Chapter 211: Chapter 211



Staff from the studio burst into the office, bypassing the courtesy of a knock due to the urgency. Joelle moved quickly to the scene, only to be greeted by a gang forcing everyone out.

“Are you Joelle Watson, the owner here?” The gang leader, his arms covered in tattoos, was rude. “My girlfriend used my card to buy a violin here for $360,000. Is it made of gold or something?”

From Joelle’s standpoint, $360,000 for a violin was quite reasonable. For her eighteenth birthday, her father had presented her with a precious violin from the previous century, valued at millions. Adrian even had a more ancient and valuable violin. Violins are valuable collectibles. Joelle always clarified their worth during sales, arguing that the exceptional quality warranted the price. If customers disagreed, they weren’t obliged to purchase. Even though she dealt in violins, her hope was for each to end up with someone who truly valued it.

“Sir, our violins are crafted from the finest materials, including top-quality varnish.”

“Don’t give me that crap! No violin should cost more than $300,000. You must be cheating your customers!” The man gestured to his lackeys to move. “Destroy everything here!”

Joelle’s colleagues cowered behind her, trembling. Despite the threat, Joelle stayed composed. “Sir, causing destruction here will only bring you trouble.”

“Who do you think you are? You think I can’t afford it? I just hate being cheated! Tear it all down!” He jabbed his stubby finger at Joelle, threatening, “I’ll remember you! Every day you’re open, I’ll be here to wreck your shop!”

Suddenly, his henchmen tipped over a glass cabinet, scattering violin strings across the floor. Joelle briefly shut her eyes, reopening them only to see her meticulously crafted violins being ruined.

“Joelle, what should we do?”

“Call the cops!”

By the time the police arrived, the man was still berating her, even lodging complaints against her in their presence. “Officer, this woman’s ripping people off. Charging $360,000 for a violin—does that seem right to you?”

Joelle, composed, responded to the officer, “If there’s any doubt about my pricing, you’re welcome to consult the market regulation department. My prices have been thoroughly examined and approved by them. Regarding today’s damages, the repair costs could cover the price of a house in Illerith. Are you prepared to manage such—”

“Are you trying to intimidate me?”

The police intervened, separating everyone and escorting Joelle and the man to the station for mediation. The violins displayed were only samples, yet each carried a value in the tens of thousands, and the damage to her studio meant it would be shut down for a long time.

She itemized these losses meticulously, causing the man to bang his fist on the table. “So we’re just supposed to take your word for their value? You might as well accuse us of theft! You’re out of your mind! You appear honorable, but you’re sly!”

“Enough! Do you think this kind of behavior is appropriate here?” the officer scolded the man and then addressed Joelle. “If the losses are significant, you’ll need to pursue legal avenues. You must gather evidence and hire a lawyer to document the worth of the items destroyed.”

The man’s continuous swearing made the mediation at the police station unsuccessful.

Back at the studio, the staff had already tidied up the chaos.

“Joelle, what do we do next?”

Joelle considered their options briefly. “For now, we can’t conduct business. Everyone should take some time off.”

“Humph! That jerk! It’s his own fault for not managing his finances. We’re just trying to run a decent business.” Looking to avoid further conflict, another employee suggested, “If the issue is just about the violin’s price, maybe we should just refund him and ask for the violin back.”

Joelle responded firmly, “No, that would set a bad precedent. It would seem as if we’re admitting to overcharging, which could tarnish our reputation.”

“Well… What should we do then? So much has been destroyed, and that guy clearly doesn’t have the funds to cover the damages. Do we just write it off?”

In a reassuring tone, Joelle replied, “Any losses will be my responsibility. Don’t worry. If he fails to pay, I have faith in the legal system to uphold justice. Let’s consider this unintended publicity; it’s not entirely negative.”

Her optimism lifted the team’s spirits, and they gradually started to leave, resigning themselves to the unfortunate incident.

Once alone in the now quiet studio, Joelle pondered the complexity of the situation. The studio served an upscale clientele with relatively few transactions, each meticulously documented. Only two violins priced at $360,000 had been sold recently. She reviewed these transactions and checked the surveillance footage for those times.

Finishing her review, she felt relieved rather than tired. Life had been straightforward for Joelle up to this point. Supported first by her parents, then by Adrian, Shawn, and Rafael, she had pursued her career without major worries, always having someone else solve her problems. Now a parent herself, Joelle realized it was time she handled challenges independently.

Over the next few days, she consulted with various law firms about the case. Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly until one day, the studio’s operations manager called her urgently. “Joelle, there’s a problem! Check the posts I just sent you!”

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