Chapter 113
Chapter 113:
Vincenzo, no stranger to rare artifacts, wouldn’t have thrown out numbers lightly.
Maia’s curiosity deepened.
Outside Starlight Bar, Vincenzo headed for the parking lot. Turning a corner, he nearly collided with Maia.
“Mr. Casadei?” Feigning surprise, Maia spoke first, her refined beauty unforgettable.
“It’s you… Miss, what brings you here?” Vincenzo’s eyes widened.
“Just finished dinner nearby with some friends,” Maia said, letting out a faint sigh. Worry clouded her expression.
Vincenzo caught the tension written across her features. If not for the generosity this young lady had shown him previously, under the brutal laws of a clandestine…
Trading in rare artifacts, Vincenzo might have lost more than just his livelihood — perhaps a few digits as well. His stall at the hidden market might have been nothing but a memory.
Deep within, Vincenzo harbored endless gratitude toward Maia.
Now, witnessing her distressed look, he couldn’t hold back his concern.
“Miss, has something happened?” he asked gently.
Maia lifted her gaze, sorrow shimmering in her clear eyes, stirring unexpected empathy within him.
With a faint breath, she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “Mr. Casadei, do you recall the bracelet I brought you not long ago p>
Vincenzo gave a firm nod. “Absolutely p>
“That piece… it’s all I have left from my grandmother p>
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“Something that precious—” Vincenzo’s expression grew serious.
Maia bit her lower lip before recounting her encounter with the Morgans — how Rosanna had discarded her possessions and deceived her into retrieving the heirloom from the underground market.
Her words floated in the silence, yet they weighed heavily on Vincenzo’s heart. He hadn’t realized that the bracelet carried such emotional gravity.
If it was her only link to her grandmother, its worth went beyond any appraisal…
“I believe Rosanna Morgan still has it. But just now, someone posted a bounty online — 150 million dollars — to acquire it. Rosanna won’t hesitate to sell it off. If a stranger buys it, I’ll have no way to track it down. And even if I tried to outbid them… with that kind of money, it’s impossible p>
Vincenzo saw her downcast expression and her clear eyes brimming with sadness, and his heart softened.
Although he remained clueless about why Maxwell was so eager for the bracelet, he couldn’t bring himself to snatch away Maia’s last memory of her grandmother.
Vincenzo’s fists tightened. She had once rescued him; now it was his turn to step up.
However, Maxwell’s orders carried serious consequences, and disobedience wasn’t a decision to take lightly. Vincenzo hesitated for a few agonizing seconds before resolving to act.
“Please stay right here, miss,” he said softly.
He retreated to a secluded corner and swiftly called Maxwell.
Summarizing Maia’s story in a few sentences, he pleaded, “Mr. Payne, this woman once saved me. I can’t simply stand by. Could we perhaps p>
Meanwhile, Chris had just climbed into Maxwell’s vehicle after leaving Starlight Bar.
In truth, it had been Chris’s suggestion for Vincenzo to pretend to be a buyer and make contact.