Chapter 45 She's just a Fraud
Fiona stood nearby, watching them all happily together. She wished she could disappear on the spot. She instinctively looked up at Zachary, but his gaze remained on Winona. A bitter feeling spread throughout her heart.
But Fiona quickly suppressed her emotions and interrupted with a smile, attempting to join the conversation and divert the situation. "Aunt, happy birthday. This is my gift, please, don't mind."
Lydia glanced at Fiona and nodded politely, "Thank you."
Taking it over, Lydia casually placed it on the nearby table without any intention of opening it, saying, "The dining area is over there, help yourself to anything you want."
This was her way of asking Fiona to go away and stop being a bother!
Fiona could sense it, but she pretended not to and thought to herself, after putting so much effort into preparing this gift, it shouldn't go to waste just like that.
If she didn't persuade Lydia to open it now, who knows where this thing would end up after the banquet!
"Aunt, why don't you open it and take a look? I don't really understand it myself, in case there's something wrong with it, we can get it fixed promptly."
With words spoken to this extent and so many people watching, if Lydia continued to brush it off, it would become a laughingstock.
While feeling displeased with Fiona in her heart, Lydia maintained a polite smile as she unpacked the gift box. To her surprise, there was another wooden box inside. She discreetly took a deep breath and thought, if there's another box inside this wooden box, I'm kicking Fiona out!
The wooden box was opened, revealing a scroll painting inside.
Lydia unfolded the painting with a perfunctory gesture. She didn't like paintings, but as she looked at the content of this one, her eyes showed a clear hint of excitement. Evander, beside her, also raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is this the old painting from before?"
Fiona replied politely, "Yes, Mr. Bailey."
Evander nodded in satisfaction, "Well done. Let Zachary know how much it cost, and he will transfer the money to you."
"Money is not an issue. It's just hard to find a skilled restorer. This person is renowned in the circle for being mysterious and seldom takes on projects. Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken this long to restore," Fiona explained.
"A skilled restorer being a bit eccentric is normal. You've put in a lot of effort this time," Evander nodded approvingly.
Winona noticed that Lydia was still staring at the scroll painting and understood the implication behind her father-in-law's words: This painting should be the Bailey family's possession, but Fiona privately took it to have it restored.
"Does Mom also like these things?" Winona whispered to Lydia.
"Not really, but Zachary's grandfather does. He bought this painting at an auction back then. However, after I had a big fight with your dad, things got violent, and this painting was accidentally destroyed. Miss Clark said she could find someone to help restore it, so I entrusted it to her," Lydia explained as she fully unrolled the scroll.
Evander teased, "More than just a big fight, you nearly destroyed my dad's study. The bruises on my legs took half a month to heal."
"And you deserved it," Lydia retorted, then suddenly changed her tone, "How much did Miss Clark spend to restore this painting?"
Fiona was caught off guard by being called out and noticed Lydia's change in expression. She replied with a number, a bit confused, "What's wrong, Aunt?"
"Well, you were deceived. That person isn't a real restorer at all."
Winona frowned not because of Lydia's words, but because there was a stain in the corner of the painting. Though not large, it was clearly noticeable.
Fiona saw it too, and her first reaction was to look at Winona. "Isn't Windy a master in the industry? How did this happen? Can she deliver a painting in such a condition?"
Winona frowned, disliking the tone of the questioning. Shouldn't she be the one asking the questions? She had worked so hard to restore the painting, only to have it damaged again!
"The painting was in good condition when it was handed over to you, and you confirmed that. Is it appropriate to bring this up now?"
Upon seeing this, Lydia asked with confusion, "What's going on? Winona, did you repair this painting?"
Before Winona could speak, Fiona interjected, "Auntie, I found a reputed expert in the art circle who was supposed to have excellent skills. Winona happened to be her assistant and only helped with the delivery." Fiona's face filled with remorse as she continued, "But it's my fault for believing the rumors too much. I never expected that this so-called master named Windy was just a fraud!"
Though her words blamed Windy for being a fraud, they also implied that Winona, being the one who delivered the painting, might have caused the problem.
Winona was certain that within half an hour, Mrs. Bailey would spread malicious rumors about her husband's ex-girlfriend throughout their circle out of envy and spite.
"Auntie, I apologize for disappointing you. I will take the painting back and find someone else to repair it."
Winona couldn't let Fiona do that. The people here today were all wealthy and loved collecting art. Whether they were true enthusiasts or just following the trend, they were potential clients for her.
If this matter were to be spread, it wouldn't only ruin her reputation but also the identity that Windy had carefully built over the years.
Everyone would think Windy was a fraud!
She spoke up to stop Fiona, "There's no need for such trouble, it's just a minor issue. I've learned a lot from Windy in the past few months, and I can handle the repairs myself."
Hearing this, Fiona frowned, her tone somewhat helpless, as if she was placating a stubborn child. "Winona, my previous words were not directed at you. I simply felt that Windy's skills were inadequate and wanted everyone to know. How much can you learn from her?"
In other words, what can a fraud teach her?
Fiona continued, "If my words earlier made you uncomfortable, then I apologize. It's Auntie's birthday today, and with so many people present, there's no need to ruin the atmosphere over someone irrelevant and destroy this valuable painting worth billions."
Winona didn't want to argue with her. She turned to look at Lydia, confident that she could restore the painting perfectly. But Fiona had a point. This painting was worth billions, and if Lydia didn't trust her either, then so be it. After all, it belonged to the Bailey family.
Lydia glanced at Fiona and kindly patted Winona's hand, saying, "If you want to repair it, go ahead. You are the mistress of the Bailey family, and this painting belongs to you. Even if it gets damaged, it's not for outsiders to intervene."
Evander always indulged his wife, so he allowed her to decide about the repair. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. If his father were still alive and knew that his antique painting was used to vent frustration and got damaged, he might have been infuriated again!
The entire hall fell into silence at that moment...
Fiona bit her lip and stood silently to the side.
Any person with ears could tell whom Lydia referred to as "outsiders."
Winona instructed someone to prepare the tools while they waited. In that time, the living room returned to its noisy and bustling state. "That painting was sold for 200 million dollars back then, and its value has only increased over the years. It's such a shame to see it destroyed!"
"But what if Mrs. Bailey can repair it?"
"Do you really think restoring antiques is that simple? Those renowned experts in the field, are any of them young? It relies on accumulated skills and experience. Just look at Mrs. Bailey's age; at most, she's an apprentice, and even a fraudulent one. This painting is as good as ruined..." the person sighed with genuine sadness, revealing their fondness for antiques.
Zachary, who had remained silent, had a dark expression. He held Winona's hand and, without saying a word, took her upstairs in front of everyone.
Once they were out of sight of the guests, Winona pulled her hand away from his grip. "Let's stick to discussing matters; no need for physical contact."
Zachary rubbed his forehead, looking quite annoyed. "If you suddenly don't feel well, I'll take you home first."
"Not feeling well?" Winona was taken aback but quickly understood. "You don't want me to touch that painting?"
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