I chuckled lightly and brought her into the villa. Mrs. Eriksen brewed some tea. Stacey stared at me for a while before she said, “I heard Nancy got into trouble.”
I was taken aback as it had happened quite some time back. I lightly nodded and asked, “How have you been doing in J City?”
She smiled and replied, “Thanks to Mr. Fuller, I’ve been promoted to be the regional manager. I’m doing pretty well.”
Thinking about it, she was already in her thirties. She paused for a while and continued, “However, I have nothing much going on in my love life.”
If I had calculated correctly, Felix’s death sentence was held in early autumn.
She took a sip of the tea and said briefly, “I went to visit him. He had slimmed down a lot. I thought I’d be glad to see him in a mess since I used to hate him so much, but I did not.”
No matter how much she hated him, they used to share a loving memory after all. As time passed, she was left with a soft spot for him.
She paused and diverted the topic. “Oh! There’s an auction tonight. Do you want to join me for it? I heard that the Murphys from K City organized it.”
“You know me. I don’t like crowds.” I shook my head and replied with a smile.
She pouted and continued persuading me. “We’re not going there for the crowd. I have a friend that’s working for the Murphy Corporation. I’ve seen the item that they’ll be auctioning. It’s a sandalwood box – similar to the one that grandma left for you. I heard it’s a puzzle box that could only be opened when put together with another box. Remember how you asked for my help to open your box? I think it’s worth trying.”
I took a while to react and repeated, “A puzzle box?”
She nodded. “Do you want to join me? Who knows, we might be able to open the box.”
I got curious, so I nodded in response. “Sure, I’ll attend the auction with you.”
I wondered if the Murphys from K City referred to the family of the renowned expert in the oil industry.
If they were, it would not be easy to gain access to the auction. I could not help but ask, “Do you have an invite? It would not be easy to get into an auction organized by the Murphys.”
She smiled and nodded. “I was prepared before I invited you. Thanks to the strong presence of Fuller Corporation in J City, whenever the Murphys organize something in J City, they would invite Mr. Fuller along. He had given me the authority to handle this invite.”
I nodded lightly in understanding.
She thought for a moment and continued, “Since you’ve been in K City for quite some time, have you heard of the Murphys? I’ve asked around, but no one seemed to know. Observing how they’re auctioning many treasured items; I’m guessing that they must be very influential. However, I don’t understand their purpose for organizing the auction here, instead of K City.”
“I don’t really know much about them too. However, I’ve seen one of them at Emery’s wedding. He seemed reputable.” I processed my thoughts for a moment and continued, “Maybe they’re intentionally keeping a low profile. Even though J City is an ancient city and is less glamorous than K City, there are several antique treasures and antiquarians here. They may have chosen J City to gain some insights.”
Other than the items from the Murphys, the auction comprised some valuable items from the city. Many antiquarians had been invited to the auction.
Those people usually bring valuable antiques to create an eye-opening experience and to compete with fellow antiquarians.
Simply put, it was like a battle of ego.
Unlike those who auction branded goods and luxurious residences to show off, the antiquarians show off their knowledge, what they had seen, and the historical value of the antiques that they hold.
Civilians, those with no money and knowledge, were out of the game, along with those who were rich and had no knowledge.
Only those who were both rich and knowledgeable could join the game.
As Stacey had been with the Fuller Corporation for several years, she had gained the knowledge through attending such functions frequently.
We chatted for a little longer before she passed me the invite and left.
Summer followed Mrs. Eriksen out to prepare the items required for our visit to the cemetery. As I had no plans, I took a shower.
As I came out of the bathroom, Ashton called. “Have you eaten?”
I looked up at the clock – it was close to six o’clock. I shook my head and replied, “Not yet. I’m heading out soon.”
I could feel him frowning over the phone as he questioned, “Where are you going? It’s getting late already.”
“Stacey told me about the auction organized by the Murphys in J City that had a sandalwood box similar to the one grandma gave me. It seemed like a puzzle box. I want to take a look at it.” Mrs. Eriksen entered and signalled that dinner was ready as she saw that I was on a call.
