Chapter 68

The room trembled.

No longer with laughter-now with stunned disbelief.

Mouths hung open. Glasses lowered mid-sip. All eyes locked on the jade figurine glowing faintly beneath the overhead chandeliers.

Stanwell's throat bobbed. He took a step closer, eyes twitching between the artifact and Jaden.

"This is a trick," he barked suddenly, the edge of panic bleeding into his voice. "It has to be fake! There's no way someone like him could get his hands on something this rare!"

Donald turned, his tone sharp enough to cut steel. "Impossible."

He stepped beside the display, eyes never leaving the piece. "The weight, the sheen, the cut—this is Verdant-era craftsmanship. See that mark?" He pointed. “That's an emerald seal etched with the Spiral Bloom technique-lost for over three centuries. There are only seven in existence. I personally know five of the owners."

He looked at Jaden with a mix of disbelief and admiration.

"You brought the sixth."

The hall went dead quiet.

A heavy silence smothered the room.

Then Stanwell laughed—a bitter, ugly sound.

"No. No, no, no," he growled, stepping forward like a drunk man desperate for footing. "He stole it. He had to. That's the only way!"

Gasps fluttered through the crowd like startled birds.

"That would make more sense," someone muttered.

"Yeah... Jaden's just some nobody, isn't he?"

"He's not even from a known family-how'd he buy that?"

"He must've taken it!"

Like wildfire, the suspicion caught. Words became weapons. Accusations turned into chants.

"Thief!"

"Criminal!"

"Throw him out!"

Stanwell raised his hand dramatically, pointing straight at Jaden like he was some villain on trial. “How dare you bring stolen treasure into this hall and pretend you belong here?!"

Jaden finally looked up.

His gaze moved slowly-first to Stanwell, then to the sneering faces around him.

He smiled.

But it wasn't warm.

It was quiet. Calm. Cold.

Like a wolf surrounded by barking dogs.

Without saying a word, Jaden turned his back to the uproar, walked across the room, and settled into a velvet chair at a table near the edge of the hall. He picked up a silver decanter, poured himself a glass of dark wine, and swirled it lazily in his hand.

He raised the glass slightly, as if toasting them all.

"I don't owe you proof," he said, voice clear and unshaken. "Your noise doesn't change the truth."

He took a sip. The room raged.

"You arrogant bastard!"

"He's mocking us!"

Stanwell slammed his palm on the nearest table. "CALL THE POLICE!"

People clapped and cheered.

"Yes! Arrest him!"

"He won't be so smug in a cell!"

Blue and red lights flickered against the windows minutes later. A pair of officers in crisp uniforms strode in, their boots clapping against the marble floor with purpose.

Stanwell approached them like royalty, chest puffed, gesturing wildly. “That man— him he brought a stolen item into this gathering. I demand you arrest him immediately!"

The officers exchanged glances, then turned toward Jaden.

Jaden didn't even stand.

He took another sip, leaned back casually, and watched.

Before anyone could move, the crowd suddenly went quiet.

A man had entered through the main doors, and the atmosphere shifted like someone had cut the air with a knife. Conversations stopped. Eyes turned.

He was old, with slick white hair and a black mandarin-collar suit trimmed in gold. He walked with a quiet confidence, not flashy-but powerful. Everyone in the room recognized him.

"Wait... isn't that Elias Dorne?" someone whispered. "The guy who transports rare treasures around the world?"

"Yeah, the number one antique handler. He doesn't even attend these events..."

"I think he's here to reclaim the stolen item"

Everyone expected him to go to the host or the officers. But he didn't.

Instead, Elias walked straight toward Jaden.

Then, to everyone's shock, he gave a slight bow.

"Mr. Jaden," he said respectfully, his voice steady. "Forgive me for arriving late. I

came as fast as I could after you called."

The entire hall froze.

Whispers exploded like fireworks.

"What the hell... why is Elias bowing to him?"

"Wait, Jaden called him? Since when did he have that kind of connection?"

the officers and the

Elias turned to th

crowd. "There seems to be some misunderstanding here," he said. "That jade figurine? Jaden bought i from me. Last month. At a private auction. One billion dollars. Full payment. Verified."

"The jade rètic in question was sold by me. To Jaden. Last month. Private auction Verified

documented, registered under The rightful source is Find1Novel.net

Class-Prime acquisition law. Value:

one billion dollars."

A hush fell over the hall like a wave of ice water.

You could've heard a pin drop.

One of the officers blinked. "Sir... you're saying he's the legal owner?"

Elias nodded. "And falsely accusing a buyer of theft, especially in public, violates not just etiquette-but law."

Jaden finally stood up.

He adjusted his sleeves, set the wine down, and approached the group like a man walking across a battlefield where his enemies had already fallen.

"Under Article 37-C," he said

smoothly, "a false report of theft

regarding certified luxury assets qualifies for either a full arrest." He

turned to Stanwell. " on a fine of no less than one hundred million."

Stanwell's face turned ghost-white.

"W-What?! This is absurd-!"

The officer stepped forward. "Do you want to pay the fine, Mr. Stanwell? Or shall

we take you in?"

Stanwell stuttered, eyes darting around the room for help.

But no one met his gaze.

The crowd that once cheered him had now backed away like he carried plague.

Their silence was worse than any insult.

Sweat dripped down his temples.

With trembling fingers, he pulled out a sleek black titanium credit card-the very

card he bragged about for years.

He held it out like a man handing over his last breath.

“Here,” he mumbled. "Happy?"

Jaden took it, glanced at the details, and smiled faintly.

"You're learning."

He slid the card into his coat pocket and turned without another glance.

Stanwell stood frozen, his chest heaving, eyes burning.

Inside, he was screaming.

A hundred million gone. His entire savings. His power, his influence... humiliated

in front of everyone.

And now it sat casually in the hands of the man he called a nobody. "No matter

what I'll get back my money!"