“What brazen nonsense are you spouting!” Donnelly retorted, though amusement flickered in his eyes rather than anger.
“You know full well I can’t stand counterfeits. As long as I’m around, not a single fake makes it past the Timeless Treasures’ doors.”
His reputation wasn’t mere talk. Donnelly wasn’t just the president of the Lyhaton Antique Association but also the strict gatekeeper for Timeless Treasures. No item could make it into their collection without his rigorous approval.
“Then perhaps you should inspect that pen holder,” Corrine suggested, arching an eyebrow and tilting her head toward the unassuming piece on the table.
Following her gaze, Donnelly let out a soft chuckle.
“Inspect it? Do I really need to? You-“
Corrine’s calm, steady glance cut him off mid-sentence. Something in her expression silenced him, and he nodded, his humor giving way to thoughtfulness.
“Alright then,” he said, his tone shifting slightly.
“Perhaps I should take a closer look.”
Even as he spoke, Donnelly cast a cautious glance at Corrine, whose serene demeanor remained unshaken, as if the entire ordeal was none of her concern. Clearing his throat, Donnelly retrieved a small magnifying glass from his chest pocket, holding it up to the light with practiced ease. He bent slightly, his movements precise as he meticulously inspected the pen holder. At last, he straightened and spoke in a tone as casual as it was decisive.
“It’s genuine.”
His words landed like a thunderclap. Rita’s face drained of color, her legs wobbling as if they might give out beneath her.
“Could it really be the legendary pen holder once displayed in Timeless Treasures?” Diego’s voice quivered with awe, his wide eyes glistening as he stared at the object with reverence.
Donnelly slipped the magnifying glass back into his pocket, his fingers idly toying with the bracelet.
“Indeed.”
The confirmation rippled through the crowd, igniting a buzz of shock and disbelief.
“But… but I heard this pen holder fetched 9.54 million at auction! How could Timeless Treasures bear to let it go?” Diego stammered, nervously dabbing at the cold sweat forming on his brow.
Donnelly let out a soft chuckle, his tone tinged with amusement.
“Timeless Treasures isn’t just about hoarding collectibles. When an item finds its destined owner, it’s sold willingly.”
Gloria’s voice cut through the murmurs, her disbelief spilling out before she could stop herself
“But 9.54 million? That’s impossible…” Where would Corrine get that kind of money?
Corrine set her cup down with deliberate calm, her gaze steady as she replied, “Miss Burgess compensated me ten million. It was just enough to cover the cost.”
Her composed tone sliced through Leah like a razor, leaving her reeling as the truth struck deep.
The crowd turned their eyes toward Rita, their gazes a mixture of mockery and pity. Each stare seemed to peel away a layer of her composure.
Rita’s chest tightened, and her face grew hot as she felt every pointed look. She stood frozen, her breathing uneven as bitterness clawed at her insides. It was unbearable.
The pen holder was genuine.
What now?
She couldn’t kneel.
Rita clenched her fists, her thoughts spiraling in panic. As the Ashton family’s heiress, kneeling before Corrine would ruin her forever. How could she ever recover from such public humiliation?
Farris shifted uncomfortably, watching Corrine’s calm demeanor with a growing sense of unease. Donnelly’s confirmation left him cold. The significance of the gift no longer mattered.
What loomed over him now was the crushing weight of potential disgrace on the Ashton family.
His gaze flicked toward Corrine, searching for a hint of leniency. She paid him no mind, her eyes locked on Rita. A faint smile curved her lips, her tone light but cutting.
“Miss Ashton, isn’t it time to honor your word?”
Rita’s head snapped up, her wide eyes locking on Corrine with a mix of shock and disbelief.
Corrine’s expression was cool and unyielding, her lips curving into a faint, almost ruthless smile that sent a shiver down Rita’s spine.
Rita’s heart hammered in her chest. Without thinking, she took a step back, her fingers clinging tightly to Tracy’s arm. Her voice wavered as she stammered, “Corrine… what are you trying to do? Don’t forget-this is the Ashton fr- home!”
Corrine tilted her head slightly, her smile widening just enough to make Rita’s unease grow.
“Precisely, Miss Ashton. Because this is the Ashton residence, it’s all the more important for you to keep your word. If you break your promise now, it won’t just tarnish your name-it will make people consider the entire Ashton family unreliable.”
Rita’s chest tightened. Regret churned in her gut like a storm, but what good was regret now? Every pair of eyes in the room bored into her, expectant, unyielding. The weight of their judgment felt suffocating, as if they wouldn’t let her go until she knelt and apologized.
The pressure seemed to ignite a spark of defiance in her. Her lips trembled as she glared at Corrine, her voice rising in desperation.
“You think I’ll just believe you because you said so? What proof do we have that this old man isn’t just someone you brought in to back up your lies? Maybe this whole thing was staged!”
The room fell into stunned silence, the collective gasp palpable as everyone stared at Rita. Her audacity left them speechless.
Tracy’s face tensed, and she opened her mouth to reprimand her daughter, but before she could speak, Farris’ voice boomed, sharp and unrelenting.
“Rita, enough!”
His words carried a weight that silenced everyone in the room. With Donnelly’s revered position in Lyhaton, even the Ashton family dared not offend him. Rita’s outburst was nothing short of reckless.
Panic rose in her throat, her composure slipping as tears pooled in her eyes.
“Grandpa…” Her voice cracked, and she bit her lip, helpless and humiliated.
Tracy gently rested her hand over Rita’s trembling fingers, giving them a reassuring pat. Her quiet gesture urged Rita to calm down, though her own face betrayed her dismay.
She then turned her attention to Corrine, her tone firm and with a hint of anger.
“Corrine, if you already knew the pen holder was authentic, why didn’t you just say so? Did you orchestrate all this just to humiliate Rita?”
Corrine couldn’t suppress a soft laugh, the sound laced with quiet amusement.
“Would you have believed me if I had?” she asked, her tone smooth but cutting.
“From the very beginning, your family has done nothing but make life difficult for me. It was Rita who demanded that I kneel and apologize; it was Rita who made the bet. And now, when things don’t go your way, you want to place the blame on me?”
Leah’s voice, calm and conciliatory, cut in before Tracy could respond.
“Rita is young, impulsive, and acted out of emotion. Please, have some compassion and forgive her this one time.”
“Why should I be forgiving?” Corrine’s voice was sharp, her smile cold.
“We all have one life to live. I choose to hold grudges, to be petty, and I believe in fair retribution.”
Bruce, unable to hold his tongue, added with a disapproving frown, “Corrine, I never thought you’d turn into this. You used to be distant, but warm-hearted, always thinking about the greater good. Now, you’re selfish and reckless, with no thought for the consequences-“
“Enough!” Corrine snapped, her voice low and simmering with fury. Her sharp gaze pinned Bruce in place.
“You, of all people, should stay silent! Where were you when I was being cornered? Where were you when I had no choice but to make this bet? Now you want to play the hero? It’s too late for that! I don’t want to hear another word from any of you. A bet is a bet, Rita. Kneel!”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.