Baxter was taken aback to see him. "Mr. Swanson, what brings you here?"The old man was none other than Jared Swanson, a retired bigwig from the Cultural Bureau.Jared let out a hearty laugh. "I've been here all along."He turned to Madeline and added, "You're quite the sensation, aren't you?"Madeline just smiled. "I guess I got lucky."Jared did not seem convinced and offered, "How about I witness this?"That would be fine.Baxter responded, "We'd be honored."Loads of shows would kill for a guest like Jared, and there he was, offering himself without them even asking.Sadie seemed to be the only one not thrilled about it, but she knew protesting then would be pointless, so she kept quiet.Since Oralia was close by, the group decided to head over there.Since Madeline's unveiling of the painting could not be broadcast, the live stream had to pivot to other topics to keep the audience engaged.After what felt like an eternity which was just an hour, the experts had finally
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
Madeline was just as shocked as she caught Sadie's eye, her heart going out to Stephen and the whole Ferguson family.The Fergusons had poured their hearts into running the auction house and building up Oralia's good name.Then, there was Sadie, blabbing away on the show without a second thought about the mess she could be making for Oralia and the auction house.Sadie clearly could not stand Madeline, and it showed.Madeline's smile turned into a playful smirk as she teased, "Ms. Ferguson, you know that poop reeks, right? Would you ever volunteer to make a mess?""Am I out of my mind?" Sadie snapped back, clearly annoyed.Madeline just shrugged and opened her hands wide, letting the comment hang in the air.The whole room got the joke and erupted into laughter at Madeline's cheeky remark.Baxter shook his head at Madeline, saying with a mix of exasperation and amusement, "You're something else, you know that?"He never would have pegged Madeline, the sweet girl she was, for s
Nash was totally lost.When did the painting become Oralia's property? Was Madeline dodging the sale because she did not like the price?That seemed pointless. 12 million bucks was no chump change.Nash was flustered, clueless about his next move. He cast a desperate glance at Stephen, who had been spectating from the sidelines.Stephen was just as taken aback.Hector and Sadie had been flaunting Oralia's stuff for their own show, but there was Madeline, scoring the real treasure and dedicating it to Oralia.He had a soft spot for Madeline, and why should he not?Seeing Nash in a bind, Stephen could not just stand by. He walked over, ushering Nash and Jay aside for a more private chat.Madeline's eyes twinkled with mirth, utterly indifferent to whatever price they would hash out.Meanwhile, Jared was visibly intrigued, unabashedly tagging along to eavesdrop.The showdown was winding down, and with Raphael's masterpiece in her possession, Madeline was the clear winner.Sadie,
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
Hector was frantic, but even that could not stop his brother's declaration."He bet that if he lost, he'd be your nanny until your baby's born," Stephen announced.Madeline and Trevon were speechless.Trevon did not even think before he objected. "No way."Madeline waved it off too. "Don't bother."They both looked utterly repulsed at the thought of Hector helping out. It seemed more likely that Madeline would end up babysitting him instead.It was the last thing they needed.Hector was not keen on the idea either, but their disdainful looks suddenly made him defensive. "What's with you two? Do you even know who I am?"He flaunted his hand and added, "This hand? It's insured for a cool 15 million bucks!"Hector's hand was his tool for crafting breathtaking designs—a gem in the eyes of the world. "Me, taking care of you? That's a privilege!"Madeline rolled her eyes. "You can keep that privilege to yourself. Thank you."She shooed Hector away as if he were the last person on
The buzz from the live stream was lighting up the internet.The moment Raphael's painting hit the screen and Jay slapped down a whopping 12 million dollar bid, the live stream shot up to the top of the trending charts.Yancy, video in hand, rushed into Cilix's office. "Mr. Sanders, you've got to see this."Cilix looked weary.The Lowe Clan village mess had only popped up a couple of days ago, and he was already feeling beat.Yancy even asked him to watch a video, which clearly annoyed him. Should they not be focusing all their efforts on finding Jared?Despite his irritation, Cilix took the tablet and gave it a look.The live stream played, and there was Jared, the guy he had been trying to track down with no luck, looking friendly and ordinary next to Madeline.They were deep in conversation with big smiles.By the end, Jared's eyes were full of respect for Madeline.Jay, the big-shot president of the Redenbaugh City Chamber of Commerce, was the very guy Cilix had been tryin
In the end, Madeline found herself in the backseat of a car, heading to the wine party she had been so set against.Trevon had played his cards right, dangling the bluefin tuna, then the caviar, and raving about the celebrity chef flown in just to dazzle the high rollers. That was a one-time deal, and she was in for the ride.Trevon promised Madeline a quiet spot where she could just savor the feast without the fuss of a party. Somehow, she found herself saying yes.It was probably the little one doing somersaults in her tummy, drooling over the thought of top-notch bluefin tuna.That had to be it.They slipped into their fancy outfits at Tracy's shop, sneaking into the bash without causing a ripple.Trevon had the room all set, and Madeline kicked back, comfy and carefree.However, the star of the show, the bluefin tuna Trevon raved about, showed up fully cooked. No raw sashimi delight because Trevon was playing it safe against any pesky parasites.Madeline could not help bu
