Chapter 437
After the call ended, Anthony wired over a five hundred million deposit without a second thought.
Adonis: [Charlotte, they actually took the bait. A billion for one painting? That’s some serious cash.]
Nine:
Adonis: [Wait, I thought you needed ‘Sunset’ for something. If you sell it, what are you going to do?]
Adonis: [Also, you promised to deliver it in ten minutes. The painting’s still with you. How are you going to pull that off?]
Nine: [I’ll take care of it.]
Adonis: [?]
Charlotte raised an eyebrow, typing back with zero urgency: [The buyer is Anthony.]
Adonis:
So Charlotte just swindled Anthony out of a billion dollars? In the end, ‘Sunset’ was just going to circle right back to her. At this rate, Anthony was going to go bankrupt. Adonis shook his head, quickly moving the money into a secure account, just to make sure it didn’t go missing in the chaos.
Meanwhile, inside the Bugatti Veyron, Anthony leaned back, watching the minutes slip by. Ten minutes, the seller had said. Seven had already passed. No calls, no messages, no sign of a delivery. Nothing.
Charlotte glanced at the clock, the corners of her mouth curling. The timing was just right. She closed her game, set her phone aside, stretched, then cozied up to Anthony, nuzzling against his chest with a little grin.
“What’s up?” Anthony looked down at her, a soft laugh in his voice. “Keep yourself busy for a minute. I’ve got something to take care of.”
“Sunset?”
“Yeah.” He squeezed the back of her neck gently, his eyes turning warm as he met her gaze “Once it gets here you can give it to Grandma for her birthday.”
But the seller was still missing in action.
Charlotte fiddled with a button on his shirt, her face turning a little sheepish. “You don’t have to wait.”
“Hm?” He didn’t catch that.
She hesitated, then lifted her chin, her voice clear but a little guilty. “The painting’s with me.”
“Sunset is with you?” Anthony’s eyes narrowed. He reached behind him,
grabbed the box, and opened it up. When he saw the
painting inside her
went completely still.
“You bought Sunset?”
He checked the painting, then put it back in the box. He reached out and tapped Charlotte’s chin, his eyes full of questions.
“No,” she said honestly.
Anthony pressed his lips together, looking down as he guessed, “You’re Halation?”
“Yeah.” Charlotte looked up at his stunned expression and couldn’t help laughing. “Anthony, all sales are final. No refunds.”
Before he could say anything, she went on.
“You bought this painting so I could
give it to your grandma, right? So
now it’s mine again.” Charlotte’s
eyes sparkled her lips curling up in a mischievous smile, like a cat who d just gotten away with something. “Thanks, Anthony.”
Anthony’s smile was helpless, and he had nothing left to say. Perfect. He’d just been
out another billion.