The Understated Dragon Lord

Chapter 432: The Decline of The Matthews Leo had paid a hefty sum for the painting "Gray Tree," and after countless inspections, he was confident it was the real deal-an authentic Piet Mondrian.

Fuming yet certain, he turned to Gary Smart.

"Gary, you saw this Mondrian's 'Gray Tree' last tyou dropped by," Leo mentioned pointedly. "You declared it genuine, willing to shell out fifty million to make it yours. Though, just to be safe, you insisted on a master's appraisal first." With a nod toward Xavier, Leo asked, "This gentleman here, he's the expert you brought along, right?" At Leo's words, Gary beamed triumphantly. After all, the lovely Bella was watching, and he had to show off his chops. Secretly, he longed to marry Bella, the granddaughter of the Matthews clan and one of New York's top beauties.

But the Matthews wouldn't agree to marry off Bella to him, so he set his sights on Jessica, Bella's cousin. That didn't mean he would turn down a fling with Bella if the chance arose. His ultimate dream? To win over both Jessica and Bella-why choose if you don't have to? "Do you know who this is, Leo?" Gary boasted. "This is Xavier, the chairman of the American Antiques Association and the premier appraiser in the USA!" Gary's chest swelled with pride as he introduced Xavier.

"Xavier? You've actually managed to bring Xavier here? That's incredible! Xavier gracing Fortune Antiques with his presence is a true honor. I've heard getting him is tougher than calling on heaven itself!" Leo's words gave Gary just the opening he needed to strut his stuff.

"That's right," Gary quickly replied. "Xavier is no easy man to summon. Just last year, the Matthews family head wanted his consultation, and Xavier turned them down flat. Mind you, the Matthews rank third among New York's eight prominent families—even if they fall short of the Evans-still a dynasty of repute." At this, Bella's face darkened, and she asked coldly, "What are you implying, Gary?" "I'm just stating facts," Gary shrugged. "The Matthews, despite their rank, have been losing influence. Otherwise, why would they fail to engage Xavier? They're only holding onto third place because the other elite families respect the old man Matthews' dignity. Sadly, the descendants of the Matthews are... lacking." Bella stamped her foot, frustrated and without a comeback.

The Matthews were indeed on the decline, their next generation not quite living up to the legacy. Bella, despite being a woman, was the most capable of her generation. And as for her father's generation, their infighting had thrown the family into chaos.

Daniel watched the unfold with hands in his pockets, amused. He was genuinely curious whether Xavier, lauded as the top appraiser in the USA, truly had the goods or was all talk. The "Gray Tree" on the table was a forgery-a very convincing one, capable of deceiving even a seasoned expert. After all, even those with real talent could sometimes be fooled.

Chapter 432: The Decline of The Matthews Leo had paid a hefty sum for the painting "Gray Tree," and after countless inspections, he was confident it was the real deal-an authentic Piet Mondrian.

Fuming yet certain, he turned to Gary Smart.

"Gary, you saw this Mondrian's 'Gray Tree' last tyou dropped by," Leo mentioned pointedly. "You declared it genuine, willing to shell out fifty million to make it yours. Though, just to be safe, you insisted on a master's appraisal first." With a nod toward Xavier, Leo asked, "This gentleman here, he's the expert you brought along, right?" At Leo's words, Gary beamed triumphantly. After all, the lovely Bella was watching, and he had to show off his chops. Secretly, he longed to marry Bella, the granddaughter of the Matthews clan and one of New York's top beauties.

But the Matthews wouldn't agree to marry off Bella to him, so he set his sights on Jessica, Bella's cousin. That didn't mean he would turn down a fling with Bella if the chance arose. His ultimate dream? To win over both Jessica and Bella-why choose if you don't have to? "Do you know who this is, Leo?" Gary boasted. "This is Xavier, the chairman of the American Antiques Association and the premier appraiser in the USA!" Gary's chest swelled with pride as he introduced Xavier.

"Xavier? You've actually managed to bring Xavier here? That's incredible! Xavier gracing Fortune Antiques with his presence is a true honor. I've heard getting him is tougher than calling on heaven itself!" Leo's words gave Gary just the opening he needed to strut his stuff.

"That's right," Gary quickly replied. "Xavier is no easy man to summon. Just last year, the Matthews family head wanted his consultation, and Xavier turned them down flat. Mind you, the Matthews rank third among New York's eight prominent families-even if they fall short of the Evans-still a dynasty of repute." At this, Bella's face darkened, and she asked coldly, "What are you implying, Gary?"

"I'm just stating facts," Gary shrugged. "The Matthews, despite their rank, have been losing influence. Otherwise, why would they fail to engage Xavier? They're only holding onto third place because the other elite families respect the old man Matthews' dignity. Sadly, the descendants of the Matthews are... lacking." Bella stamped her foot, frustrated and without a comeback.

The Matthews were indeed on the decline, their next generation not quite living up to the legacy. Bella, despite being a woman, was the most capable of her generation. And as for her father's generation, their infighting had thrown the family into chaos.

Daniel watched the unfold with hands in his pockets, amused. He was genuinely curious whether Xavier, lauded as the top appraiser in the USA, truly had the goods or was all talk. The "Gray Tree" on the table was a forgery-a very convincing one, capable of deceiving even a seasoned expert. After all, even those with real talent could sometimes be fooled.