Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared) novel Chapter 553

Chapter 553 

Manuel huffed, “This is on you guys, you can’t just dump this on me. I came for the painting, and now you’ve made me a laughing stock. You owe me a decent compensation. You did say ‘tenfold compensation for a fake‘, Ms. Beatrice. You gotta keep your promise.” 

Beatrice stormed up, “You nouveau riche, are you just looking to stir up trouble?” 

Manuel hated being labeled as a nouveau riche, and Beatrice’s words hit him like fuel to the fire. 

“All of you, making money under the guise of charity, I’m gonna sue.” 

Laura could feel things spiraling out of control, especially with all the media around. 

They were supposed to be witnesses, not the ones making headlines. 

Then, out of the blue, Jared stepped up. 

Jared said, “The value of a painting lies in how people perceive it. Although this one isn’t an original, it’s still a masterpiece. And let’s not forget, none of the experts here could tell it was a fake. It’s not Ms. Beatrice’s fault that she got duped. I’m willing to fork out $21 million for it in support of the charity. Anyone willing to top that?” 

Every time Jared spoke, he caused an uproar. 

This time, he was clearly defending Ms. Beatrice. 

Even knowing the painting was a fake, he was still willing to shell out big bucks for it. That way, the painting is auctioned off like normal, and it wouldn’t be a disaster. 

As long as Jared bought the painting, Manuel had no reason to demand compensation here, unless he bid higher and competed with Jared. 

But if he did that, he would be blatantly stirring the pot for his own gain. 

His reputation would take a major hit. 

Not to mention, Jared was the CEO of the Tim Group. His wealth was unparalleled. 

Even if it cost 20 million, or even 200 million, he wouldn’t bat an eyelid. 

Manuel was well aware of that. 

Now that Jared had stepped in, he didn’t dare to confront him and left after muttering a few empty words. 

The situation seemed to have taken another unexpected turn. 

Compared to the shocking news of the fake painting, Jared’s “heroic rescue” story was more captivating. 

Most importantly, the fake was exposed by Jared’s ex–wife, but in the end, Jared was the one who bought it for a hefty price. 

Wasn’t that a slap in his ex–wife’s face? And everyone got the message. 

Between his new flame and old flame, Jared chose the new. 

It seemed that Ms. Beatrice and Jared’s relationship was pretty much set in stone. 

Agnes watched it all unfold on the side. The moment Jared stepped in, she was reminded of the time he spent a fortune on Kingdom Heart to avoid 

criticism. 

He was using the same old trick.