Chapter 18:
Elena saw through their hostility. Unfortunately for Elyse, things weren’t going to go as she expected.
Elena pointed at the canvas. “Every original piece by Peyton carries a distinctive mark in the lower left corner. When exposed to fire, a lotus pattern appears. We can check right now if this one is real or not.”
Elyse remained skeptical. “Elena, that’s reckless. You can’t just subject a masterpiece to flames. If something happens to it, who will take responsibility?”
Javier nodded in agreement. Exactly. How spiteful—Elena would rather destroy it than let Elyse have it!
Samira scoffed. “Peyton is a legendary figure in landscape painting. This is one of his earliest works, and now that he’s retired, its value is immeasurable. There’s a limit to how far you should take your nonsense.”
Among them, only Vince, who had the strongest background in art, remained quiet because he had heard of the lotus pattern before. If Elena truly knew nothing, how could she describe it in such detail? His eyes rested on her, a flicker of surprise passing through them. Could she actually know a bit of art?
The moment Elena mentioned the pattern, Vince was already halfway convinced.
Alexander placed his teacup down with a soft clink, lifting his gaze slightly. “My daughter wouldn’t speak carelessly. If any damage occurs, I’ll take full responsibility.”
With Alexander’s assurance, no one dared to argue further.
Two servants carefully unrolled the artwork, while the butler brought a candle to the area Elena had pointed out.
The room fell into a tense silence. Many harbored resentment toward this so-called long-lost daughter. She had no understanding of fine art, yet she still ran her mouth. This painting was worth over ten million. If it was ruined, none of them could afford to compensate for it.
“Make sure you don’t ruin my painting!” Samira warned, keeping a close watch on the servants. She didn’t believe a word Elena had said. What mark? Elena was obviously making things up to cover her embarrassment. And Alexander—how absurd to indulge her foolishness like this. Elena was nothing but an ignorant girl from a backwater town.
Elyse, too, watched intently, not daring to blink.
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After ten long minutes, the painting remained unchanged—smooth, untouched. Indeed, there was no mark on this painting.
Louis smiled and said, “Samira, looks like you’ve been deceived.” He then turned to Elyse. “And it seems the one pretending to be an expert is you.”
Elyse felt the sting of humiliation.
Samira was in disbelief—how could that woman from Foiclens dare to pass off a fake? She instinctively refused to accept it. “No way. Maybe it was just a rumor. There might not be a lotus mark on Peyton’s work at all.”
Elena, unimpressed, offered a calm reminder. “As I recall, the authentic version of this painting was purchased by the Spencer family a few years back. If you have doubts, you’re welcome to verify it with them.”
Displaying a counterfeit piece in their home only cast doubt on the authenticity of the rest of their collection. Had it not been for her parents’ sake, Elena wouldn’t have even bothered pointing it out.
But some people simply didn’t appreciate good intentions. The Spencer family had such status, and it wasn’t like she could just go and see it. Samira suspected Elena had said this on purpose, knowing full well that no one here had the ability to confirm it with the Spencers. How convenient.