That batch of red wine did not look too strong, but it packed a punch.As the trio kept drinking, they slowly started to feel the buzz.Yeneth, glass in hand, her cheeks a rosy red, ranted, "Don't employees' lives count for anything? Overtime, day in and day out! It's enough to wear out a horse!"That darn Camden, always harping on about performance, about profits! Is game development just about the bottom line? What happened to the heart? Rubbish!"For a moment, she thought she saw Camden's face, and in a fit of anger, Yeneth tried to slap it away, nearly tumbling into her wine glass instead.Madeline, startled, rushed to steady her.Yeneth, still wobbly, stood up on her own, fixing Trevon with a steely gaze and said icily, "You're just another greedy capitalist."Trevon sat there, calm and collected, but his delayed movements and the occasional glint of bewilderment in his eyes betrayed his inebriation to Madeline.When Yeneth spoke up, he turned his head slowly, locking eyes
Madeline, caught up in the conversation with Caleb and Yeneth, turned around in shock at Trevon's question.He had just declared he would not touch a drop, and he was suddenly reaching for the wine?However, she let it go without a question.The red wine was smooth and inviting. If he felt like drinking, why not?Trevon grunted a greeting into his phone. "Mr. Caleb Jabs."Caleb snapped out of his reverie, returning the greeting with a subdued nod, his gaze deepening.Yeneth, caught between awkwardness and concern, glanced at Caleb. She was about to speak when a glamorous doctor in a white coat appeared beside him on the screen.The doctor, Camila Jervis, peered at the screen, her smile teasing. "Mr. Caleb Jabs, are you chatting with your girlfriend?"Two women were on the screen, leaving it unclear whom she meant.Caleb shook his head, offering no explanation, and instead asked, "Dr. Jervis, what's up?"Camila arched an eyebrow, not prying further. "The professor's ready to s
Yahir sipped his cola, feeling utterly dejected.He had bolted from the Lewis family feast, even at the risk of getting caught, just to pocket two bottles of Lafite.They were not the prized '1982' edition, but they were still pretty decent.His mom's constant marriage talk was a drag, but her taste in wine was impeccable. He was all set for a night of no-holds-barred drinking with Trevon.However, Trevon dragged him over to Madeline's, and under the pretext of her pregnancy, confiscated all the wine.Then, it sat tauntingly in the wine cabinet.Yahir gazed at it, each bottle seeming to whisper seductively."Come on, come have a taste."It was pure torture!He took another swig of cola."Whoa!"Yeneth's shout came out of nowhere.Yahir choked mid-sip.The cola fizz popped like fireworks in his throat, sending him into a coughing frenzy, his face flushing a deep crimson as the soda splashed across the floor.Madeline jumped at his coughing spectacle, hastily grabbing a tis
Madeline swung open the kitchen door to find Yahir wrapping his arms around Yeneth from behind, as if he could not bear to let her go.Her mind, already a whirlwind of thoughts, was completely thrown."What in the world..."Madeline was puzzled as she returned from the kitchen. She had only stepped away to make a call, and then Yeneth and Yahir were locked in an embrace.Yeneth tried to explain, "Madeline, this isn't what it looks like. I was just—"However, Yahir clamped a hand over her mouth, grinning at Madeline. "We're just playing around, Madeline. Hey, do you have any wine glasses? We need four. Let's celebrate!"Trevon stepped out from behind Madeline, his composed facade unbroken. "Lost your head? She's pregnant. Think she can drink?"Yahir smacked his forehead. "Oh, man. I totally spaced on that."Once Yeneth wriggled free, she took a deep breath and delivered a sharp kick to Yahir's leg. "Get off me!"She kicked with all her might, hitting Yahir's shin and sending a
At that moment, Trevon seemed to freeze, then he straightened his posture. "Madeline, Liam's role is to be your close protection, to ensure your safety."Madeline had faced too many close calls, and he could not shake his concern for her.However, she was fiercely independent. If it were up to him, he would keep her tethered to his side.Madeline let out a derisive snort. She knew Xoan well enough to know he could dig up information on Yoana, but not with such speed and precision.Xoan claimed Liam was the one who had lent a hand.Madeline knew Liam. That had Trevon's fingerprints all over it."Do you really think I've become so dim-witted from pregnancy that I can't think straight?"Trevon looked at her, a mix of frustration and affection in his eyes.She had once been so sweet and compliant. Then, she became so sharp and quick-witted, a match even for him.However, he preferred her that way."Madeline, I'm just looking out for you."Trevon had an insatiable need to know ev
"Madeline, I've got the scoop on Yoana," Xoan said.Madeline was taken aback. "So soon?"Xoan let out a sly chuckle. "It wouldn't have been this quick, but Liam lent us a hand."Madeline stole a quick look at Trevon, then cast her gaze downward.Fifteen years back, Yoana was forced out of the Sanders Group—a victim of Cilix's cunning plot.It was not just a simple resignation as Bella had naively believed. Yoana was secretly saddled with a mountain of debt.Cilix did not stop there. He tarnished Yoana's name throughout the industry.She could not land a respectable job to save her life.Her personal life was total chaos.Her husband, Jim Livingston, who was once a low-level office worker, had dived into business on the back of Yoana's earnings and made a pretty penny.However, when the bill came due, Yoana hit a wall. Jim had sent all his cash back to his folks, leaving peanuts behind.Yoana was floored. A decade of hard work, and not a dime to show for it.When she begged
Madeline swung the door open to find Trevon on her doorstep, her eyebrows knitting together in a frown.Before she could get a word out, Yahir popped up from behind him with a grin. "Happy New Year, Madeline!"He waved a container of homemade goodies.Those two had nearly fought that morning, and then they were as chummy as can be—though Trevon looked like he would rather be anywhere else. However, he bit his tongue and kept quiet.With the Gibsons and the Lewises all cozied up for a New Year's feast, what on earth were those two doing there?Yahir's face fell. "Madeline, you've got no idea. My mom's a force of nature. Can you believe she's still dragging me to blind dates on New Year's Eve? I just had to bail."Madeline could not help but think about Liliana's earlier enthusiasm for rallying the troops and was at a loss for words."What about you, Trevon? What brings you here?" Madeline asked.Trevon pursed his lips. He was looking a little quiet too.Edith had been on his ca
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
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