A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

Chapter 151: Chapter 151: No One Is Simple (8)

Seraphina Sterling drew the fruit knife, its sharp blade glinting with a cold light in the frigid night. ”I’ve just had a thought. Letting you off with a broken arm is too merciful. How about you leave your tongues behind, too?”

The moment they heard her, the men bolted. A broken arm could be set, but a severed tongue meant they’d never speak again. The thugs had arrived in a flash, and they vanished just as quickly.

Genevieve Churchill’s admiration for Seraphina Sterling reached a new peak. ”Seraphina, you’re so damn cool! How did you do that? Do you have a secret technique? Teach me!”

’A secret technique?’ An image of Terrence Grant flashed through Seraphina Sterling’s mind. During training, he had been ruthless and unsparing. She would always end up covered in bruises, black and blue. Sometimes, it was so bad she couldn’t get out of bed for three days. ’So, is there a secret technique?’

”Getting beaten.”

Genevieve Churchill stared at her, mouth agape. ”Getting beaten?” ’How many beatings would it take to develop such sharp reflexes, incredible power, and lightning-fast reactions?’ In that instant, her envy for Seraphina Sterling turned to a pang of heartache.

On the way back, Genevieve Churchill chattered happily while Seraphina Sterling only offered a brief reply now and then.

Simon remained silent, secretly observing Seraphina Sterling. ’Her skills far exceeded his imagination. She’s a master with throwing knives, able to disarm an opponent with a surprise attack. Her hand-to-hand combat is even more formidable; she handled a group of thugs without even getting winded. She can brew exceptional tea and knows how to appraise antiques. How can one person’s mind contain so much? Who is she really? Someone so brilliant, so exceptional, surely can’t be from an ordinary family.’

The final session of the antiques symposium was so harmonious it was hard to believe. To prevent a repeat of the Serenity Antiques incident, Director Lowell had even brought in an expert from Aethelgard overnight, but that person’s expertise turned out to be entirely unnecessary.

To Director Lowell’s astonishment, Simon was perfectly behaved for the entire event. He didn’t cause any trouble, was pleasant and affable during press interviews, and even lavished high praise on the Apex artifacts. Furthermore, the owner of Apex Collections was clearly more knowledgeable and well-prepared than Miles Galloway of Serenity Antiques. He also had a witty and humorous speaking style that easily won over the audience.

Compared to yesterday’s suspenseful rollercoaster, today felt like paradise. The stark contrast made Director Lowell appreciate Seraphina Sterling even more. ’If I hadn’t heard her mention Apex Collections,’ he thought, ’I never would have scheduled the final symposium here, and none of this tranquility would have been possible.’

By comparison, he grew even more dissatisfied with Quentin Marshall’s preliminary arrangements. ’If the venue had been set here from day one, all that chaos could have been avoided!’

”Didn’t you say you’d be my guide if I came?” Simon approached Seraphina Sterling. She was being uncharacteristically subdued today, merely listening quietly to Joel Xavier’s presentation, so still that it was easy to forget she was even there.

”What would you like to hear about?” Seraphina Sterling asked without turning, her soft voice tinged with a slight hoarseness, likely from not having spoken for a while. Yet it held an ineffable allure, like a feather gently stroking his heart.

”That Jade Bracelet,” Simon said, pointing to one in the display case.

Seraphina Sterling’s eyes narrowed. ”That’s just a Mutton Fat Jade bracelet from the Early Dynasty. There’s nothing special to say about it.”

”Oh? Is that so?” Simon was not satisfied with her dismissive answer. ”The other day, didn’t you lecture me about how jade is more valuable than diamonds? Why is there suddenly nothing to say about it today?”

Seraphina Sterling finally turned to meet Simon’s insistent gaze. ”I did say that, and I still believe it. However, we have limited information on this particular Jade Bracelet. We can only identify it as a rather valuable piece of Mutton Fat Jade from the Early Dynasty. As for who wore it or what stories it holds, there are no detailed records to consult. That’s why I said there’s nothing much to say.”

”Of course, even if we don’t know its full story, its journey across the centuries still exists. Time has left its indelible mark upon it. Eventually, someone who understands its worth will take it home.” Seraphina Sterling gazed at the Jade Bracelet, which glowed with a milky light, her soft voice a gentle murmur, as if confiding in a lover.

”By that logic, every Jade Bracelet is more or less the same. Trying to find a specific one would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack, wouldn’t it?” Simon sounded a little anxious.

”It’s still possible to tell them apart, it just takes some effort. Are you looking for a Jade Bracelet? What does it look like? Perhaps I’ve seen it. I’ve been in this line of work for a long time and have handled many pieces of Ancient Jade.” A sharp glint flashed in Seraphina Sterling’s bright eyes. ’She couldn’t be blamed for being paranoid; a Jade Bracelet was the reason their house had been burned to the ground, which forced her to be cautious.’

”It’s a Jade Bracelet from the Early Dynasty. The color is similar to this one, but it’s not as lustrous.” Simon’s words confirmed Seraphina Sterling’s suspicions. He was looking for the very Jade Bracelet that Zion Hale had bought at the auction.

”You came here specifically for that Jade Bracelet? You knew I’d handled it before, so you deliberately caused all this trouble during the symposium just to get close to me and ask about it?”

A sudden chill crept into Seraphina Sterling’s heart. A self-mocking light flickered in her bright eyes. ’She had thought everything was going so smoothly, perfectly according to her plan. She never imagined she was just another pawn on the board, and the one moving the pieces was Simon.’

”All I know is that the Jade Bracelet was last seen in your possession. Name your price. It’s useless to you,” Simon said, his deep blue eyes flashing with absolute determination.

”It’s just an ordinary Jade Bracelet. Why is everyone so obsessed with it? Does it hold some earth-shattering secret?” Seraphina Sterling met Simon’s gaze. ’This is no time to show weakness.’