I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 186

When she passed away, I rushed back from the Lancaster estate in a haze of grief. After handling the funeral arrangements, I went to gather the rest of her belongings to take back with me, but they were nowhere to be found.

I asked my father, but he claimed he never paid attention to such things and accused my mother of misplacing them again. I asked everyone in the house, but no one knew a thing.

Now I realized it wasn't my mother who had been careless. Someone had hidden them. And the thieves were none other than the Lopez mother-daughter duo.

Those two bitches. I would make them pay.

The exhibition hall was packed when I arrived. Vendors of all kinds had set up booths, but Antonia’s had drawn the largest crowd. I pushed my way through the throng, overhearing endless praise.

Antonia, wearing sunglasses, smiled coyly. “Oh, stop, you’re all too kind. I’m just a college entrepreneur, completely self-taught. This tiger, especially, took me ages to carve. I cut my hands several times.”

Another wave of compliments followed. “So young and talented! I would have thought this kind of work required at least a decade of experience. To think it was carved by such a young woman. It’s absolutely stunning, so lifelike. Even the whiskers look real.”

“Exactly. This has real collector’s value. I expected it to be priced in the hundreds of thousands, but it’s only a few thousand. A great deal. If only one could collect all twelve zodiac animals.”

“If all twelve were this beautiful, the price would be much higher. At least a million for the set, I’d say.”

Antonia’s smile widened, but it froze on her face when she saw me break through the crowd.

I stared at her coldly. Only two figurines remained on the table: a tiger and a dog. I scooped them both into my bag, my voice like ice.

“Exactly! Look at Zephyra, all dressed up and pretty, but her heart is black. Give the girl back her art! This is her business. You have no right to take it!”

“Yeah, give it back!”

The calls grew louder, and one person even tried to snatch my bag. I shot them a look so cold it froze them in place.

“I dare anyone to touch me. Lay one finger on me, and I’ll be on the ground faking a seizure.”

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