Chapter 338

Morgan pointed to a picture on the list, his eyes shining with genuine appreciation. "Our museum is willing to pay one point two times the market price. We want to make sure it ends up somewhere it truly belongs."

Lucie stayed calm as ever. "Morgan, you know exactly what these pieces are worth. I'm open to negotiating the price, but there's one condition. Anything you acquire has to be on public display long-term. No hiding things away in back rooms."

That was something her grandfather always insisted on. Antiques are culture—they deserve to be seen, to be known.

Morgan paused, then grinned and nodded. "Absolutely. That's the whole point of our collection, to preserve and share it. You have my word, Ms. Anderson."

Things moved along smoothly and they quickly settled on a tentative agreement.

After Morgan left, Lucie barely got a sip of her tea before Riley from the warehouse called.

"Ms. Anderson, we just did inventory and realized a 16th-century bronze censer is missing. The system says it was checked out last week, but there's no record of it coming back in."

Lucie's face turned serious. "Start checking the security footage-find out who handled it. Also, pull last week's checkout slips and double-check the signatures."

"We're already looking into it. The security footage shows Nathan's assistant took it, but there's no record of it coming back."

“Nathan?” Lucie's frown deepened. That sly old fox-she knew he wasn't above a little scheming. “Keep digging. I want a full report on everything Nathan has checked out. I need to know exactly how many tricks he's pulled."

"On it."

She hung up and rubbed her temples, feeling the stress settle in. She'd thought she could breathe a little after dealing with the theft case, but apparently there were still loose ends everywhere.

Ruby came in with a steaming cup of tea. "Ms. Anderson, maybe take a break? You've been working nonstop since this morning."

"I'm fine." Lucie waved her off and opened her laptop, ready to wrap up the final details of the auction. "Send me the digital version of the auction catalog. I want to check it one last time."

Photos of the auction pieces flashed by: bronzes, calligraphy, paintings. Each one represented decades of the Anderson family's devotion and hard work. Letting them go was painful, but it was the only way to recover what had been stolen—and to give her child a secure future.

By late afternoon, her lawyer messaged her: the police had set up their operation at the address Steven had given, ready to move in on the day of the deal.

Lucie stared at the message for a few seconds, but didn't reply. She leaned back in her chair and looked out at the busy city streets, suddenly feeling the exhaustion hit her. But as soon as her hand rested on her stomach, she straightened up again.

There was still so much to do. She couldn't waste a single minute.

She quickly messaged the auction house to confirm the final catalog, then reminded her deputy to double-check all security arrangements to prevent any surprises before the auction.

She'd barely put down her phone when her desk phone rang. It was the front desk. "Hi, Jean. What's up?"

Jean sounded anxious. "Ms. Anderson, Mr. Heath is here. He says it's urgent." Lucie's face hardened. "Tell him I'm busy. He'll have to leave."

"Um, he says if you won't see him, he'll just wait downstairs all day." Jean sounded caught in the middle.

"Let him wait." Lucie hung up, feeling a sudden surge of anger. That was just like Steven-always barging into her life, never caring about what she wanted.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on her work.

"Ms. Anderson?" Ruby's voice was tentative as she handed over a file. "Here's Nathan's assistant's statement. You should take a look."

Lucie took the file, her fingers whitening from the grip. The handwriting was messy, but the message was clear: the assistant admitted Nathan told him to move the bronze censer claiming was "just for a temporary exhibition." No mention of when it woulébbe returned.

"Give this to the police. Tell them to press Nathan harder in questioning. I want to

see how much more he's been hiding."

"Yes, Ms. Anderson."

The next three days were a blur of work. Lucie barely had time to breathe.

On Thursday, Ruby reminded her, "Ms. Anderson, today's your follow-up

appointment. The doctor's expecting you at the hospital."

Lucie frowned. "Can't we go tomorrow?"

Ruby shook her head gently. "Tomorrow's schedule is even crazier Plus, the appointment is already set If we move it we'll have

to book a new one and that be more of a hassle."

"Alright." Lucie closed her laptop and got up, ready to head out. She'd already decided she was keeping the baby, so of course she needed to stay on top of her checkups.

Half an hour later, the driver dropped her off at New Amberton Hospital.

"Take care, Ms. Anderson."

Lucie stepped out, still feeling a little lightheaded. As she walked into the hospital, something on the lawn caught her eye-a little boy, kicking a soccer ball around with infectious energy.

She looked closer. It was Cody.

"Cody, you can't run around outside. You need to get back to your room—"