After Betrayal - I Married a Handsome Tycoon-Chapter 58: Her Complete Victory

It wasn’t that Moira Sloan had never been protected before.

But never so openly, so brazenly.

Even her grandmother, Jean Hale, often had to hide her affection because of Moira’s aunt, afraid the woman would find some reason to cause trouble.

After Connor Quinn spoke, the living room fell silent. Moira Sloan’s long, curled eyelashes trembled uncontrollably.

The next second, Madam Jennings shot Master Jennings a glare, breaking the deadlock. "Connor is right. Moira is the woman he brought home, not a criminal. What’s with your tone?"

Master Jennings’s expression soured. He had been talked back to by someone from the younger generation and then publicly rebuked by his own wife. He sat there with a taut face for a moment without a word, then stood up and went upstairs.

As soon as Master Jennings left, the atmosphere in the living room immediately relaxed.

Madam Jennings, intending to play the peacemaker, pulled Shane Jennings and Cassie Blanchett to their seats. She asked about their wedding and then introduced Connor Quinn and Moira Sloan to Cassie.

Both Cassie Blanchett and Moira Sloan were poised and graceful, making no pretense of not knowing each other.

Moira Sloan smiled and spoke first. "President Blanchett."

Cassie Blanchett was equally polite and courteous. "Boss Sloan."

Seeing that the two knew each other, Madam Jennings was momentarily taken aback.

But experience comes with age. She understood the situation perfectly but feigned ignorance, smiling harmoniously. "From now on, we’ll all be family."

After Madam Jennings spoke, none of the four people involved said a word.

However, Yara Jennings, an onlooker, rolled her eyes dramatically.

Lunch was served at the Jennings Estate.

Of the dishes on the table, a third were Shane Jennings’s favorites, a third were Cassie Blanchett’s, and the remaining third belonged to Yara Jennings.

In comparison, Connor Quinn and Moira Sloan were like two outsiders.

Moira Sloan took it all in. As she lowered her gaze, her eyes filled with faint scorn.

After the meal, Master Jennings had something to discuss with Connor Quinn and Shane Jennings, so he called them into the study.

In the living room, Madam Jennings had a maid bring out several newly acquired treasures and line them up for everyone to admire.

There was a piece of porcelain, a mandarin duck box, and a jade vase.

"Let’s test your eyes. Which one is a high-quality replica, and which are genuine?"

Madam Jennings’s smile was kind, as if she were just entertaining the younger generation.

But in a wealthy, powerful family, what action was ever that simple?

So, the moment Madam Jennings finished speaking, everyone except Moira Sloan—including Laura Cheney—grew tense. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

After a moment, Yara Jennings spoke first. She got up, walked around the items, and pointed at the porcelain piece. "This one is the replica. Grandma doesn’t collect much porcelain, so she was probably scammed."

As soon as Yara finished, Laura Cheney shot her a look. "If you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t spout nonsense."

Yara pouted, walked over to Cassie Blanchett, and linked her arm affectionately. "Sister-in-law, help me out."

As Yara shook her arm, Cassie Blanchett stood up with a smile. She observed the three antiques before turning to Madam Jennings. "Grandma, is it the jade vase?"

Madam Jennings shook her head, her eyes crinkling in a smile. She looked at Moira Sloan and asked, "Moira, which one do you think it is?"

Moira Sloan looked up, her eyes curving into crescents. "The mandarin duck box in the middle."

Before Madam Jennings could reply, Yara jumped in. "You’re a sneaky one, aren’t you? I said the first one, my sister-in-law said the third one, and since both were wrong, you just picked the second."

Moira blinked. "Should I choose first next time, then?"

Yara was speechless.

Madam Jennings said, "Moira, tell us your reason for choosing the second one."

A soft smile played on Moira Sloan’s lips. "Because the real Painted and Lacquered Mandarin Duck Box from the Warring States period is in the Hessler Provincial Museum."

Hearing Moira’s explanation, Madam Jennings laughed with an indulgent expression. "Oh, you."

Anyone could see that Madam Jennings was genuinely fond of Moira Sloan.

Standing to the side, Yara felt a pang of displeasure. She pouted and said, "Lacquered works are her specialty, so she just got lucky. It just so happened this one was a fake. Why doesn’t she appraise the other two?"

After Yara spoke, Laura Cheney, who was sitting on the sofa, shot her a warning look.

Madam Jennings said, "Yara, then you tell us, what is the first piece?"

Yara turned back, studying the first porcelain piece again. With a twisted expression, she said, "Yuan dynasty underglaze red."

Madam Jennings’s smile didn’t falter as she looked at Moira Sloan.

Moira Sloan caught the old woman’s gaze and gave a slight lift of her eyes. "Ming dynasty, Hongwu period underglaze red."

Yara’s face fell slightly. She didn’t dare lash out in front of Madam Jennings, but she couldn’t help muttering, "Says who... It’s whatever you say it is..."

Moira Sloan smiled faintly. "Yuan dynasty and Ming Hongwu period underglaze red are basically identical in shape and forming technique. The superficial way to tell them apart is that Yuan underglaze red mostly presents as grayish-black, while Ming Hongwu underglaze red is a pale red with gray tones, and the red has a yellowish tint."

Yara: "..."

Moira continued, "Yara, do you want to know the origin of the jade piece, too? Your big sister-in-law can tell you all about it."

Moira Sloan’s smile was radiant, but Yara’s face flushed with anger. "And just whose sister-in-law are you?!"

Moira replied, "Yours."

Yara was furious. "You..."

Just as Yara was about to explode with rage, the sound of steady footsteps echoed from the second-floor staircase.

Moira looked up at the sound and met Connor Quinn’s indifferent yet profound gaze.

Their eyes met. ’That bastard,’ Moira cursed inwardly. ’Putting on that cold, serious act. Such a big bad wolf.’