Novel Squares
Chapter 100
Everyone stared at the third floor private room. After all, Timeless Treasures Auction House had never sold any counterfeit goods.
If Stephanie spoke the truth, Timeless Treasures Auction House would fall into disrepute after tonight.
“Of course!” Stephanie said firmly.
She turned to Vincent. “I’ll be back soon.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
Stephanie left the private room, took the elevator downstairs; and went onstage with everyone watching her.
Nathan sized her up. “Young lady, you said these two paintings were fakes?”
“Yes.” Stephanie gestured to the paintings. “A huge lily pad is interwoven with a stalk. The tracing looks good at first glance, but close inspection reveals the stiffness of the stalk. The surrounding foliage is equally lacking in vibrancy, and the colors look to have been intentionally aged.”
“But our appraiser, Lenora Beaumont, is the protégé of the expert appraiser, Mr. Ronan Zachmann,” Nathan revealed.
Stephanie raised her eyebrows. “Ronan? Protégé?”
Nathan raised his chin slightly and stroked his white beard. “Of course. She accepted these paintings. She’ll never misjudge them.”
“I doubt your appraiser’s ability and her character even more. Mr. Zachmann does have a protégé, but it isn’t her!” Stephanie said plainly.
The crowd began to murmur.
“She’s the designer Stephanie Hayes and fiancée of Mr. Fletcher. I trust her,” someone said.
Another commented, “For her to say it with such certainty, she must have some inside information”
A third voice remarked, “This reminds me of her exposing Florence at the new product launch. Is she going to expose Ronan’s protégé tonight?”
“Florence was left to wipe off the egg on her face. I think there’ll be a good show tonight,” someone else said.
Another wondered aloud, “Mr. Zachmann has been out of the public eye for two years. He reportedly traveled to the desert in pursuit of treasure. Who knows if he’s alive or dead? How could his protégé establish her legitimacy?”
Stephanie turned to Nathan. “Can we invite Lenora onstage?”
“Certainly,” the auctioneer said proudly.
Soon, Lenora came onstage.
The young lady looked capable in her suit pants and white shirt.
She introduced the two works elegantly, from coller to painting technique.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
After speaking for half an hour, she smiled and concluded, “Hence, these are the real works.”
11:02 Fri, 31 May M
Nathan turned to Stephanie. “Ma’am, our explanation is well-substantiated. Please return to your seat.”
However, Stephanic glanced at the third floor private room and asked, “Ms. Jimenez, are you truly willing to spend 40 million dollars on two fake
paintings?”
Madeline didn’t respond. When everyone thought she wouldn’t believe Stephanie, she stepped out of the open elevator door,
(45)
Madeline were a white strapless form-fitting dress, exposing her beautiful angular shoulders. Clutching her handbag in one hand, she came onstage.
She extended her hand to Stephanie, her smile bright and gentle. “Hi, Stephanie. I’m Madeline Jimenez.”
Stephanie nodded slightly before grasping the woman’s hand, “Hi, Ms. Madeline Jimenez,” she greeted back.
Madeline proposed, “I’m a few years older than you. If you’re comfortable with it, call me Madeline.”
“Okay, Madeline,” Stephanie replied.
Madeline politely released Stephanie’s hand. “I believe you. I figured you must have evidence to prove these two paintings are fake.”
Stephanic nodded. “Indeed, because the real ones are in my home.”
When she finished speaking, everyone was in an uproar. Even Nathan and Lenora’s expressions had stiffened onstage.
Stephanie continued, “I messaged a friend before entering the elevator. By now, he should’ve arrived with the paintings.”
Right after she spoke, someone pushed open the exhibition hall doors.
Giovanni entered with a box. “I’ve brought them, Ms. Hayes.”
“Thanks,” Stephanie said.
Grinning, Giovanni opened the box. Pulling out two rolled canvases, he carefully unrolled them, displaying the two paintings before everyone.
As the auction’s livestream rights had been sold to a TV station, and the live was ongoing, the cameraman seized this chance to garner attention by panning directly to those unrolled paintings.
Stephanie addressed the crowd, “I don’t believe there are any professional appraisers here. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have permitted these two paintings to command a high price of 40 million dollars. It’s not that Claude Monet’s paintings aren’t worth it, but that the fakes aren’t. I bet the appraisers in front of the TV would be eager to examine them. It’s a pity they can’t be here in person.
