Chapter 544
Chapter 544:
As doubts multiplied and voices rose, the man in the mask remained cool as ice. Without missing a beat, he said, “Mr. Cooper, please p>
Claudius, summoned once again, wore a deeper scowl than before. With the masked man’s gaze fixed on him like piercing arrows, Claudius felt cornered. He had no option but to step forward.
At the same time, Maia’s eyes shifted to Claudius. She paid no mind to the whispers or suspicions swirling around her. She couldn’t help but wonder if the gem before her really was the legendary “Angel’s Tear p>
Claudius had once assured her of it, but in the end, he never let her see it. That left her with a bitter sense of disappointment. Now that it was finally within reach, Maia wished with all her heart that it was the real thing.
Suddenly, the mood thickened. A charged silence fell, broken only by sly grins, hinting at the drama to come.
The women who envied Maia gripped the edges of their gowns tightly, eyes gleaming with excitement, as they waited for Claudius to unmask the deception.
Claudius moved forward. He took the crisp white gloves from the masked man, slipped them on with practiced ease, and then carefully lifted the sapphire from his outstretched hand.
His eyebrows furrowed instantly. Many in the crowd burst into early laughter, certain that Maia was moments away from a humiliating downfall.
Richard felt a lump rise in his throat and swallowed hard.
Stacy chuckled and said, “See? I told you it wasn’t real! Let’s watch Maia squirm now p>
Rosanna managed to stifle her laughter, but the cloud that had loomed over her all night suddenly lifted, like fog burning off in the sunlight.
Just then, Claudius handed the “Angel’s Tear” back to the masked figure.
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He inhaled deeply, his voice steady and serious as he declared, “It’s genuine p>
Rosanna’s expression froze mid-smile. Whatever joy she had just felt drained away, replaced by pure disbelief.
“What? Has Mr. Cooper made a mistake? How could this possibly be the real thing p>
Stacy’s jaw dropped. For a moment, she was completely speechless.
Even then, a few people nearby clung to their doubts, thinking that Claudius was bending the truth to protect Maia.
“Anyone with eyes can tell Mr. Cooper has a thing for Maia. But who would’ve guessed he’d go as far as faking results for her? She must really have him wrapped around her finger p>
“I used to wonder why men kept falling for Maia. Now it’s crystal clear. It’s all smoke and mirrors. Come on, a woman fresh out of jail doesn’t just become a star overnight. She’s clearly playing the game — going after men like Mr. Cooper, aiming for a big payday p>
“If that’s true, calling her a gold digger would be too kind. Maia’s a straight-up scammer p>
“Scammer? You mean social media darling! Have you not seen the way the internet fawned over her birthday bash p>
“No way! I have to blow the whistle on this manipulative woman. We can’t just stand by while she fools the whole world p>
The biting remarks made Claudius’ face darken, as if a storm were rolling in. Though they were aimed at Maia, the words also implied that he was lying, playing along with her.
But the masked man simply gave a cold laugh, which immediately hushed the murmurs around him.
“Who would’ve imagined that the future head of the Cooper Group would have his word doubted?” he said with a smirk, pulling out a stack of papers from the box. “These are official certificates and auction records from Cooper Group. If anyone still has doubts, you’re not just questioning me — you’re casting doubt on Cooper Group itself p>