Chapter 505
“Transfer the money first,” Sofina said, calm but firm.
She wanted the cash back-the money she had used to buy the ring-so at least she wouldn’t take a financial hit on top of everything else.
“Fine,” Belinda sneered. “It’s only ninety thousand. Do you really think I wouldn’t pay such pocket change p>
“No money, no item,” Sofina replied flatly, tightening her grip on the ancient painting.
Belinda sent the transfer through her bracelet without hesitation and snatched the painting the moment it cleared.
A wide smile spread across her face. In her mind, the profit was already counted— millions of dollars sitting right in her hands.
“Now,” Belinda said, lifting her chin, her eyes sharp and demanding, “about the ring. Hand it back to me. Right now p>
Sofina looked at her sharply. Her eyes were cold. “If you want that ring, you’d better line up a team of lawyers p>
Belinda smiled, slow and smug. “Then wait for the call. My father is more than happy to use Eden Group’s legal team. You know their reputation. The best of the best p>
Her voice hardened. “You’ll be facing them. Believe me I will win that ring p>
Sofian shook his head, exhausted. He didn’t even bother to respond.
A classmate finally spoke, hesitant. “Belinda… if your father is that powerful in Eden Group, and you already control so many resources, why doesn’t he just get you into Eden Group directly? I heard the pay there is really good p>
Belinda scoffed, pure contempt on her face.
“What the hell do you know?” she snapped. “If I joined Eden Group, who would run the company we set up to connect with Eden Group’s purchasing department? Me staying outside, my father staying inside—that’s the perfect setup. That’s how real money is made p>
“I I still don’t get it,” one of the classmates admitted.
Belinda smirked, clearly savoring the moment. “I own a company that supplies materials to Eden Group. Through my father, I secure the contracts. The materials come from other suppliers, but they pass through my company’s name before reaching Eden Group. I just add a few percent to the price-no work, no risk. Every cent of that profit flows straight to me p>
“Damn,” someone blurted out. “You must be making a fortune p>
Belinda snorted. “It’s nothing worth mentioning. Maybe a few million a month p>
Then she turned her gaze toward Alex, her smile turning fake and sharp.
“Alex,” she said sweetly, her voice coated in sugar and threat, “give me the ring back p>
“Give it back?” Alex replied without hesitation, his voice cold and razor-sharp. “How could you even think it was yours in the first place? Don’t you feel any shame? It belongs to Sofina—and it always will p>
“Where did you get that ring?” Belinda demanded. “Did you steal it p>
All eyes turned toward Alex, curiosity and suspicion flashing across their faces.
“You don’t need to know,” Alex said evenly. “You can report it to the police if you want. See if you find anything illegal p>
His gaze was steady, unbothered. “All you’ll get is public embarrassment p>
Belinda sneered. “So confident now, huh?” Her lips curled. “I heard you work as a gardener at Eden Group. Is that right p>
“You don’t need to know,” Alex replied calmly.
Without waiting for his answer, Belinda tapped her bracelet and made a call.
When the connection went through, she switched it to loudspeaker-making sure everyone in the room could hear every word.
“Dad,” Belinda said sharply into her bracelet, her voice dripping with outrage, “there’s a lowly gardener from Eden Group. He and his wife cheated us out of a reunion auction item and refuse to give it back. He basically stole what belongs to me. Can you have him fired from Eden Group p>
“How dare he steal from you?” her father’s voice thundered through the bracelet. “What’s his name p>
“Alexander Saint-Claire,” Belinda sneered.
“Then tell him this,” her father said coldly. “He’s fired. And he is never to set foot in Eden Group again p>
“Thank you, Dad,” Belinda said sweetly. “And I’ll need to borrow a few lawyers to reclaim the item, same as always p>
“Of course,” her father replied without hesitation. “Use them however you like p>
Alex shook his head slowly. Another parasite, openly abusing Eden Group’s power for personal gain-without shame, without fear.
