Chapter 254

Chapter 254:

Madisyn said a little shyly, “It’s my first time visiting your grandfather, so I must bring a gift. You once told me your grandfather likes to collect antiques, right? Well, there’s an antique market nearby. Let’s go and have a look.”

“Okay,” Andrew readily agreed.

Soon, Andrew’s Rolls-Royce pulled over in front of the shabby market, looking out of place. Madisyn and Andrew walked along the street hand in hand. Antique stores lined up on both sides.

It was said that the items in these shops were of high quality and genuine antiques, so the prices were also exorbitant. Madisyn entered one shop and looked around casually. Then, she checked a few more stores. Finally, she reluctantly settled on a painting. She asked the store owner about the price.

“This one is eight million,” replied the store owner.

“Wow! Eight million for this painting? Why don’t you just rob me?” Madisyn said helplessly.

The store owner replied confidently, “Miss, the antiques in my shop are all genuine. Look how well-preserved they are. Eight million is definitely not too much for this masterpiece. Nowadays, Atley’s works are being sold at around ten million or higher.”

“Yes, I know that Atley’s works are very expensive. But are you sure this one is real?” Madisyn said, smiling faintly.

gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s﹒𝒸оm opens doors to fiction

The way Madisyn looked at him made the store owner feel guilty. Although this painting was not real, it was not fake either. This was an imitation by Atley Prescott’s student. It had a long history and looked good, so ordinary people could not tell the difference. That was why the store owner was confident in selling it at Atley’s price.

“If you don’t want to buy it, just put it down and go elsewhere. Don’t talk nonsense.” The store owner was obviously displeased with Madisyn’s remarks.

Knowing the store owner was dishonest, Madisyn decided to visit another shop. But when she was about to leave, she heard a familiar voice behind her. “Sir, let us have a look at it.”

She turned and saw Courtney and Tatiana approaching.

The store owner quickly took the painting and greeted the two women. “Hey, ladies! I can tell at a glance that you two are noble and distinguished women. You have good taste. This is one of Atley’s works. Everyone knows how much this work is worth. I was willing to sell it to this lady for only eight million. However, she thinks it’s too expensive. Only those who understand art know it’s a reasonable price.”

Even Courtney was surprised to hear that the painting’s price was eight million. Her family only earned several million a year, but their expenses were quite high. Fortunately, they still had the dividend from the Johns Group to barely maintain a wealthy lifestyle. But spending eight million on a painting was too much for them.

Tatiana, on the other hand, admired the painting. She said appreciatively, “This painting is indeed good. It must be genuine. We are lucky to have it for only eight million.”

Then, she looked at Madisyn and said sarcastically, “Unfortunately, some people are ignorant. They can’t recognize genuine things even if they are already in front of them.”

As a painter herself, Courtney could tell that the painting in front of her was genuine. She looked at Madisyn and said, “Madisyn, you are planning to visit Mr. Damari Klein, right? Are you here to buy a gift for him? If he knows you are not even willing to buy something worth only eight million for him, how sad will he be?” She deliberately said these words for Andrew to hear. She wanted to sow dissension between Madisyn and Andrew, thinking that if Andrew knew Madisyn was a stingy woman, he would realize she didn’t deserve to be his wife.

“My grandfather appreciates someone smart in buying gifts. I don’t think he will spend eight million on something worthless,” Andrew said lightly. His words were simple but sharp. Courtney’s face turned pale at once. Anyone who heard his words would know he was mocking her, and he did it for Madisyn.

Courtney always had a strong sense of self-esteem, so she found Andrew’s attitude unacceptable. At that moment, she didn’t say anything more. Her face turned a little red, and she pursed her lips tightly.

When Tatiana noticed that the atmosphere around them became tense, she tried to lighten the mood. She gently said, “Mr. Damari Klein likes antiques. I think he will like this.”

Andrew sneered but didn’t say anything. Madisyn didn’t want to waste time on these two women, so she left with Andrew.

Courtney bought the painting but was still in a bad mood. Tatiana noticed Courtney’s bad mood, so she said comfortingly, “Courtney, don’t be sad. Madisyn is good at bewitching men. She came back from the countryside, so she doesn’t know anything. She’s just an ignorant bumpkin who uses crooked means. But who is Andrew? As time goes by, he will realize she only has a pretty face. By that time, who will he choose?”

Sure enough, her words made Courtney feel a little better. Tatiana was right. Madisyn was nothing. She would let Madisyn be arrogant for a while. But she would ensure she had the last laugh.

With this thought in mind, Courtney cheered up again. After Madisyn and Andrew left the store, they couldn’t find suitable antiques in other shops. So, they thought of trying the street stalls. Most items there were imitations, and only very few were genuine, bought by ordinary people for fun.

Suddenly, one stall caught Madisyn’s attention. She pulled Andrew toward that stall. She picked up a ring, looked at it carefully, and asked, “Sir, how much is this?”

“Just one hundred for you.”

The stall owner glanced at the ring casually and continued playing the game on his phone.

“Can you give me a discount?” After saying this, Madisyn picked up a landscape painting and asked, “How about this one?”

The stall owner raised his head, looked at the painting, and said, “If you buy the ring, I’ll give that to you for free.” He waved his hand impatiently. He found this landscape painting in an old house in his hometown. It was old and had not been preserved well, so he thought it wouldn’t be worth much.

Madisyn didn’t haggle anymore. She paid the bill and left with Andrew. They had just left when Courtney and Tatiana walked out of the shop. When she saw Madisyn’s receding figure, Courtney was shocked. “Did she really buy that thing?”

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