's a shark tank, and jumping in now? That's r

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    Madeline's request left Yoana taken aback.A wry smile crossed her face. "What can I possibly help you with at my age?"Madeline grasped her hand with conviction. "No, Mrs. Reed, you're the only one who can do this favor for me."Yoana looked down, her expression unreadable, and whispered, "You're giving me too much credit. Besides, with my background, there's no way I can go back to working with the Sanders Group. I have a couple of pairs of baby shoes here. Take them as a baby shower gift for your little ones."Madeline realized Yoana had gotten the wrong idea, thinking she was there about the Sanders Group or Cilix, and felt a twinge of disappointment."Mrs. Reed, please don't reject my request just yet. I'm planning to start my own fashion label. Everything Is underway, but I'm still missing one crucial piece—a designer."Madeline shared her vision.Yoana's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she heard Madeline's vision for her new company."That sounds just like the Sanders

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