4: 4

Less than ten minutes after Nanette left, a video from Asher popped up in the family group chat.

In it, the stack of cash on the coffee table was filmed in perfect detail.

Asher had captioned it:

【My mom already paid ninety thousand, and some people still aren't satisfied. When it comes to this between relatives, it's honestly heartbreaking.】

People in the chat chimed in fast.

【Elaine, your aunt already paid up. Let it go, that's enough.】

【Young people these days count every penny. They'd throw away family over it.】

【Nobody wanted the gold set to go missing. Nanette didn't do it on purpose.】

I didn't reply.

I just sealed the bag of cash, untouched, inside a clear evidence bag, taped it shut, and photographed it for the record.

I wouldn't touch a cent of that ninety thousand.

Because it wasn't compensation.

It was proof that Nanette was swallowing the gold cheap and trying to call it even.

My mom stood beside me, so angry her hands were shaking.

"How can she do this? She's the one who lost the pieces, and now we're the greedy ones?"

I put the sealed bag of cash into the cabinet.

"Mom, don't panic. If she dared post that video in the group, it means she thinks this is already over."

My dad frowned. "What do you mean?"

I walked to the window.

Down below, the car had already vanished past the intersection.

I said quietly, "She thinks ninety thousand bought her more than two hundred thousand."

At 1:12 in the afternoon, my phone rang.

It was the prop shop owner.

His voice was low. "Miss Winfield, Frederick James over at the westside pawnshop just called me to check a serial number. Someone's trying to pawn sample A17 as gold."

My fingers went still.

"Are they still in the shop?"

"They are. Frederick didn't take it in, and he hasn't handed the footage to anyone. He called the police first, by the book, and had his clerk keep them there. I pulled the sales record on my end. Sample A17 is the exact set you bought yesterday."

"What did they say?" I asked.

The prop shop owner paused.

"Frederick only told me one thing. It's a mother and son. They claim they already paid a relative ninety thousand this morning, so the gold set belongs to them now."

I laughed.

Nanette really never disappointed me.

Before he hung up, the prop shop owner reminded me, "Miss Winfield, you can go over, but don't get into it with them. The shop's footage and recordings can only go to the police, not to any private person. If you want the evidence, wait for the police to pull it."

"I understand."

I grabbed my bag, and before I walked out, I sent Antonia a message.

【If you want to know whether the gold set on yesterday's gift list is real or fake, come to Frederick's pawnshop on the west side right now.】

Half an hour later, I reached the west side of town.

Nanette's car was parked outside the pawnshop.

The door was ajar. The police hadn't arrived yet.

I didn't go straight in. I just stood by the door.

At the counter, Nanette and Asher had their backs to me.

Asher shoved the jewelry box toward the owner, an edge of impatience he couldn't hold back in his voice.

"Boss, take a look. How much can you give me for this set?"

The pawnshop owner opened the box, but he didn't name a price. He only asked, "Where's the receipt? Proof of purchase?"

Nanette waved a hand, irritated.

"It's our own property. Who needs a receipt? Just tell us how much."

Asher lowered his voice. "Solid gold, a hundred and ninety-eight grams. We need cash fast, so give us a fair price."

The owner picked up the bracelet and weighed it in his hand. His expression turned a little odd.

"You're sure this is solid gold?"

Nanette smiled at once.

"It was on display at yesterday's engagement dinner. The gold set the Sawyer family gave our daughter-in-law. Of course it's solid gold."

Asher backed her up. "Don't try to lowball us. My mom already paid a relative ninety thousand to keep this set. I know what gold's going for right now, so don't try to cheat me."

Hearing that, my fingers tightened a little around my phone.

Paid me ninety thousand.

Kept the gold set.

So they hadn't even bothered to hide the story.

The owner didn't respond. He took out his gold-testing tools, then held a magnifying glass to the inner rim of the bracelet.

Nanette was still gloating.

"Asher, what did I tell you? Ninety thousand for more than two hundred thousand, this deal's no loss. That girl thought she could go up against me. She's still green."

The next second, the owner looked up.

His voice wasn't loud, but it landed cleanly in everyone's ears.

"This isn't solid gold."

Asher's face changed all at once.

"What did you say?"

The owner turned the bracelet over and pointed at a line of tiny characters on the inner rim.

"Brass, gold-plated. A wedding display sample."

"That ninety thousand you just paid out bought a box of fakes."