Hugh pointed at Frank as he snapped, "Who do you think you are, Frank?! Every item presented here would've been appraised by a specialist. There is no way my vase is a fake! Or perhaps you think you're better than the appraiser Mr. Pearce invited?!""Hmph."An elderly white haired man snorted audibly from the front row.He was the appraiser Gene invited and a famous magister on the east coast.Since he appraised every auction item before it was brought on stage while he stated an estimated value, Frank's loud protest was undoubtedly a slap to his face."Son, I'm Tet Boran of Ysalin, and everyone addresses me as a magister. I have seen that pure jade vase with my own eyes—there's no faking it! If you're trying to cause trouble, you've picked the wrong opponent!""What?! That's Magister Boran?!""That's Gene Pearce for you. He invited a magister!"The man in white's words left everyone in shock—the man knew his antiques and modern articles, and was himself an elite martial artist

That was why Tet had been exceedingly humble.For someone like Frank to be so accomplished at his age, Tet scarcely dared to imagine the influence that backed him.Bowing his head to Frank, he said earnestly, "Apologies for trying to pull rank earlier, Mr. Lawrence. Please forgive my indiscretion."He had his dignity too, which was why he did not kneel and beg.For Frank's part, he was no bully—he nodded as Tet apologized, accepting the apology.Around them, the guests' jaws dropped as they looked on. Many of them could still remember Hugh claiming that Frank was just Vicky's sugar baby!"Is that man really just some manwhore? How could he be so knowledgeable?""Yeah… Could Hugh Turnbull have been lying?""Hah! The magister himself confirmed that the pure jade vase is fake. Isn't that a slap to Mr. Pearce's face?""The way I see it, Hugh is just some frivolous character who yaps a lot to make himself look important.""He's just a member of the Turnbulls' branch family.""Bra

Frank then turned to Gene. "I present this painting to Mr. Pearce on behalf of Vicky Turnbull and the main Turnbull family. Vicky especially sends her thanks for helping her immediate family establish a foothold in Riverton."Gene appeared surprised but soon smiled and shook his head. "Oh, that little lady. Why didn't she come by herself?""She has taken ill and couldn't make it, so she asked me to help.""Well, I'm most grateful for her present."Gene and Frank's exchange left the guests puzzled—why did it feel like both men were close in private?Dennis was watching from a distance.He frowned as he remembered what Frank told him before—that he should not set Gene against him, or he would bite off more than he could chew.Turning pensive just then, Dennis mused, "Could it be…?" Hugh noticed that and could tell what he was thinking, and so quickly said, "Don't worry about it, Dr. Jackson. Frank Lawrence had brought two presents that looked valuable, but it just means the Turn

"That's right!" Dennis was snapping at Frank too. "Hmph…"Frank did not argue, as he was keen to find out what those two were up to."Mr. Pearce!" Hugh strode past Frank toward Gene as everyone watched, pointing at Frank as he shouted, "My family took in Frank, but he's a gigolo and a liar!""Really?" Gene quietly glanced at Frank, and nodded at Hugh for him to continue.Seeing Gene's impassive reaction, both Dennis and Hugh were delighted."This man is so full of himself," Hugh quickly continued. "He got Sif Lionheart killed and drove a wedge between my family and the Lionhearts! And he knows no shame, claiming to have saved your life, Mr. Pearce! It's a blatant insult to your name, not to mention he came without an invitation and basically barged in here!""He didn't have an invitation?" Gene turned toward Frank in surprise.Frank shrugged noncallable. "I forgot to bring it.""You forgot?" Gene was taken aback but also quickly realized why he was not notified of Frank's arr

The security guards all nodded in response. "Yes, sir!"Hugh's face fell right then, and he promptly turned toward Gene to beg, "Please, Mr. Pearce! I'm sorry… Please forgive me! I'll apologize, alright?! I didn't mean to bring a fake vase! I never mean to insult you, and I shouldn't have bad-mouthed you… Please, for the sake of the Turnbull family…"His undignified please only left Gene frowning, and he sneered at Hugh as everyone watched. "The Turnbulls? Really? You still have the cheek to mention them?! You've already humiliated them more than enough times! This is just a minor punishment—even Glen Turnbull himself can't argue against that if he was here!"Then, looking up at the security guards, he barked coldly, "Do it!"There was an audible crunch from the stage as Hugh's bones were broken, leaving the crowd cringing.At that moment, they came to understand the savagery that lay beneath Gene's usually mild-mannered appearance.In the end, Gene did not get where he was today