With that, I observed Nathaniel’s reaction from the corner of my eye and as expected, he took the bait.
Nathaniel joined in the conversation with a smile. “You mean my in-laws will be returning to the country? That’s great. I haven’t seen them in years. When will they arrive? I’ll arrange for both families to have a feast together.”
“That’s not necessary,” John refused flatly, making no effort to conceal his animosity. “After Ashton and Gregory follow us back to M Country, there is no reason for both families to keep in touch, so drop the act.”
Although I had expected this, I still inhaled sharply when those words left John’s lips.
John was always hostile toward anyone who wasn’t family. After such a strong refusal, the atmosphere abruptly turned tense. Even the guests around started casting curious glances at us, probably concerned about Nathaniel since he was the host of this art exhibition.
On the contrary, Nathaniel was much calmer than the onlookers.
Despite being publicly humiliated by John, he smiled broadly and replied, “My apologies. That was rude of me. Indeed, you’re straightforward in a refreshing way and I admire you for that, John. But as the younger generation, it’s necessary for me to play host as a show of respect, so I’m afraid I’ll have to insist. When the elders have settled down, I’ll personally visit to extend my invitation.”
Without waiting for a response, he looked past John and nodded in greeting to someone behind. “Sorry, a few friends of mine have arrived. Please excuse me.”
Subsequently, he strode toward the guests by the entrance and smoothly started a cordial conversation with them.
John stuffed both hands into his trouser pockets and stared after him. After a while, he said frostily, “Just look at him. He’s the perfect definition of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Who could’ve guessed that he’s a scumbag who’d resort to underhanded means all to achieve his goal?”
I didn’t answer but steered the topic away instead. “Is everything in place?”
John was momentarily stunned, then snapped back to his senses and glanced at me. When a waiter passed by, he reached out to grab a glass of champagne. After taking a sip, he replied languidly, “Don’t worry. If that guy found out, he wouldn’t be behaving like this right now.”
“Good.” I nodded. Although it was a foolproof plan, it involved the safety of our elders, so I still felt uneasy about it.
I felt a pang in my heart. They should be living their retired lives in peace, but instead, they had to travel across the sea for us.
But for the sake of the bigger picture and everyone’s safety in the long run, we had no choice but to take this risk.
About ten minutes later, Ashton came back with Audrey and asked as soon as he came to a stop beside me, “Did any of the works capture your interest?”
“Huh?” I was bewildered. Aren’t we only here as a formality? Do we have to spend?
Ashton ignored my confusion and turned to look at the painting of a sunset by the beach next to him. “Let’s take this one.”
Before I could respond, he turned back to me and said matter-of-factly, “I like it. Buy it for me, Honey.”
Not accustomed to this, I blinked dumbly as a shiver ran down my spine.
John immediately gave an exaggerated shudder and snickered. “You’re giving me goosebumps all over. Please be mindful of your behavior in public.”
Ashton shot him a flat stare, then held his palm out to me. “I need money, Honey.”
This form of address was really getting to me. Afraid that we would draw unwanted attention to ourselves, I swiftly took out a credit card from my bag and handed it to him.
This card was given to me by John back at the hotel and was said to be without credit limits. However, I had never used it, so I wasn’t sure if it could be paying for such a famous and priceless piece of art.
Ashton didn’t seem to care. After taking the card, he walked toward the staff a short distance away who was in charge of recording the sales and purchases of the works, signaling that he wanted to buy the sunset by the sea painting.
The process was rather smooth. The transaction was complete after he signed the sales contract and swiped the card. Later on, the painting would be sent to the house.
