A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

Jacinta Hale finally felt a sense of release! The look on Shelby Fenton’s face brightened considerably as well. Though still a bit upset that she hadn’t managed to buy the latest piece from Ancient Charm Porcelain Ornaments, seeing Joel Xavier get taken down a peg made her feel much better.

The mother-daughter duo had only taken a few steps when Joel Xavier violently kicked over a pear-wood chair. It went over with a loud CRASH, the enormous sound startling them both. They stopped dead in their tracks and stared at him, stunned.

“What do you mean, ‘it’s just one lost sale’?! You have no idea what you’re talking about! These authentic Shan Franklin pieces are going for exorbitant prices on the black market! I could have bought them for three million today and sold them for six million tomorrow! That’s the *bare minimum*! And now, because of a few words from you, you’ve ruined my deal! That money was as good as mine, and now it’s just… gone!”

Joel Xavier seemed to have been provoked beyond his limits; he was no longer picking his words or minding the setting.

“Who are you trying to fool? Even if that old man really had authentic works by Shan Franklin, there’s no way the price would be that high! It’s not like they’re originals by Dongpo Sullivan or Zhenqing Yanis! Do you really think we’d believe a word you say?” Shelby Fenton retorted instinctively. A person who could get into Aethelgard University couldn’t possibly be an idiot. She was sharper than that.

“How the hell should I know why the price is so high? I heard some tycoon in Aethelgard is driving up the price, supposedly looking for a birthday gift. No price is too high when that’s the case! In this world, what’s six or seven million to get in good with a powerful backer? If I could find a connection like that, I’d be willing to spend ten million myself!”

Joel Xavier’s tone was harsh as he glared daggers at the pair. “I’m asking you both to leave. Now. My humble shop can’t afford to host two goddesses like you! And don’t bother coming back! I’m running a small business here. I can’t afford for you to ‘play’ like this. A few more visits from you, a few more ruined deals, and I’ll be forced to shut down for good!”

“Fine, we won’t! As if I ever wanted to come here!” Shelby Fenton had always been arrogant; she couldn’t stand anyone speaking to her with that kind of tone. She grabbed Jacinta Hale’s arm and stormed out.

“Good riddance!”

The whole farce was finally over. Yet, the number of customers in Apex Collections, far from diminishing, actually seemed to increase. The little incident didn’t affect the shop’s normal business at all.

Meanwhile, after leaving Apex Collections, Shelby Fenton and Jacinta Hale headed straight for The Hale Antique Collection. They had, after all, just gotten a massive tip from Joel Xavier.

“Mom, do you think what that manager, Joel Xavier, said was true? Are authentic Shan Franklin works really that valuable on the black market?” Though Shelby Fenton had a certain cleverness, she had never dabbled in the world of commerce. She was even less interested in collecting antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, so she had no real concept of their pricing.

“Not necessarily. It could be true, or it could be a lie.” Jacinta Hale, however, was different. For years, she had been helping Zane Fenton manage his finances. She knew a thing or two about the world of business and was well-acquainted with its competitive tactics. She was more concerned that Joel Xavier’s words were nothing but a trap set for them.

“Why would you say that? It’s either true or it’s not! I saw how furious he was; he only said all that because he was seeing red! If he were thinking clearly, he would never have leaked that kind of secret! If I’d known those pieces were so valuable, we should have bought them directly from that old man. We could have resold them and made a clear three million without lifting a finger!” Shelby Fenton had her own take on the matter.