Chapter 4 Turquoise Mother Mary Sculpture

• "Charles? Is that true?" Samantha shot a condescending look at Charles from the crowd.
• Meeting her gaze with unwavering calmness, Charles responded, "Yes, that's correct. This piece of turquoise was chosen with care. While the raw stone cost 50 thousand, once it's cut and polished by an expert, the emperor turquoise inside could be valued at around ten million."
• "Ten million? If I remember correctly, I saw you on Gem Street just yesterday, Charles."
• A derisive voice chimed in—it was Melissa Chadwick, the most favored of the younger Chadwicks.
• Gem Street? Everyone knew what that place represented. If Antique Street occasionally yielded a genuine item, Gem Street offered mostly low-quality goods sold by weight, making the chance of discovering anything authentic nearly nonexistent.
• Ten million seemed outrageous; even finding something worth thousands would be a stretch.
• Melissa's implication was unmistakable: Charles had pocketed the 50 thousand given by Henry and simply picked up any random stone to present as valuable.
• Charles shrugged, maintaining his stance. "This turquoise was indeed purchased from Gem Street."
• At his words, laughter rippled through the guests. Melissa couldn't resist adding, "A place like that would never have a turquoise worth ten million! You're hilarious!"
• As she laughed, she strolled over to a life-sized sculpture of Mother Mary, proudly gesturing toward it.
• "Look at the gift I brought for Grandma—a turquoise Mother Mary sculpture from the Grimwick Empire! I had to pull some serious strings to get this one, and it's worth several hundred thousand! You thought you could score a deal for 50 thousand? You're dreaming!"
• Samantha's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the sculpture. "Bring it closer! I want to see it up close!"
• Two attendants hurriedly brought the Mother Mary sculpture right in front of her.
• "Oh, my goodness. The exquisite craftsmanship, the lifelike details—it looks so real! I've always wanted a Mother Mary sculpture like this for my bedroom. Melissa, you truly know my taste!"
• Samantha's eyes nearly squinted in delight, and she reached out as if to touch the sculpture but paused mid-motion.
• "No, no, I can't show disrespect to Mother Mary like this. Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy ... " Old Mrs. Chadwick muttered, pulling a rosary from her sleeve and starting to pray.
• Seeing her grandmother so pleased with the sculpture, Melissa practically strutted about, her pride swelling. In comparison, Charles's offering seemed insignificant.
• Meanwhile, Charles studied the Mother Mary sculpture for a moment before shaking his head. "That turquoise is fake."
• "Fake?"
• The guests exchanged bewildered glances, genuinely unable to discern that this remarkably realistic sculpture was merely a counterfeit.
• In stark contrast, Melissa's face flushed with anger. "Charles, it's Grandma's birthday party! You can enjoy a free meal, but don't go spreading lies!"
• Recently, Melissa had invested money into her husband, Norman Simmon's, struggling company, leaving her with little left to purchase a suitable gift for Samantha. She had opted for a cheap alternative, hoping no one would notice its poor quality.
• But how did this loser develop such keen insight? Is he just guessing? Yeah, that must be it!
• To assert her position, Melissa pointed accusingly at Charles. "I see you're just desperate! You're trying to discredit my Mother Mary sculpture because you've been exposed for your Gem Street scam. If you're so sure, prove it!"
• "Proof? Simple. Genuine turquoise from the Grimwick Empire has a unique oily sheen. It may seem delicate, but it's surprisingly tough. Just take a sharp object and scratch the surface to see if it leaves a mark, and you'll find out the truth," Charles replied, grinning and gesturing for her to proceed.
• Melissa hesitated, her face revealing her uncertainty. "Well ... "
• "What? Afraid to try? Do you need me to help you—"
• Before Charles could finish, Samantha approached with her dragon-head cane and struck him on the leg.
• "You worthless fool, how long do you intend to cause trouble? If you gave a broken stone, that would be one thing, but to slander my granddaughter by accusing her of gifting a fake Mother Mary sculpture! There can be no such thing as a fake Mother Mary sculpture; you're showing disrespect to Mother Mary, and that deserves punishment!"
• Feeling the sting in his leg, Charles instinctively tensed up, like a leopard sensing danger, his fists clenching as he glared at Samantha with intense fury.
• But he quickly regained his composure, reminding himself that he was in the Chadwick residence, not a battlefield or Draco Palace.
• "You! You worthless fool, how dare you glare at me! Do you want to escalate this?"
• Samantha, initially startled, soon shook off her surprise, puzzled by how she had been intimidated by this loser. She continued to swing her cane, hitting Charles on the back. This time, he remained silent.
• "Grandma, Charles is just being thoughtless; please don't be too harsh on him. I'll make sure to get you another decent gift later."
• Seeing Samantha's anger, Whitney quickly intervened, pulling Charles away and bowing respectfully to her grandmother.
• Though she had initially been unhappy with Alfred's arrangement for the marriage, over the five years spent with Charles, she had gradually come to see their union as not such a bad idea after all.