Chapter 67 If she is not worthy, who is?
"Miss, what are you doing? You can't touch that painting if you're not going to buy it!" The security guard responsible for guarding that area shouted loudly. "Put the painting down immediately, or I'll treat you as a thief!"
Startled by the resounding voice that echoed throughout the floor, Winona snapped back into focus only to realize that she had unknowingly taken the painting off its hook.
Realizing her current situation, she quickly suppressed her complex emotions and hoarsely said, "Sorry, I got too excited... I'll buy this painting. Could you please help me contact the seller?"
The security guard hesitated and made a phone call to the person in charge.
The person arrived quickly and, knowing that she wanted to buy a painting, contacted the provider.
Upon learning that the other party was also at the exhibition, the person in charge said, "Miss Sullivan, there is a buyer interested in purchasing your painting. Would it be convenient for you to come and discuss the price in person?"
Winona frowned, having a suspicion in her mind. The only person with the surname Sullivan who could obtain this painting was Layla.
Her fingertip gently touched the rabbit lamp held by the girl in the painting.
This painting was her mother's work, and the little girl in the picture was her.
When her mother passed away, she was only eight years old and couldn't handle her mother's belongings. Later, her father Carlos took Layla and fled overseas. Upon receiving the news, she rushed back, only to find that the Sullivan family's villa had changed hands, and everything inside was gone.
She had asked Carlos on the phone where her mother's things went. He simply replied with annoyance, "Why keep dead people's things? Isn't it inauspicious enough?"
Soon, Winona saw Layla appearing in this hall.
The woman was delicately made up, wearing a white knit sweater with a gray A-line skirt that only reached mid-thigh, revealing her white and slender legs.
She walked over this way and greeted the person in charge, "Is she the one who wants to buy my painting?"
The person in charge nodded, "Yes, you can discuss the details."
Layla crossed her arms and raised her chin, "One price, 8 million dollars."
This was clearly deliberate provocation. With 8 million dollars, one could buy a well-known piece of artwork. Winona's mother was not a professional painter and had no fame in the art world. Considering only the painting itself, she could sell it for at most a few hundred thousand dollars.
Winona knew things wouldn't go smoothly as soon as she saw Layla. With Layla's personality, she would definitely take this opportunity to make things difficult for her.
Seeing Winona silent, Layla became even more audacious, "What's the matter? Don’t have that much? What's the use of marrying Zachary? You can't win his favor, and you're just a poor person who can't even cough up 8 million dollars!"
Since the time she found out Winona was going to marry Zachary, she had asked her father to let her be the substitute bride. However, she failed in the end, so Layla had been resentful about it ever since.
Fortunately, upon returning home this time, she heard a lot about Zachary and Fiona, so it was easy to imagine that Winona had been living the life of an abandoned woman these past few years!
Layla lowered her voice and continued to taunt her, "Your mother actually left behind a lot of belongings back then, probably related to her profession. They were all valuable things that my dad transferred elsewhere before the company announced bankruptcy."
As she said this, she lifted her hand, "Did you see this bag in my hand? I have to thank her for it. I exchanged one of her belongings for this bag."
"Smack!!"
Layla's voice abruptly stopped.
Layla received a resounding slap across her face! The sound alone revealed the intensity of Winona's attack, and a palm print immediately appeared on her face. The surrounding crowd immediately erupted into hushed whispers.
Layla was instantly dizzy from the blow, holding her face for a moment before coming back to her senses. "Winona, how dare you hit me?"
She never expected Winona to take action in such a place. Wasn't this woman the madam of the Bailey family? Wasn't she afraid of tarnishing the Bailey family's reputation with such vulgar behavior?
"Why wouldn't I dare? I'm not afraid of losing my dignity!" Winona's piercing gaze fixed on her, taking a step forward and raising her hand. Layla thought she was about to strike again and quickly covered her head, shouting loudly, "Security! We have someone here trying to force a sale without paying the price. Kick them out!"
But Winona sneered, spreading her hands out. "Let me ask again, how much is this painting?"
She didn't want to give Layla a cheap deal, but before her mother passed away, she was legally married to Carlos, giving that scumbag half ownership rights. If things were to escalate and come crumbling down, those demons wouldn't give her anything, even if it meant destroying the painting!
Knowing that Winona was in need of her now, Layla's pride swelled once again. "I'm not selling, no matter how much you offer!"
Just as the tension reached its peak, a warm male voice suddenly intervened. "I apologize, can I buy this painting?"
Both women turned their heads simultaneously and saw Matthew stepping out of the crowd, dressed casually.
He had just learned the gist of the situation from the murmurs of the onlookers. Instead of looking at Winona, his smiling eyes fell upon Layla. "May I ask how much you're selling this painting for?"
One's family background could be seen through their demeanor. Demeanor couldn't deceive people. So, the moment Layla saw Matthew, her eyes lit up!
She came here to flirt with wealthy men, and Matthew was undoubtedly the best candidate she had seen today.
She coyly played with her hair, covering her swollen face, and looked at him as if chiding yet flirtatious. "This painting wasn't done by a professional artist, and the workmanship isn't top-notch. I'll sell it for $100,000."
Matthew nodded, called over the staff to handle the paperwork, and once he received the painting, he handed it directly to Winona in front of Layla. "Here you go."
Looking at the painting handed to her, Winona didn't make a fuss. "I'll transfer the money to you later."
The man smiled. "Alright!"
Layla, on the other hand, stared dumbfounded at the scene before her. "You...you all!"
Matthew may have appeared gentle on the surface, but he wasn't easygoing.
Zachary and Samuel were waiting for him on the second floor. He happened to come across the situation just now and decided to lend a hand. After dealing with it, he didn't pay Layla any more attention, greeted Winona, and left.
Winona was also about to leave, but Layla caught up from behind. "That person just now was Matt..."
"Is that right, Winona? As long as you introduce me to him, I will convince my father to return your mother's remaining belongings to you!"
Although the Sullivan family and the Watson family had no prior acquaintance, Layla knew that Matthew had been in the news before, that is how she knew about him. She believed that Winona would agree to her request, as it was simply an introduction and not something excessive.
However, Winona stopped in her tracks, her refined brows and eyes revealing a disdainful coldness. "You're not worthy of him." Just after speaking these words, she turned around and saw two men standing a few meters away; Zachary and Samuel!
Winona furrowed her brows, wondering when they had arrived. Zachary coldly looked at her, not showing any anger, but his words were harsh, "She is not worthy, then who is? You?"
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