âHow about this, Mr. Yates? Since you bought the jade for twenty million, Iâll buy it back from you at the same price. Will that do?â Bob asked with utter sincerity.
Seeing how the old man had humbled himself to the point of pleading with Ryan, the guests reeled in shock.
Wow! Mr. Chapman must really love Alice a lot! The Chapman family has been going downhill since the latter disappeared, and Hera only made it worse with the embarrassing stunt she pulled tonight. Mr.
Chapmanâs probably boiling with rage now⦠With descendants like Hera, how could a family not be in decline?
Bob, Sisley, and Hera couldnât help but stare nervously at the handsome Ryan.
Mary, on the other hand, was in a state of panic. Sh*t! I never knew Alice had hidden a red jade or that it belonged to the Yates family⦠Iâd have stolen it and maintained control of the situation if I had known earlier! Argh! Iâm sure Ryan will begin to suspect something nowâ¦
The next second, Mary composed herself and approached Ryan with a stiff smile. âRyan, this red jade might be fake, or perhaps it isnât the one from the Yates family. I remember wearing one as a kid, but unfortunately, I lost it sometime after.â
âAh! Could the daughter of the Chapman family have picked up the red jade?â Penelope chimed in, determined to convince everyone that the red jade belonged to Mary.
Upon hearing that, Bob glared at the mother and daughter. âWhat nonsense is that? Ms. Canter, youâre a respectable lady in your fifties, so why would you still tell such a blatant lie? Listen. This red jade belonged to my daughter, Alice Chapman! She had had it on her since she was a child. As for why Mr.
Yates is claiming that the jade came from the Yates family, I have no idea! All I know is that itâs one of my daughterâs belongings!â
Even though Bob hadnât raised his voice, he spoke with such good diction that everyone heard him perfectly.
Mary was livid and embarrassed, but more importantly, she didnât want to be thrown out of the Yates family or to have them suspect her identity.
âIâm sorry, Mr. Chapman,â she replied as she tried hard to hide her humiliation and save her pride. âThe thing is, I did indeed have a red jade when I was young. I may have mistaken this for mine because they look so similar.â
Meanwhile, Ryan scrutinized the piece of jade in his hands.
This red jade is so vivid and clear that itâs almost flawless. Its distinct shape, however, is whatâs most strikingâ¦
âThis red jade undoubtedly belongs to the Yates family. I donât know why itâs been kept by the Chapmans all these years, but the fact remains that itâs my familyâs heirloom,â Ryan said, his voice polite and firm. âEven though this may belong to Ms. Alice Chapman, I have no intention of returning it to you, Mr. Chapman. I donât intend to sell it to you, either. If the jade really were your most prized possession, you shouldâve kept it safe and secure.â
With that, Ryan tightened his grip around the red jade and continued, âHowever, not only did you not respect it, but you also put it up for auction. Your family has willingly sold it, so why canât I buy it? The transaction was completely open and above board, Mr. Chapman. Therefore, this red jade is mine to keep.â
By then, Bob had turned white as a sheet. After all, never in his wildest dreams did he think Ryan would be so stubborn.
âI-I⦠I beg of you, Mr. Yates. Ashlyn has never seen it before, and I wanted to give it to her!â Bob pleaded in a shaky voice.
âAshlyn Berry?â Ryan asked curiously. âWhat has this got to do with Ms. Berry?â