Arlene continued seriously, “What if you stole the antiques but didn’t hide them on yourself? What if you hid them somewhere in the hall, planning to retrieve them later?”
This statement almost made Ethan spit out blood. However, he was confident that even if Zakari failed, the stolen antiques wouldn’t be found on him, so he remained unafraid.
Ollie James glanced at Ethan and signaled to the security guards. Two guards understood; one held a device to check Ethan’s body, while the other inspected his briefcase.
Everyone watched eagerly. Even if they found nothing on him, making him uncomfortable was still satisfying.
The guard checking the briefcase opened it and suddenly froze. This reaction indicated they had found something.
The crowd’s expressions tightened, their eyes fixated on the guard’s hand inside the briefcase. When the guard slowly withdrew his hand, he held a black cloth bag, bulging with contents.
Seeing Ethan’s mouth gradually open in shock, Leo’s lips curved into a smile. A strong sense of unease made Ethan want to flee, but he couldn’t move his feet. His palms were sweating profusely.
Everyone had a strong premonition that the stolen antiques were inside that black cloth bag. The guard looked at Ollie James.
“Open it!”
Ethan wanted to stop them, but under the circumstances, he had no control. The guard untied the black cloth bag and slowly emptied its contents.
First appeared a small golden mouse, followed by a jade bracelet adorned with dragon and phoenix patterns.
“RH Auction Company’s Dragon and Phoenix Jade Bracelet!” someone exclaimed.
Seeing the bracelet, Ollie James finally relaxed his furrowed brow. He looked at Ethan again, half-angry, half-mocking, “Ethan, is Bonham Auction House short on money lately? If you needed money, you could have told me. Stealing from my company is unacceptable.”
Looking at the items from the black cloth bag, Ethan’s face turned ashen. His Adam’s apple moved twice, but he couldn’t utter a word. He instinctively stepped back, mumbling, “I didn’t steal them. How did these things get into my bag? Someone framed me!”
“With evidence in hand, you still want to deny it? I think you were trying to frame Spirit Moon Antiques to divert our attention!” Mr. Rich from Triple Element Commerce Association pointed at Ethan and scolded.
Bodhi Leaf Scripture was Triple Element Commerce Association’s prized possession. If stolen, it would severely damage the association. No wonder Mr. Rich was so angry.
Ethan saw Leo’s eyes, filled with amusement and mockery. Realizing something, Ethan pointed at Leo and shouted, “It’s him! This guy named Leo is behind all this! He must have planted the stolen antiques in my bag!”
No one believed Ethan anymore. To them, he was just a mad dog biting everyone around.
Mr. Rich had already taken out his phone to call the police. Seeing the situation turn against him, Ethan tried to run but was quickly subdued by two guards.
“Let me go! I didn’t steal the antiques! It was Spirit Moon Antiques!” Ethan struggled in vain.
Mr. Rich patted Leo’s shoulder and comforted him, “Brother, don’t mind him. He’s just a lunatic.”
Soon, the police arrived and took Ethan away, finally resolving the theft incident.
After the theft incident, major antique dealers gained a new respect for Spirit Moon Antiques. Coupled with the genuine Tiger’s Roar in the Forest painting, Spirit Moon Antiques’ reputation spread throughout Langstel’s antique world.
Before leaving, Charles approached Leo and whispered curiously, “Leo, how did you put those stolen antiques into Ethan’s bag when he tried to frame you?”
“Are you saying I didn’t steal the antiques to frame him?” Leo asked back.
Charles shook his head confidently, “I trust my judgment; it wasn’t you.”
“Haha, Charles indeed has sharp eyes. As for how I did it, that’s a secret,” Leo laughed.
Seeing Leo didn’t want to explain, Charles didn’t press further and just smiled and shook his head.
After packing up and leaving the exhibition hall, Leo drove Christine and Arlene back to the antique shop.
“Zakari, what do we do now? Ethan was taken by the police!” a subordinate nervously asked Zakari.
“What? How did he get taken by the police?” Zakari thought he misheard.
“I don’t know. A brother just reported seeing Ethan taken away in a police car.”
“Useless!” Zakari couldn’t help but kick the subordinate.
The subordinate quickly got up from the ground, avoiding Zakari’s eyes, and stammered, “Zakari, what do we do now?”
“Damn it! Do I have to teach you everything? Find someone to take the fall and get Ethan out!”
“Yes, Zakari. I’ll handle it right away.” The subordinate quickly left to carry out the order.
After the exhibition, Christine’s social engagements suddenly increased exponentially. Someone posted a short video on TikTok, causing Christine’s follower count to skyrocket as netizens discussed this beautiful antique shop owner.
Perhaps this was an unexpected rise to fame. Riding this wave of popularity, Christine renovated the antique shop and prominently displayed Tiger’s Roar in the Forest as its centerpiece.
The once old and rustic antique shop seemed rejuvenated with new life.
One day, while Leo was drinking tea in the clinic, his phone rang with an unfamiliar number. Leo answered.
“Leo, guess who?” A familiar woman’s voice came through-it was Vivian Young!
“Vivian Young!”
“I knew you wouldn’t forget me, Leo,” Vivian Young laughed.
“Where are you? What about Knox Chapman?”
“I’m coming to your clinic soon. Knox Chapman has a task and didn’t come with me.”
Shortly after hanging up, Vivian Young appeared outside Nameless Chinese Clinic. Bringing her into the guest room of the clinic, Leo asked directly, “How did you know I was here?”
Suddenly realizing something, Leo added, “Fire Rose told you, didn’t she?”