In the world of gemstone connoisseurs, Yasbel was an illustrious expert. Though her fees were steep, her expertise was unquestionable and absolute.
Yasbel, who was on a movie set, opened the photo on her phone and let out a whistle of amusement.
The call and the picture had landed on Noella's phone.
"Boss, this numbskull can't even recognize white marble, asking me if it's treasure. I reckon his brains are the real gem here, dumb as a box of rocks."
"Tell him it's just a piece of rock. That sculpture's got a video my grandma made before she passed, super important."
"Got it."
After hanging up, Yasbel, without a hint of courtesy, pocketed the money and texted Vincent her verdict, “Pebble.”
Staring at the terse word response on his screen, Vincent was gobsmacked! He'd spent 10 grand, and all Master Yasbel had for him were one word?
But given Yasbel's weighty reputation in the industry, even one-word response was enough to put Vincent at ease. He pocketed his phone, grabbed the sculpture, and strutted out the door, giddy with anticipation. The thought of a six-figure jade bracelet soon to be his made his heart soar.
Back on the set, Yasbel pocketed her phone and spied Briony, dressed as a maid-in-waiting, looking around the corner.
Yasbel passed by Briony and casually mentioned, "Heard through the grapevine that there's a six-figure jade bracelet at the Lambert Group in Tranquility City. Wonder if it's meant as a dowry for the boss's kid."
Briony's head snapped up in disbelief as Yasbel walked away.
A six-figure bracelet in her family? She was clueless about such a fortune!
Neither Belinda nor Vincent had breathed a word, and here she was, thinking everything the Lambert clan owned would eventually be hers.
Briony felt an infinite sense of injustice.
Damn it! No one was going to snatch away what belonged to her!
Unnoticed, a maid-in-waiting disappeared from the set. Briony changed into her own clothes and hopped in a taxi, racing towards the city. Overwhelmed with fatigue, she dozed off halfway there.
Vincent, with the seemingly worthless stone-carved osmanthus tree beside him, examined it repeatedly during the drive, finding nothing special about it.
Only a greenhorn like Noella would mistake such a trifle for a treasure! Containing his excitement, Vincent arrived at the desolate rendezvous point in the outskirts, where no soul was in sight.
After a long wait for the driver, Vincent nonchalantly placed the stone sculpture on the ground. As soon as it touched the earth, a car roared towards him. He believed the driver had arrived, his heart racing with excitement!
His jade bracelet! The Lambert family fortune was imminent! But the car showed no signs of slowing down; in fact, it seemed to speed up!
Vincent, panicked, hurriedly dodged to the side. The vehicle swerved, hitting him squarely, sending him flying a few meters.
A car parked nearby opened its door, and shiny black shoes were stomped on the withered grass. Stirling bent down to pick up the osmanthus sculpture.
As if oblivious to the chaos around him, he marveled, "What a stunning osmanthus tree, skillfully carved. Looks like the work of the master artisan Sylvie. They've been fetching exorbitant prices lately! No wonder Grandma liked osmanthus trees, I'm quite fond of it myself."
Jasper, taking the sculpture, admired it while giving a casual order, "Run him over a few more times. Anyone who dares to cross my sister needs a taste of an 'accidental' car crash! Oh, make sure he stays alive."
Vincent, the wretch, would be getting off too easy with death. Alive, he'd suffer endless torment!
...
The call came through to Noella's phone.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Killer Queen ( Noella Briony )