Suddenly There Are Three (Bailey and Artemis) novel Chapter 497

Chapter 497

Thereafter, she turned to the crowd and declared at the top of her voice, “Bailey is trying to pass off a fake as the real thing. What she's doing is unacceptable! What agenda is she harboring by doing this? Who gave her the gall? Bailey, you had better not go too far.

“Don't assume you're allowed to behave with impunity in Hallsbay just because of your achievements. The emerald seal is an important heritage of Chanaea and symbolizes the people's pride. There's no way we'll allow you to tamper with it. Bailey, you're heading to prison today. Don't think you can escape your fate by showing up with a lousy rock.”

Meanwhile, Bailey reached into the box in front of the cameras to retrieve the red emerald and fiddle with it.

Thereafter, Raiden and the museum curator emerged from backstage.

Raising her brows at Raiden, Bailey spoke with an indiscernible smile. “Mr. Fletcher, I have found you the emerald you've been looking for. However, everyone present doesn't seem to believe that it's real. I'll let you decide how you want to deal with this.”

Turning to the museum curator, Raiden asked in a deep voice, “What do you think?”

“Um...” The curator hesitated. “Mr. Fletcher, given that the experts have declared the earlier emerald as genuine, I find it hard to believe that Ms. Jefferson's emerald is the real one.”

A frightening aura was abruptly released by Raiden as he gave the curator the side-eye, causing the latter to stagger back in fear.

As the son of one of the nation's leaders and someone who wielded significant power, no one dared to fool around in his presence.

If it weren't for the red emerald, the curator wouldn't even be worthy of standing in his presence.

“Mr. Fletcher, why don't you tell us what we should do? I-I do not have the courage to make a decision, as the consequences are beyond my pay grade.”

Rubbing his forehead with his fingers, Raiden—wearing a wry yet apologetic grin—suggested, “Ms. Jefferson, why don't you suggest how we can resolve this impasse.”

Smirking, Bailey turned her gaze toward Lina and curled her finger at the latter. “Ms. Young, you have accused me of disparaging and maligning you. Since you were the one who appraised this red emerald, why don't you come up on stage so that we can resolve this matter?”

As Lina narrowed her eyes at Bailey, a sense of dread crept into her.

She looks so calm that it feels frightening. It's as if everything is under her control regardless of what happens.

“Master Vespera, there's no need to fear her. Since she has challenged you, you should go on and teach her a thing or two.”

“Exactly! You should put the haughty Bailey in her place.”

“Don't worry. You have our full support. So what if she's really capable? She doesn't have absolute authority in Hallsbay. What harm can she do?”

“Master Vespera, what are you spacing out for? She is walking all over you by calling you out. How can you tolerate this?”

Clenching her fists, Lina was caught between a rock and a hard place.

If she accepted the challenge, she wasn't prepared for what Bailey was up to.

Doing otherwise would be the equivalent of admitting defeat.

Ignoring her, Bailey smiled confidently at Raiden. “This is the method I'm proposing. Do you agree to it? If you do, we'll be able to see the results in three minutes. If you don't, it's clear that you're just as guilty.”

“You...”

Narrowing his eyes, Raiden clarified, “Are you sure the emerald won't be melted?”

“It won't. The real emerald is made of a special material that doesn't degrade over a millennium. It's not something that an imitation can easily replace. Trust me.”

“Fine, we'll go along with your suggestion.”

The curator's expression drastically changed. Just as he was about to protest, a piercing glare from Raiden caused him to hold his tongue.

Staggering back in shock, the wide-eyed Lina asked in a quivering voice, “M-Mr. Fletcher, what if the emerald is melted? You can't possibly go along with this ludicrous plan of Bailey's, can you? This is the emerald seal we're dealing with—”

“Enough. I have made my decision. Just do as Bailey says.”

With that, he ordered the curator to bring in the melting pots.

At that moment, one of the elderly experts came forward. “Mr. Fletcher, in the event the red emerald is destroyed, are you going to bear the responsibility?”