Chapter 318
Where Did You Get the Money
At that moment, the sharp gaze of the old Mr. Sterling shot toward Claire Bennett, his dissatisfaction with her reaching its peak.
Seeing that Claire Bennett said nothing, Hazel Lewis curled her lips into a cold smile, feeling sure she'd guessed right.
She sighed and gently advised, "Claire Bennett, honestly, you'd have been better off giving something cheap. But now you've actually given something like this. It really leaves people not knowing what to say."
Though Hazel Lewis's words were neither too harsh nor too mild, and she wasn't angrily accusing her, they still left Claire Bennett thoroughly humiliated.
Old Mr. Sterling's expression grew uglier the more he listened.
He glanced at old Mrs. Sterling and said through gritted teeth, "Why aren't you taking that bracelet off right now? Are you waiting for people to find out it's a fake and make a fool of us?"
Old Mrs. Sterling looked uncertainly at her own bracelet.
When Claire Bennett gave it to her, she had liked it very much, and after putting it on, she loved it so much she couldn't bear to take it off.
Now that she was being told to remove it, she truly was a little reluctant. Could it really be a fake?
Old Mrs. Sterling said to her close old friend, "Cora, take a look at this bracelet for me. Is it really a fake?"
The old lady named Cora Flynn put on her reading glasses when she heard that.
She lifted old Mrs. Sterling's hand and narrowed her eyes as she studied it for a long while. Then she muttered, "Muyun, this... this really is an incredibly convincing imitation. It's almost enough to pass for the real thing. I actually didn't spot it just now either. But a fake is still a fake!"
Daniel Lewis, who was standing nearby, immediately chimed in when he heard that. "Old Mrs. Sterling, even if the imitation looks real, you really shouldn't wear it! Who knows what kind of chemicals some fake things have been soaked in. Maybe wearing it could even harm your health."
Old Mr. Sterling knitted his brows and snorted, "Giving a harmful birthday gift—I don't know what kind of intentions that is!"
After saying that, he turned to Uncle Ming beside him and said, "We cannot host a woman with such vicious intentions! Uncle Ming, please escort her out."
What he meant was that he was going to throw Claire Bennett out.
Hazel Lewis and Daniel Lewis both revealed delighted smiles. At last, they had gotten rid of the eyesore Claire Bennett.
That way, she also wouldn't affect their next plan.
Ruby Sterling was extremely anxious and was just about to jump in and speak up for Claire Bennett when a stern voice suddenly rang out: "I don't think this bracelet is necessarily fake!"
Everyone fell silent and turned toward the source of the voice.
They saw a gray-haired old man looking doubtfully at the bracelet on old Mrs. Sterling's wrist. Someone recognized him as Old Mr. Ross, a great connoisseur who loved collecting jade and was himself quite knowledgeable about it.
Seeing everyone's startled and questioning looks fixed on him, Old Mr. Ross simply said, "When the head of the Cole family bought Green Mountains and Blue Waters, I also had a chance to admire it. Would it be convenient for old Mrs. Sterling to take it off and let me have a look? I can tell whether it's real."
Old Mrs. Sterling immediately removed the bracelet and handed it to Old Mr. Ross.
Old Mr. Ross took a magnifying glass from his pocket and carefully inspected the jade bracelet.
No one dared disturb him. Everyone waited for him to determine whether it was genuine, and the scene fell into a strange silence.
Hazel Lewis clenched her palms tight. She had no idea why someone had suddenly jumped out to speak, but when she thought of Claire Bennett's status, she quickly set her mind at ease.
There was no way it could be real!
Claire Bennett couldn't afford it!
A moment later, Old Mr. Ross said with certainty, "This Green Mountains and Blue Waters bracelet is genuine."
The moment those words fell, everyone around them showed astonished expressions, as if none of them could believe it.
Old Mr. Sterling narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Old Mr. Ross, don't joke around. This jade bracelet is real?"
"Absolutely true! Mr. Sterling may trust this old man. I have never misjudged one yet." Hearing Old Mr. Sterling question him, Old Mr. Ross's face sank in displeasure.
Old Mr. Sterling had originally wanted to raise more doubts, but thinking of Old Mr. Ross's standing in their circle, he did not continue.
Old Mr. Ross returned the bracelet to old Mrs. Sterling.
"I knew Claire would never give me something fake." Old Mrs. Sterling lovingly put the bracelet back on, unable to stop fondling it. Now that she knew it was real, she truly liked it more and more the longer she looked at it.
The lady who had just said old Mrs. Sterling's bracelet was fake also spoke up somewhat embarrassedly when she heard that. "Looks like I misjudged it. This Green Mountains and Blue Waters is real! What a huge misunderstanding. I'm really so sorry."
She looked at old Mrs. Sterling with a face full of envy and sighed, "Muyun, I heard that when this bracelet went up for auction, Suqin didn't get it because of her card limit, and she's been smacking her thigh in regret ever since. Later, she was even trying to find a way to approach the Cole family to buy it from them."
As soon as those words came out, the bracelet seemed even more precious.
Everyone began praising it one after another.
Seeing that Claire Bennett had actually gotten past this crisis just like that, Ruby Sterling immediately let out a sigh of relief.
The Cole family...
Since when had Claire Bennett gotten in touch with people from the Cole family again? She really had surprised her.
And who exactly was that Zane Cole?
From what they were saying, other people had no way to buy it secondhand from Zane Cole, yet Claire Bennett had managed to. That proved even more that Claire Bennett held a very different place in Zane Cole's heart.
First there was a neighbor big brother, and now the head of the Cole family had shown up too.
Ruby Sterling secretly ground her teeth. If her brother kept hiding, his wife was going to get stolen away!