Madam Escaped Again Sir novel Chapter 540

“A premium knock-off?” Toby repeated grimly, the air around him growing cold.

Tom’s lips twitched, and he was rendered speechless as he thought, A premium knock-off of the Oceans Heart? What a ridiculous lie!

Not knowing that Toby and Tom had already caught her in her lie, Jean thought she had them fooled. Nodding frantically, she said, “Yes, a premium knock-off. I specifically went to the mall to get it, and it cost me thousands!”

“Mom, do you seriously think the Ocean’s Heart would have a knock-off in the market?” Toby demanded as he stared at her impassively.

Upon hearing this, Jean felt the sirens going off in her head, and a wave of uneasiness crashed over her as she stammered, “W-What do you mean?” “What I meant was that the Ocean’s Heart was auctioned off as soon as it was made, and no photos of it had ever been made public. The rest of the world only knew the Ocean’s Heart as an extremely valuable piece of jewelry, but they never saw what it looked like. As for that shop that you supposedly went to, why don’t you tell me where they came across the real Ocean’s Heart and thereafter produce a counterfeit like that?” he asked icily and pressed his lips into a thin line.

She blanched and began to stammer, “I-I...” She was at a loss for words, having reached the peak of embarrassment now that her bluff had been called.

Rubbing the space between his brows, he asked, “So, are you ready to tell me how the Ocean’s Heart came to be in your possession?”

She held onto the Ocean’s Heart that was nestled upon her collarbone and forced herself to meet Toby’s piercing gaze. Understanding that she could not lie any further, she finally spoke the truth. “Sonia gave it to me.

“That’s impossible!” Toby countered sternly with a frown.

Hurrying to her own defense, Jean insisted, “She really did give it to me! You were hospitalized when she came over to look for you. I was the one who greeted her at the door, and she handed the necklace to me so I could pass it to you, but I—”

“But you decided to keep it for yourself instead when you realized that it was the Ocean’s Heart, is that it?” Toby asked, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

Jean looked down in shame as though to confess in silence.

Taking a deep breath to keep his rage at bay, Toby reached a hand toward her and barked coldly, “Give me the necklace.”

“No,” she cried in protest when she heard this and tightened her grip on the Ocean’s Heart. She shook her head vehemently, her unwillingness showing on her face. “You were the one who bought the Ocean’s Heart in the first

place, Toby, and when you first gave it to that bit—”

His expression grew sullen. “Hmm?”

Knowing how he felt toward Sonia at the moment, Jean realized that she had said something wrong. She opened and closed her mouth, then tried to cover up her mistake as she argued, “What I meant to say was, Sonia was the one at fault when she snatched the Ocean’s Heart away in the beginning, and now that she has returned it out of her own good conscience, you could give it to me instead of letting it lie around the house.”

“No!” Toby snapped through gritted teeth, then reached out to her once more. “Give me the necklace.”

Jean tried to persuade him once more.

“Toby-”

However, he did not budge as he hissed, “Give it to me!”

She heard the impatience and dangerous undertone in his voice and thought better

than to push his limits. She quickly unclasped the necklace and handed it over to him reluctantly, all the while clenching her jaw.

Having taken one end of the necklace, Toby made to pull it in, only to find that it would not budge in mid-air. Frowning, he looked up to see that Jean had not entirely released the other end of the necklace even as she handed it over, and her face was the perfect picture of reluctance.