“Well, loser,” Belinda laughed loudly, eyes sharp with cruelty.
“You’re unemployed now,” she mocked. “What are you going to do from today onward? Don’t tell me you plan to live off Sofina, doing housework like a parasite, huh p>
Laughter burst around the table.
Alex only shrugged, his expression calm, almost lazy.
“Well,” he said evenly, “thanks for freeing me from a boring job. Now all I get to do is laundry, cooking, driving my wife to work and picking her up, giving her massages every day and loving her p>
A faint smile crossed his lips. “Honestly? That’s a great job. It’ll make me happy. I’m going to enjoy it. You’re doing me a huge favor p>
Belinda nearly lost control.
How dare this shameless bastard sound so proud? So casual? So unapologetic?
She swallowed her fury, teeth grinding, and spat out, “Alex, I never knew you were such a happy leech p>
“So?” Alex replied calmly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I didn’t steal. I didn’t rob anyone. I
contribute by doing housework. Make my wife happy. Why shouldn’t I be happy? Remember, happy wife is happy life p>
The laughter died instantly.
The room fell into stunned silence.
They had never seen someone so brazen. So openly shameless.
And what made it worse-what twisted the knife-was that they were jealous.
Sofina Scheinwald was stunning. Elegant. Untouchable. A woman many of them could only dream of.
To live off someone like her was a fantasy they could never reach.
And she was an official partner of Eden Group-listed by major magazines as one
of the most powerful women in Winchester.
The jealousy burned. Thick. Bitter. Suffocating.
Ragnar stepped forward, glaring at Alex.
“Hey, loser. Don’t you have any pride at all p>
Alex laughed openly.
“I’m proud of it. What’s wrong with being a live-in husband if it means being with a
woman like Sofina Scheinwald p>
His eyes were sharp, mocking.
“That’s a win in my book. As far as I
remember, you’re the one stuck with
a woman carrying five different STDS and she’s nowhere near as beautiful as Sofina p>
He tilted his head slightly. “You’re the real loser here p>
Ragnar nearly choked, his face flushing as if he’d been punched in the throat.
“Ragnar,” Belinda cut in coldly. “There’s no point wasting words on a stupid loser. It’s
a waste of time. Let’s continue the auction p>
She turned away at once and
clapped her hands, snapping back
into control. One by one, she opened the gifts and began the auction her voice ringing clearly through the room.
“Thank you, Felix, for your six-hundred-dollar bid p>
“Thank you, Helena, for the useless wall clock. Honestly, who even uses these anymore p>
“Thank you, Ola Rivers, for the so-called beautiful but completely unknown vase p>
“And thank you, Karl, for your gift-worth a grand total of two hundred dollars!” She
scoffed. “Why did you even bother showing up p>
She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Damn, most of you are assholes p>
Then Belinda paused. Her gaze landed on one final item.
“I remember this one,” she said slowly. “This was Sofina’s gift p>
Instantly, every pair of eyes locked onto it.
Belinda picked it up and examined it. Inside the box lay a single green stone, about
the size of a chicken egg. Nothing fancy. Nothing dazzling.
“Well?” Belinda sneered. “Who wants to bid on this?” Her lips curled. “Let’s start at
one thousand dollars p>
“Ten thousand,” Alex said calmly, raising his hand.
The room jolted.
“Twenty thousand,” Renata added immediately.
The classmates stared at the stone again, their minds racing. Painting. Ring. What if
this was another treasure worth millions?
“Thirty thousand,” Ragnar barked, lifting his hand.
Belinda bit her lip and jumped in herself. “Forty thousand p>
The numbers climbed, slowly but steadily-fifty thousand, sixty, eighty-until they
finally hit one hundred thousand dollars.
And then-
Alex smirked.
Because only he knew the truth.
That green stone was nothing special at all.
Just an ordinary rock he had picked up off the street.