Chapter Forty-Four: A Piece Of History.A few hours later, Stephany came home. She was tired from her day but noticed Chris lying on the floor. Her first reaction was one of irritation. “Why is he lying there like that? How careless can he be?" she muttered to herself. She walked over to him, nudging him lightly with her foot. “Chris, get up."When he didn’t respond, her irritation turned to mild concern. She knelt beside him and checked his pulse. He was breathing steadily, but deeply asleep. “Maybe his new job really has him this exhausted," she thought. Sighing, she fetched a blanket and covered him."Goodnight, Chris," she whispered softly, before heading to her bed.The next morning, Chris woke up feeling groggy but better. The memory of collapsing was hazy, but he was grateful for the blanket Stephany had covered him with. He got up, stretched, and prepared for his day. He was about to leave for work when his phone rang."Hello?" Chris answered."Hello, is this Mr. Chris
Chapter Forty Five: The Unexpected Visitor Mrs. Sinclair Pete was adjusting the camera settings, trying to capture the perfect shot of the Eternal Jade when there was a knock on the door. She sighed, slightly annoyed at the interruption but maintaining her composed demeanor. She placed the camera down and walked over to open the door. One of her employees, a young man named Tom, stood there looking somewhat flustered. “Mrs. Pete, there's someone here who wants to sell a very important piece of jewelry. He insists on speaking with you directly." Mrs. Pete raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t every day someone brought in a piece significant enough to require her personal attention. “Very well, Tom. Lead the way." She followed Tom through the elegantly decorated store, past displays of glittering diamonds and rare gemstones, to a private consultation room. Seated there was a young man who appeared foreign, with sharp features and an air of confidence that bordered on arrogance. He
Chapter Forty Six: The Desperate Plea Mrs. Sinclair Pete looked at the young man standing before her, his desperation palpable. He shifted his weight anxiously as he clutched the velvet box containing the Amulet of Ashoka. Chris, standing off to the side, observed the scene with a discerning eye, his suspicions about the authenticity of the jewelry still fresh in his mind. "I understand your urgency," Mrs. Pete said, her voice softening as she regarded the young man. "But we must be thorough. If this piece is as valuable as you say, it’s essential to verify its authenticity." The young man's face twisted in frustration. "I don’t have that kind of time," he said, his voice quivering. “My mother is down with cancer, and this precious stone is the only valuable thing we have left. I need to sell it soon to pay for her hospital bills." His eyes locked onto Chris’s, as if seeking some form of sympathy or validation. He reached into his bag and produced a stack of papers, thru
Chapter Forty Seven: The Revelation Ms. Sinclair Pete worked swiftly, her experienced fingers delicately examining the Amulet of Ashoka. Turning it over, she noted the intricate inscription of the great Ashoka himself. The amulet had two compartments: the first layer contained what appeared to be kangaroo teeth, while the second was surrounded by the famed "water of life." Everything was in place and intact, and the gold material used to hold the piece was genuine. "It's authentic," she finally declared. yet she insisted on only paying twenty thousand dollars. “But I’m afraid I can’t buy it at that amount you are asking for, it’s a bit too much.” She said. John, the young man selling the amulet, shook his head vehemently. “I won’t sell it for less than fifty thousand dollars. My mother's life depends on it." His younger companion, desperation etched on his face, dropped to his knees. “Please, beautiful Ms., buy it at the price we need. You’d be saving a lif
Chapter Forty-Eight: A Breakthrough in the Case Officer Connor turned to have a look at the culprit who had their real faces now, his eyes lighting up as he saw the two men being retained by angry traders. He had been searching for them for the past half a month. Approaching the gathered crowd, he began to recount the story. “Ladies and gentlemen, these two men are notorious scammers and thieves. We've been on their trail for weeks now. They have been changing identities so frequently that it has been nearly impossible to catch them. But thanks to the vigilance of this you all here,” he said, gesturing towards everybody. “Wow we didn’t know they were notorious thieves as you said.” “It’s actually thanks to Chris, or he would have scammed Ms. Pete as well” Ms. Pete blushed at the thought of her carelessness. It would have been a low blow for her if word should go out that the great jeweler was scammed at her job. Indeed Chris had saved her this time. The crowd murmu
Chapter Forty Eight: A golden OpportunityMs. Sinclair Pete stood quietly, still reeling from the near disaster. She turned to Chris, her eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of disappointment in herself. “Chris, I can't believe I almost fell for that scam. All my years in the jewelry business, and I couldn't see through them.”But you did. You’ve been saying I should take caution from the time they came, how did you do that?” Chris smiled modestly. "I'm a good observer, Mrs. Pete." She shook her head. "No, it’s more than that. If it were just about observation, I would have noticed something too. Tell me, how did you know they were fakes?"Chris hesitated, knowing fully he knew about jewelry from his mother and basically the Brown’s female population, but he couldn’t tell her that without raising more questions. He sighed. "I’ve been hustling for a long time. I once worked under an old master who taught me how to observe important pieces of jewelry. He had a knack for spotting
Chapter Fifty: The Premiere of LorettaThe morning sun bathed Loretta's apartment in a soft, golden glow as she prepared for one of the most significant days of her life. Today was the premiere of her new musical, Dreams of Stardom’, and she was both exhilarated and nervous. This was the first time she would be presented to the public as the star of the show, and everything had to be perfect.Loretta's day began early, everything had to be done according to plans. Her team of stylists, makeup artists, and assistants bustled around her, transforming her into the glamorous figure the public expected. Her makeup artist, Marla, worked meticulously, ensuring every detail was flawless. Loretta's eyes sparkled with a smoky, sultry look, and her lips were painted a deep, bold red. Her hair, styled in loose waves, framed her face perfectly. “Are you excited?” Stephany asked as Marla brushed a final touch of highlighter on Loretta's cheekbones. “Excited and terrified,” Loretta admitted,
Chapter Fifty One: Getting to the bottom of the event. Chris sat in his plush office, the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him. The expansive desk before him was cluttered with papers and documents that demanded his attention, but his mind was elsewhere. Today was the premiere of ‘Dreams of Stardom’ and he had been looking forward to watching his wife make Loretta shine. Though he had initially planned to attend in person, the thought of running into Stephany and the rest of the Preston family deterred him. The Preston Empire had been awarded the contract to manage Loretta’s affairs and even his wife was particularly in charge of the outfit. She had tirelessly worked day and night to ensure that Loretta’s dress was perfect. If he should show up there, they’ll definitely meet and so will his staff who would refer to him as president. That would not be the best way for Stephany to find out he was the president of MTD Entertainment. Instead, Chris h