The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 305

The next morning, Lucie wasted no time. She hit the ground running, determined to check every artifact herself.

Her team of seven veteran experts and appraisers was right behind her as they headed straight to Mitchell’s branch. Mitchell stayed with them the whole time, calm and completely transparent. He unlocked every storage room and display case, letting the experts examine everything from top to bottom.

From ancient bronzes to Ming and Qing paintings, each piece was checked—serial numbers matched, anti-counterfeit marks verified, the materials and age tested with specialized equipment. After three solid hours, the experts finally gave their verdict.

“Ms. Anderson, all items in Mitchell’s collection are authentic and properly registered.”

Lucie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and nodded at Mitchell. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

Mitchell wiped his forehead, giving her a tired but genuine smile. “Of course. You’re thorough, Ms. Anderson. We could all learn from you.”

Without missing a beat, Lucie led the team straight to the second branch, managed by Jose.

The moment they started the inspection, the lead expert frowned as he picked up a 16th-century blue-and-white vase. He tapped it lightly, listening to the sound. “The clay’s off. That’s not the tone you get from authentic Ming-era porcelain.”

Another expert pulled out a portable spectrometer and tested the rim. His face got serious. “Ms. Anderson, this is a modern replica. The cobalt in the clay doesn’t match period ceramics at all.”

Lucie’s heart dropped.

She moved to a display case, taking out a jade piece from the Qing dynasty. The feel in her hand wasn’t right—cool but not as smooth as she remembered. The hidden mark on the base was also blurred.

Even though the fake was nearly perfect, Lucie spotted the differences immediately.

“This one’s a fake too.”

The experts looked it over carefully. “It is. The imitation’s close, but the way the fibers are distributed in the jade is too uniform. It’s artificially aged.”

Lucie’s palms went cold, panic rising in her chest.

This was already the third priceless artifact that had been swapped out. The losses were easily over half a billion.

She didn’t dare think about how many more might have been switched. Even a handful meant catastrophic damage.

Lucie didn’t bother listening. Her voice was cold. “Tag and seal all the fakes. Document everything—every detail.”

“And detain Jose, his deputy, and the rest of the key staff from this branch.”

“Yes, Ms. Anderson.”

The security team moved quickly, rounding up seven or eight people. “Cooperate and nobody gets hurt.”

Lucie’s heart raced. “Let’s get to the third branch. Now.”

Their final stop was Nathan’s branch.

Maybe word had already spread, because things there were even worse. As soon as the experts opened the main vault, they found seven or eight empty display boxes tossed in a corner. The registry said the missing pieces were “on loan for exhibition,” but Lucie knew there had never been any such loan.

The experts kept moving through the vault, inspecting every artifact with sharp eyes and steady hands—checking by sight, testing materials, comparing craftsmanship.