H
Of course, many appraisers were present, but none dared to challenge Timeless Treasures Auction House.
Should they offend the auction house, they could forget about working as an appraiser in the future.
‘Lenora is the Mr. Zachmann’s protégé. Whatever she says is the truth, even if it’s false! After all, she’s Timeless Treasures Auction House’s chief appraiser. Stephanie’s words were merely satire, they thought.
Nathan stepped forward to compare the two sets of paintings. His shock intensified as he examined them, for Stephanie’s seemed more like the
authentic ones.
Despite being Timeless Treasures Auction House’s auctioneer, he wasn’t a professional in appraisals, but rather, he had a wide range of contacts and spent money buying these antiques.
He shot a look at Lenora, who hurried to examine them,
11:02 Fri, 31 May MD
How could she not know she was examining a fake painting, but only in this way could she make money!
She never expected an unwelcome person to materialize and disrupt everything just as the deal was about to be closed,
“Yours are fake. What we’re auctioning are the real works, Lenora insisted.
As she spoke, she reached for Stephanie’s paintings
Reacting quickly, Stephanie grabbed Lenora’s hand. “What are you trying to do? Hmm?”
“It hurts! Let go of me!” Lenora yelled.
instead of letting her go, Stephanie tightened her grip. “Trying to destroy them? Can you afford to pay for the damage?”
The pain left Lenora in a cold sweat. “That’s not true!”
Stephanie roughly threw Lenora aside, causing the latter to stumble and fall to the ground.
Lepora glared at her. “If my mentor is here, no one can bully me!”
“Call him, then, Let’s see if he acknowledges you.” Stephanie sneered.
Nathan nodded. “Call Mr. Zachmann now, Lenora, Our auction house’s reputation is at stake”
Lenora stood up and, with darting eyes, whipped out her phone to dial a number.
However, she quickly hung up and explained, “My mentor has turned off his phone. He must be busy.”
With a smirk, Stephanie dialed a number and turned on the speaker.
A deep and energetic male voice rang out. “My dear protégé. Did you miss me?”
Stephanie snorted. “No. Why are you still lying, old man?”
“Huh? What
lies d
did I make?” he asked.
Stephanie exclaimed, “You took in another protégé!”
“No way! You’re my last protégé. You can ask your two seniors if you don’t believe me. I swear!” he said.
Stephanie huffed. “I don’t believe you. Your protégé is swaggering around before me now!”
“What? I’ll be there shortly with your seniors,” he said.
The call ended there. Everyone finally understood that the person on the other end should be Ronan.
pra was in a panic. “My mentor is still in the desert. How could he be in Jacaster? I wonder where you found this shill!”
Just then, an old man in overalls entered with a light gail, followed by two men in their forties
“Let’s see who is the woman pretending to be my precious protégé!” he exclaimed.
His sun-kissed skin made him appear intimidating
The two men behind him also looked imposing.
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Soon, someone recognized the two men. One was Maverick Xanders, the chairman of the Antique Appraisal Association, while the other was Braden Williams, a national-level antique appraiser.
The old man came onstage and smiled at Stephanie. But his smile disappeared when he saw Lenora. “Are you my protégé? When did I take you in? Why am I unaware of it? Was there a formal acknowledgment? You claim to be my protégé, yet you didn’t greet me upon seeing me. Why didn’t you greet your seniors either?”
Lenora was startled by Ronan’s string of questions. She had merely met him once a few years ago.
She recalled him being kind and fair-skinned, unlike the dark skinned man before her.
Yet, the two men behind him were familiar to her, both top figures in the appraisal industry.
“Who would’ve thought these two were the oldie’s protégés? I can’t even call him a liar. He must be Roman! Turns out Stephanie is truly his protégé. D m n it!” she exclaimed inwardly.
Ronan stared coldly at Lenora. “Say something! Didn’t you claim to be my protégé repeatedly?”
With reddened eyes, Lenora s t a g g e r e d and tilted backward.
Stephanie could tell Lenora was pretending to faint and quickly moved forward, grabbing her arm while her other hand held a silver needle between her fingertips. “I specialize in treating fainting symptoms!”
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