Chapter 353
“Thank you, then,” Aspen said with a smile as she hung up the phone. “Like I said, life isn’t just about stone gambling and these trivial antiquities. Power and connections are my ultimate weapons to crush you, Andrew!”
Christina asked hesitantly, “Aspen, who did you call for help? From what we saw during the stone gambling, Ms. Santana and Andrew weren’t cheating or manipulating anything.”
Aspen waved her off. “Stay out of this, Christie. That Andrew must have set me up. Why else would I lose so badly? Remember how he insisted on raising the stakes before we even started? That should have been my first red flag, but I foolishly missed it.”
Christina nodded uncertainly, not wanting to interfere further. Though Aspen treated her like a close friend, there was still a social gap between them since Aspen came from the main branch of the Bridgefields‘ Stevens family.
“Aspen, Elsie works for Silas Vaughn at Radiant Group, and Andrew now knows many Jayrodale socialites,” Christina reminded her. “Will investigating them even work?”
Aspen laughed coldly. “Just because I’m not from Jayrodale doesn’t mean I don’t have connections here. The person I just called is the Chief Commissioner of the Jayrodale Police Department.”
Christina was shocked. “The Chief Commissioner? Mr. Donald Warren? He’s one of Jayrodale’s highest–ranking officials!”
“That’s right,” Aspen replied smugly, crossing her arms. “Donald and I were classmates at Blumedale. He was one of my admirers–I never gave him the time of day, but I kept him interested just in case. Looks like that finally paid off.”
Christina was at a loss for words. She had always seen Aspen as a capable and strong–willed businesswoman, but as their friendship deepened, she noticed how Aspen’s pride could make her ruthless when backed into a corner.
Christina was not a fan of this. Nonetheless, since Aspen had made her decision, she decided not to interfere with anything. After all, Aspen had lost so miserably that day, and it was only natural to let the police investigate if there was any possible unknown inside information.
Meanwhile, at the auction venue, the excitement continued. Andrew, Francesca, and Cedric followed Elsie through the staff entrance to Radiant Group’s backstage lounge.
Francesca panted. “We got out just in time. Otherwise, those antiquity enthusiasts would have torn Andrew apart!”
Elsie chuckled and said, “Mr. Lloyd’s stone gambling skills are truly beyond imagination. I bet nine out of ten people out there want to become his apprentice, hoping he’ll teach them how to get rich quickly.”
Cedric scoffed, “That’s the despicable side of human nature. Instead of working hard, they’re chasing unrealistic dreams.”
