Thud!
The vase fell onto the floor and shattered in two.
Sophia had knocked into the cabinet that the vase was on, and her back was in pain.
Samuel did not think that Megan would be so daring. Harold had gone through a lot of effort to obtain the vase. He did not expect Megan to use the vase as part of her scheme.
The vase had just fallen onto the floor when Megan exclaimed, “My god! What are you doing? Can’t you even stand properly for a photo?”
She decided to speak first and was confident that only three of them were present. She was betting that Samuel would help her instead of an outsider as they were cousins.
Sophia had already known what Megan was up to when the latter asked her to walk over to take the photo. She had seen the camera that was placed diagonally from her. When she walked over, the camera angle was such that it would only capture her stumbling and breaking the vase, and not Megan, who pushed her from behind.
Megan kept shouting and hurling abuse. Samuel could not bear it any longer and went to hold her back.
Megan shot Samuel a look. “Why are you holding me back? She was the one who broke the vase!”
At that moment, Jessica, who was in the living room on the second floor, came running down. “Meg, why are you screaming? What happened?”
Upon seeing Jessica, Megan quickly complained, “Mom! She broke Dad’s vase!”
Jessica saw the vase that had broken in two, and her face turned pale. “W-What happened? This vase-”
“What could have happened? It was her. She wanted to post a photo on Instagram. The angle here was better, so she walked over. In the end, she couldn’t stand properly and lunged toward the vase.”
After Megan finished, she snorted and added, “I don’t know if she did it intentionally!”
The vase was Harold’s treasure. Even though it was placed at the main entrance, Harold would personally wipe the vase every now and then. No one else was allowed to touch the vase save for him.
The reason why the vase was placed at the door was so that he could see it every time he returned home!
Even if Jessica did not want to blow up the matter, things had developed beyond her control.
Her expression calmed down instantly. “Ms. Yarrow, I’m afraid that this is slightly problematic.”
At that moment, Sophia, who had remained silent throughout, spoke up. “Do you want me to compensate you?”
Megan snorted again. “Compensate? It’s worth three million! Can you afford it? Furthermore, this is an antique from the golden era. This vase is one of a kind. Even if you can afford the compensation, we won’t be able to obtain the exact same vase as a replacement!”
“I shouldn’t have shown you around the house. It’s been so many years, but you still act like a country bumpkin!” she added.
Samuel frowned. “Megan! You’re going overboard!”
“How so? I wasn’t the one who broke the vase. The vase would not have broke if she stood properly for the photo!” Megan retorted.
Although Megan was still hurling accusations, her voice gradually became softer and softer after seeing Samuel’s expression. She was still fearful that he would expose the truth.
Sophia flashed a half-smile at Megan and responded calmly, “It’s true that I’m a bumpkin.”
After seeing how unfazed and unapologetic Sophia was, Jessica could no longer suppress herself. It was no longer a simple matter of whether she liked or disliked Sophia. “There’s no need for you to say such things, Ms. Yarrow. You’re our guest, and it’s your fault that the vase broke. Meg is right. You do need to compensate us. I’ll have to let my husband decide on the compensation.”
Sophia chuckled lightly, and the phone in her bag suddenly rang at that very moment.
She looked at Jessica and said, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Queen, I’ll have to take a call.”
Jessica’s face was grim, but she could not stop Sophia from taking a call.
She looked at the vase that had broken in two and, with uneven breath, uttered, “As you wish.”
Sophia glanced at Samuel and took her phone into the courtyard. She picked up the phone and asked, “Have you completed the investigation?”
“Yes, Ms. Yarrow. Our vase is authentic. They came in a pair, but the owner sold them separately. One of them went to Mr. Goodstone, which is the one we acquired. The other went to the Chairman of Rising Group, and it has remained with him since. There are no records of any transactions.”
Yvonne paused for a moment before continuing, “The original owner told Mr. Goodstone that there is another way to verify their authenticity. The number of stamens in the second flower is the same as the number of flowers in the entire vase. I forwarded the photo which you sent me to an expert. He confirmed it is a counterfeit, worth no more than thirty thousand.”
“All right, understood,” acknowledged Sophia.
After hanging up the call, Sophia looked back into the house and raised an eyebrow. Harold and Stephen had both arrived.
Based on Harold’s expression, it seemed like the vase was indeed a dearly held treasure.
Sophia scoffed as she wondered if Megan would be beaten after this.
She put away her phone and walked into the house.
Stephen walked over to her and asked concernedly, “Are you okay?”
Sophia shook her head, then smiled at Harold. “Mr. Queen, I stumbled because Megan pushed me. However, no matter what, I was the one who broke the vase by accident. Rest assured, I will definitely compensate you.”
Jessica was flabbergasted. She looked at Megan and then at Sophia, and her face became grimmer.
It would be even more difficult to settle this if the vase broke because Megan used it in her schemes against Sophia!
Stephen was her godson, and Sophia had said upfront that she was his girlfriend. Jessica was still rational enough to weigh the consequences.
“Ms. Yarrow, Meg is right. If you don’t wish to compensate, or if you can’t afford the compensation, why don’t you give an apology? There’s no need to accuse others.”
Harold’s expression was stiff, and he did not express any thoughts on the matter. He only looked at Sophia solemnly.
Stephen refused to believe that Sophia was such a person and could not help but speak up. “Godmother, I’ll compensate the price of the vase. However, I don’t believe that Sophia is someone who’d lie.”
He then looked at Sophia and said, “Sophia, let’s head back. I’ll settle this matter.”
Sophia stood her ground and did not budge. “I don’t like others misunderstanding me.”
Upon finishing, she paused and glanced at Samuel, who had been watching things unfold from the side. “Ms. Queen and I weren’t the only ones present just now. The other person present would have seen clearly whether I fell on my own or if someone pushed me. What do you say, Mr. Schild?”
Megan froze upon hearing Sophia’s words. She subconsciously looked at Samuel and sent him a meaningful look.
Samuel glanced at Megan and then Sophia.
He could have been mistaken, but he felt that there was something more than meets the eye behind Sophia’s smile.
He would have defended Megan without hesitation if it were like one of the situations in the past. However, he felt he would be in deep trouble if he lied that day after looking at Sophia’s half-smile.
Samuel did not want the situation to come back and bite him. He shuddered as he thought about the things he had to endure when Alexander divorced Sophia.
Although he knew those things had nothing to do with Sophia, it was better to play safe.
After a short internal struggle, Samuel spoke up. “Uncle Harold, Megan did push Sophia.”
