Chapter 3
Just the thought of having to live under the same roof as Veronica, the bumpkin in Chloe’s eyes, made Chloe feel disgusted.
e to send
Especially when she thought about how Veronica might one day share in the Weston family fortune, Chloe felt a burning desire. Veronica back to the village right then and there.
Linda’s expression turned slightly stem as she glanced around at the servants with their heads bowed, her tone sharp. “Chloe, I’ve told. you before. Don’t be so rude.”
Chloe pouted. “Mom?”
“Chloe, Mom’s doing this for your own good,” a syrupy voice interrupted, and a girl, looking about the same age as Chloe and bearing a striking resemblance to her, walked in from outside. It was Grace, Chloe’s full–blooded younger sister
“Mom, I’m home, Grace said as she walked up and kissed Linda on the cheek.
Chloe snorted, “Such a show–off”
Grace didn’t respond. Shooting a sharp look at Chloe, Linda said, “Grace, why are you back so early? Have you had breakfast? Do you want to go upstairs and rest?”
Grace shook her head sweetly. “No, Mom. I’m not tired. I’ll go upstairs, get changed, and go with you and Chloe to the hotel to pick up
Veronica.
Linda’s two daughters were complete opposites. Chloe was more like David Weston, simple–minded and straightforward. Grace, on the other hand, had inherited Linda’s cunning and calculating nature,
Though Grace and Chloe were only a year apart in age, Grace behaved with the maturity of someone much older than Chloe
But despite everything. Linda spoiled Chloe a bit more, and Grace kept her jealousy hidden deep inside, never letting it show.
Far away at the hotel, Veronica had no idea what the Westons were scheming, and she didn’t care to know.
Veronica set the breakfast sent by the hotel staff in front of Raymond, then opened her suitcase and began pulling out packages of herbs, each neatly separated.
These were the herbs she had brought from the village for her clients. She had already received deposits, and she needed to deliver them today.
Raymond, sitting on the bed, gave Veronica a sidelong glance, clearly noticing her actions. “You’re broke.” What he said wasn’t a question; it was a statement.
Veronica turned around, a bit confused, muttering, “What?” She thought to herself, “What makes him think I’m broke?
Raymond elegantly picked up a water glass and took a sip, speaking slowly, “As a reward for saving me last night, you can make one request.”
Veronica blinked, momentarily confused by why an injured guy like him would make such a statement to the person who saved him. She frowned, considering the possibility that Raymond’s injury wasn’t just to his waist but also to his head.
Veronica quickly packed away her herbs, then remembered the goblets she had bought a few days ago at the market. She put them in her bag, stood up, and was about to leave.
Have you i
you made up your mind?” Raymond stopped her
Veronica furrowed her brows. “Sure enough, saving people brings nothing but trouble,’ she thought. She looked up at his face, still lundsome despite the stern expression.
She then flashed a sweet and innocent smile. “Why don’t you repay me with yourself?”
Raymond’s expression shifted slightly.
y, his gaze falling back on Veronica. Her eyes were clear, filled with amusement.
He began. “I…” He then swallowed hard, but before he could say anything, Veronica waved and left.
5:07 PMP –
Chapter 3
Her voice echoed from the door as she said. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I only saved you because you reminded me of my dog. Bear. By the way, make sure to lock the door when you leave.”
Veronica had barely stepped out of the hotel when Linda, with Chloe and Grace, entered the hotel lobby, Chloe, looking displeased, walked up to the front desk and demanded, “Call Veronica Weston and tell her to come the hell down.”
Grace, following right behind Chloe, chimed in, “Chloe, don’t be so rude,”
Grace then flashed a sweet smile at the receptionists. “Ladies, could you please call our sister and ask her to come see us? She checked in here last night without telling us, and our whole family is worried about her.
Chloe shot a sidelong glance at Grace, feeling the urge to snap for Grace’s pretentious words.
Linda, who had been following behind them, nodded in satisfaction. She caught sight of a familiar figure in the corner of her eye, and immediately, a look of self–reproach appeared on her face.
She muttered. “It’s all my fault. I had meetings all day yesterday. I went to bed early last night and I couldn’t open the door for Veronica
in time.
“That’s why she ended up staying at the hotel. She must be pretty upset. I’ve failed your father.”
Seeing that Linda was on the verge of tears, Grace quickly hugged her, comforting her, “Mom, this isn’t your fault. Once we explain everything to Verortica, she’ll understand.”
Linda covered her face. “No matter what, it’s still my fault.”
The figure in the corner, listening to Linda and Grace, turned and walked away.
If Veronica had seen the performance from Linda and her two daughters, she would have clapped her hands and cheered them on. Unfortunately, Veronica was too busy to pay attention to them at the moment.
On Cloudhaven’s famous antique street, just behind the archway at the entrance, a client was earnestly trying to sell his stuff to the manager at a shop called Fortune Antiques.
The man spoke with sincerity, “Sir, please take a look. This is an antique Baccarat crystal goblet. Look at the material, the color, and the pattern–this is truly a piece of antique Baccarat crystal.
“It’s a treasure passed down through my family for generations. If I weren’t in urgent need of money, I would never dream of selling it.”
Leonard Hastings, wearing reading glasses, held a magnifying glass and carefully examined the crystal goblet in front of him.
It wasn’t that Leonard was overly cautious, the number of forgeries out there was overwhelming, and genuine antique Baccarat crystal goblets were extremely rare. He had to be fully alert to authenticate it.
If it turned out to be real, he would have made a great profit. But if it were fake, the situation wouldn’t be solved with just a few thousand
dollars.
“How much do you want for it?” a sweet voice interrupted him.
The young man, startled, instinctively responded, “The market price right now is much more than 700 thousand dollars. I’m in urgent need of money, so I’ll sell it to you for a round number–only 700 thousand dollars.”
Veronica laughed at the man’s words. She walked over to Leonard, her hands behind her back, and glanced at the goblet in his hand. “Give me ten bucks, and Il find you ten identical ones,” she smirked.
The man’s face fell in an instant, Staring at Veronica, he pressed his lips and then immediately shouted, “What do you mean by that?”
Veronica raised an eyebrow, suiling as she looked at him, “What do you think?”
The man, enraged, said, “Are you saying my family’s heirloom is fake?”
Veronica replied, “I don’t know if your family’s heirloom is fake, but this goblet? A few days ago, I bought several for my dog. Bear, to drink from. Three bucks for three.”
Upon hearing this, Leonard quickly set the goblet and magnifying glass down. He thought, “How embarrassing. I’ve wasted so much
time on a fake.‘
2/3
5:07 PM
Chapter 3
The man pointed a trembling finger at Veronica, clearly infuriated by her. “What do you, a clueless brat, know? Have you ever seen an antique? This is an antique Baccarat crystal goblet. There are less than thirty of them left in the entire world.
Veronica nodded with a sweet smile. “So, of all the things you could fake, you chose to fake this one?”
