Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Sharon knew that when the family was divided, Richard had lost to their cousin, Wayne. As a result, their branch of the family was stripped of its inheritance rights, cast out, and relegated to a side branch.
The four major families in Aerions had deep roots, and after her brothers were driven out, they received no protection from the Vance family. Instead, they were constantly suppressed.
If it weren’t for Wayne and his family’s interference, Richard and his brothers wouldn’t have risked going to Lostara to secure an invitation to Oriston Academy for Sharon.
The thought of her brothers nearly losing their lives in that place made Sharon want to tear down the Varice Mansion.
Sharon concealed the cold glint in her eyes and said lightly, “Let’s go.” This place didn’t interest her at all.
The group made their way out of the Atlantis Hotel, only to run into an unwelcome person outside–Wayne. Their expressions instantly turned cold.
Marvin stepped forward and said, “You’re in our way.”
Wayne didn’t move. He looked at Sharon and said, “Are you satisfied now? The Vance family is still one of the four major families. Even if you had the Baxter family help you with this, their reputation will be affected. The four major families won’t just stand by and do nothing.”
‘They still think the Baxter family is helping me. How clueless,‘ Sharon thought without saying anything.
Richard said coldly, “Your family’s situation has nothing to do with us.”
“No matter what, she’s still your grandmother. Is this how you should treat her? And you, Sharon–now that you’re doing so well, can’t you make peace
with us?
“With my family backing you, you’ll have a stronger footing when you marry into the Baxter family. You really think it’s easy being the wife of the Baxter family’s heir?”
“Who says Shari will marry into the Baxter family? She won’t make peace with you. Either apologize or get lost,” Marvin snapped. He shoved Wayne aside, clearing the way–they had other things to do.
Sharon remained silent the whole time, playing the role of the sweet, obedient, and understanding younger sister. She was even considering whether she should up the stakes a bit, to make sure the Vance family could never recover.
Sharon got into Wallace’s car. Once inside, Wallace said, “Let’s go. Ignore his words. You don’t need to marry into the Baxter family and put up with their nonsense. We’ll find you a better man, someone who is willing to marry into our family.”
Sharon was taken aback at first, but then she realized she didn’t really care about it.
Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of a famous antique shop.
Outside, numerous luxury cars were parked, and media reporters were waiting nearby, as if there was some major event taking place.
When Wallace stepped out, the crowd’s attention immediately shifted to him. He and his seven brothers were rising stars. Despite their prestigious background, they had built their wealth from scratch, and their futures looked limitless.
Wallace casually scanned the surroundings, his gaze cold and sharp, before walking around to open the door on the other side.
Seeing this, the onlookers were stunned and confused, wondering if someone important was in the car.
The reporters quickly raised their cameras, eager to capture the moment. When the door opened, a pair of delicate, fair feet appeared, followed by a girl in a plaid dress.
Wallace even thoughtfully placed his hand on the top of the car door to keep her from bumping her head while getting out. He was being incredibly
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Chapter 48
gentle.
Capturing the scene on their cameras, the reporters held their breath, wondering if they were dreaming.
Wallace had always been scandal–free, never involved with any woman romantically. And he had a harsh attitude toward women who threw themselves at him. But now, he was being so gentle and attentive to a girl.
The reporters turned their attention to Sharon, who looked sweet and cute, like a little fairy. ‘So this is the type of woman Wallace liked? they couldn’t help but think.
When the reporters were still in shock, Wallace had already led Sharon inside, carefully shielding her face to prevent the reporters from snapping a photo of her. He didn’t want to disturb her normal life.
Sharon remained calm, quietly enjoying her brother’s protective gesture. She entered the exhibition hall and was immediately greeted by a wide array of antique pieces on display.
Wallace quickly explained, “This is an antique exchange event. Many powerful companies are here, all competing for a share of the new market.”
At the front of the hall were the prized collections from various influential companies–each piece clearly labeled with the company name.
Soon, Sharon spotted a familiar logo–a crown. It was the symbol of the Queen’s Fan Club. ‘Could it be that one of my companies is also participating in this exhibition?‘ she wondered.
Wallace followed her gaze and paused briefly. “This company is a bit different. Their boss is particularly fond of royal things and stuff.”
Embarassed, Sharon quickly looked away, not daring to ask any more questions. If she did, her identity would be exposed.
“Mr. Vance, you finally made it. The problem’s still not resolved.” Wallace’s assistant rushed over, his face etched with worry as he recounted what had happened earlier that morning.
He said, “They’re definitely here to stir up trouble. They claimed one of our ancient paintings was a counterfeit. But we’ve checked, and it looks like their painting is real too–there’s no sign of anything fake.”
The situation had gotten out of hand.
By the time the assistant finished, Sharon had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
Wallace remained calm. “Take me to see it.” He turned to Sharon and said, “I need to handle this. Joan will show you around. If you see anything you like, feel free to buy it. I’ll cover the cost.”
“I’ll go with you. I don’t really know much about this stuff,” Sharon replied.
By now, she could lie without batting an eye. Someone was here causing trouble, and there was no way she’d stand idly by. Lying in front of her was just asking for trouble.
Wallace ruffled her hair affectionately, thinking happily, ‘My little sister is so considerate, the best.‘
The two of them headed to Wallace’s exhibition hall, where a crowd had already gathered. Among them were some from the Dolan and Pierce families, but most were there to enjoy the drama.
After all, the Vance brothers had always been known for their arrogance. They’d made plenty of enemies.
The four major families already controlled half of the power in the city, but the Vance brothers had managed to carve out a piece for themselves, which had earned them the resentment of many.
“Wallace, you finally showed up. We thought you and your brothers were going to back out and hide like cowards again,” Nolan said, his face filled with
disdain.
When his eyes landed on Sharon, his face immediately stiffened. The last time he’d lost to her, he’d spent days trying to figure out how she’d pulled it off.
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Chapter 48
He believed there was no way someone could be that good; it just didn’t make sense. So, he was convinced Sharon must have cheated.
Wallace’s expression remained unreadable. “Who’s claiming that our painting is fake?”
“I am.” An elderly man, dressed in traditional attire, stepped forward, holding up an identical painting. “This one is the real deal. Yours is counterfeit ”
“Wallace, you can’t survive in this business if you keep selling fakes,” Nolan added. He had purposely blown this issue out of proportion to ruin the Vance brothers‘ reputation at the exhibition and take advantage of their fall.
Wallace replied, “You’re accusing me of selling fakes. Do you have any proof?”
“And do you have any proof that they’re not?” Nolan shot back.
Wallace furrowed his brow, but before he could respond, Sharon’s soft voice rang out. “Actually, we do.” A dark glint flickered in her eyes.
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