Brandon was visibly upset. He rubbed his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. His face reddened as it contorted with pain.Penelope was stunned. It was her first time seeing him so upset. She stood up and walked over to him, reaching out to soothe his chest.She then said somewhat appeasingly, "Why are you getting so worked up, Dad? It's not worth affecting your health over just one client. You have so many clients anyway. It wouldn't make much difference with or without him."Brandon slapped her hand away and said, "Nonsense! Hunter isn't your average client. His transactions with me surpass a billion dollars each year! The profit margin from the antique market is high, and I usually earn half of it!"Penelope choked up upon hearing the amount mentioned. They had indeed missed out on a huge opportunity over a small mistake.However, she blamed it on Brandon and said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier, then? I thought it was only a matter of one painting."Brandon never expec
Holly and Bryce got out of the car while carrying the baby clothes and toys they bought earlier. They knocked on the door and then entered the house.Lily was holding her baby while watching TV on the couch. A nanny was hired to take care of their daily lives.The house was spacious and brand new. Bryce had gotten someone to buy it.They exchanged pleasantries for a while.Holly placed their gifts down and went over to sit beside Lily. She looked at the baby in her arms, feeling curious and sad at the same time.She would have given birth to an adorable baby like this in a few months if she hadn't miscarried. Unfortunately, there were no second chances in life.Lily saw the curiosity in Holly's eyes and asked with a smile, "Do you want to hold her?"Holly took the baby over and found her soft in her arms. She carefully carried the baby for fear of dropping her.The baby had her eyes shut. She had a tiny mouth and fingers and looked extremely adorable.Holly softly asked, "What
Arthur dared not delay any further upon hearing Olivia's outburst.Halfway through the meeting, he handed his remaining tasks to his deputy and left the company. He then rushed back to Gabelman Manor in the shortest time possible.As soon as Arthur stepped into the manor, he saw Olivia standing in the courtyard, leaning on her cane. Her eyes were glaring, and she looked formidable.She usually paid attention to her appearance and was also strong-willed. She wouldn't use a cane to maintain her graceful demeanor. But she brought it out today. It was a silver, ruby-studded cane. Arthur was the one who bought it for her three years ago.Finding something amiss, he put on a smile and asked, "What's going on, Mom? Why are you getting so worked up all of a sudden?"Olivia was about to throw a fit when she saw the slender glass bottle in Arthur's hand. Then, she got even more annoyed.She jutted her chin and spat, "Why did you bring a glass bottle over when I asked you to come here? Ar
Arthur rubbed his arm, which was hurting from all the beating. He then leisurely replied, "They divorced long ago, and Holly was the one who asked for it. So, you shouldn't worry too much about it."Olivia was stunned. Her gaze turned sad, regretful, and heartbroken at once. She looked lost and bewildered. It took her a while to regain herself.She planted a hand on her hips and glared at Arthur. "Surely, you were the one who forced Holly to get the divorce!"Arthur replied sarcastically, "Oh, it wasn't me this time. She was the one who came and asked for a billion dollars in exchange for leaving. You didn't see just how happy she had looked."Olivia paused, seemingly in disbelief. Despite this, she insisted, "With a wicked father-in-law like you, I'd take the one billion dollars and leave, too!"Arthur scoffed and said, "I don't get you. She's clearly a vain and materialistic woman. Why would all of you be so protective of her?"Olivia's anger erupted once again as she shouted,
Samantha was sitting on the living room couch in the Cott residence.She was staring unblinkingly at Holly, who was appraising antiques on the TV. Her gaze gradually grew sinister, as if she were looking at an eyesore.Quirina brought a plate of sliced honeydew over to her side and placed it on the coffee table.She picked up the remote control to turn off the TV. "Stop watching it. You've been on it for the whole day. Are you hooked?"Samantha didn't respond to her. She sat unmoving with a darkened expression.Quirina used a fork to pick up a piece of honeydew and stuff it into Samantha's mouth. "Have some fruit."Samantha begrudgingly chewed on the fruit and said angrily, "How could a woman from some valley be better than me? Why is she on TV?"Quirina snorted and said, "Isn't it easy for you to get on TV? Get your dad to sponsor some shows and book you in if you want."Samantha said, "What fun would there be?"Quirina gave her a sideways glance and asked, "What do you want,
Bryce tentatively asked, "You didn't go online, right?"Holly shrugged and said, "Are you talking about the trending topic? I already know about it."Bryce paused before reaching out to ruffle her hair gently. He comforted, "Someone is just stirring up trouble with those scandals. Don't take it to heart. "I've already sent someone from the PR department to contact the relevant parties to remove the trending topics."Holly laughed and said, "There's no need for that. It's a free advertisement. Why waste money to delete them?"Bryce raised his brows. "Free advertisement?"Holly replied, "Yes. It's originally a rather average antique appraisal show with a small audience. Only those who are interested in antiques would watch it, so the rating was quite low."But now that it's the talk of the town, it has caught everyone's attention. The audience grew bigger, and the rating shot up." She continued, "I'm sure the TV station will invite me back for another episode soon. It's such a
Holly arrived at the TV station at the appointed time. She went to the program crew to plan the episode together with the director, screenwriter, producer, and other staff.She was there to draft out the show together, as this episode would be centered around her.Holly was merely a side character seated among elderly veteran experts during the previous episode. She was only there to brighten up the somber mood of the show.They didn't give her many scenes during the antique appraisal segment, and her lines were scarce. After all, she was too young and kept a low profile most of the time.But this episode would be centered around her. Holly was now the female protagonist of the show, and the initial veteran experts were now her side characters.It was all thanks to those trending topics that stirred up attention for three days straight. Even bad publicity was good publicity in this modern day and age.The previous episode focused primarily on antique appraisal, but the new episod
Holly expertly covered the crane-filled sky with a flat coating of cobalt blue. The roofs of the castle were meticulously lined, presenting a majestic painting of cranes soaring in the sky over the towering castle.The painting gave off a lively and meticulous impression. Not only did it capture the mysterious brilliance and grandeur of royalty, but it also embodied an ethereal and graceful charm.Finally, Holly meticulously dotted the eyes of each crane with raw lacquer. Their gazes were rolled back and lifelike.The entire painting was brought to life—vivid and full of depth. It could be called a masterpiece with how she expressed the essence of life within.After she was done, Holly placed her paintbrush down and turned around. She then smiled at the on-site audiences, who were gaping in awe.The entire studio fell silent instantly. Everyone was astonished by her painting speed and skills. She had produced a flawless painting within mere hours.Other individuals who could perf