CHAPTER 522: TAKING THE FALL

The warm-white jade Fortune Jade was placed at the very center of attention. Alongside it stood Angela, who had completely replaced Selina’s position and now basked in the spotlight like the jewel itself.

Everyone showered her with compliments and congratulations, while Grandma Morris and Joe grinned from ear to ear, barely able to contain their pride.

A few minutes later, a sleek car stopped at the entrance of the launch event. Kevin stepped out, dressed immaculately in a tailored suit. As a natural-born design master and darling of the fashion world, he carried himself with effortless elegance, completely at ease with the flashing cameras and relentless reporters.

Ignoring the chaos of the crowd, Kevin walked straight toward the Morris Family. Grandma Morris gave Angela a quick look, and Angela immediately stepped forward, excitement in her eyes.

"Mr. Turner, you’re here!" she greeted eagerly.

Joe followed with his most sincere smile, his voice dripping with enthusiasm. "Mr. Turner, it is truly our honor to cooperate with Turner Group. I didn’t expect you would personally attend today. Please, allow me to arrange the best seat for you—"

"Where is Miss Selina?" Kevin interrupted before Joe could finish.

The smiles on Joe’s and Angela’s faces froze instantly, their expressions darkening.

Joe hesitated, not wanting to air the family’s dirty laundry before Kevin. But Angela wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip. She bit her lip delicately, pretending to struggle.

"Selina... my sister, she..."

Kevin’s eyes sharpened. "What about her? Chairman Morris, if I recall correctly, I made it very clear—Selina is the appointed project lead. Is the Morris Family deliberately sidelining her while I wasn’t here?"

Joe paled and rushed forward, flustered. Grandma Morris, however, quickly forced a laugh to smooth things over.

"Mr. Turner, you’ve misunderstood. How could we ever sideline Selina? It’s just... she made a serious mistake. That’s the only reason... Please, don’t take it the wrong way."

Kevin’s tone was ice-cold, unyielding. "A mistake? Even if Miss Clark made one, she is still the project lead. Without her, I would never have agreed to work with the Morris Family in the first place."

Grandma Morris feigned reluctance, though inwardly she was thrilled at the chance to expose Selina.

"Well... since you insist, then I suppose I must tell the truth." She sighed, putting on a pained expression. "It’s not that we wanted to target Selina, but this time she went too far. Mr. Turner, didn’t you entrust her with a Fortune Jade?"

Kevin, sensing the bait, nodded calmly. "I did."

Grandma Morris pressed on, her voice dripping with false sorrow. "That very Fortune Jade has caused a scandal. I didn’t want to bring it up, afraid it might tarnish Selina’s image in your eyes, but..."

"Old Madam, please don’t hide it any longer!"

A voice rang out from the audience—the so-called ’experts’ who earlier accused Selina of presenting a fake.

"Mr. Turner, this isn’t the Morris Family’s fault. Selina was greedy and sold your Fortune Jade!"

"That’s right! The Morris Family only kept quiet because they wanted to preserve the partnership. They never imagined Selina could be so reckless!"

"This whole mess is a disaster for them, not their fault at all!"

Kevin’s brows arched slightly. "She sold my Fortune Jade?"

Angela’s heart leapt with triumph, though she wore a mask of worry. "Mr. Turner, my sister made a terrible mistake in a moment of weakness. We’ve already scolded her severely. Please, don’t be too angry."

Kevin’s tone grew grave. "And where is the Fortune Jade now?"

At that, Grandma Morris puffed up with pride, eager to prove herself.

"Fortunately, Angela was sharp and resourceful—she bought the Fortune Jade back! Selina is already a grown woman, yet she still acts so willful. Imagine, making her younger sister clean up her mess... truly shameful!"

She leaned forward slightly, voice dripping with suggestion. "Mr. Turner, Selina’s mistake is beyond forgiveness. Why don’t we let Angela take over this project instead? Selina can reflect on her behavior. Once she learns her lesson, she can return. Don’t you agree?"

Kevin paused, eyes unreadable. The entire room held its breath, waiting. Finally, he gave a solemn nod.

"Very well. But let me make one thing clear—the Fortune Jade was originally a gift for Miss Clark. Since she has failed to treasure it, the Turner family will be reclaiming it. Chairman Morris, take me to see the Fortune Jade."

Kevin’s request was perfectly reasonable, and everyone present could understand it.

Just as Joe was worrying whether Kevin might blame the Morris Family, Kevin suddenly turned his head toward Angela.

"Thank you, Miss Morris, for retrieving our Turner family heirloom. Later, I will personally send you a gift. From now on, Miss Morris, you will be an honored guest of the Turner family."

Angela’s heart leapt with joy.

Joe, on the other hand, felt like he was riding an emotional rollercoaster. Now that he saw Kevin wasn’t angry at the Morris Family, how could he dare oppose anything? He bowed repeatedly. "Of course, of course, right this way."

Joe thought to himself that his mother and Hannah had been right all along—Angela truly was the blessing of the Morris Family. With Angela alone, that would be enough for their future.

He led Kevin to the center of the event, gesturing proudly toward the ornate wooden box holding the Fortune Jade. "Please, take a look, the Fortune Jade is still perfectly intact, right here, and—"

"What did you just say?!"

Before he could finish, Kevin’s expression shifted sharply.

The warm smile he’d been wearing vanished in an instant, replaced by a glacial stare. He turned to Angela.

"Are you certain this is the Fortune Jade that Selina supposedly sold?"

Angela, still basking in her moment of triumph, instinctively nodded. "Of course. I know my sister made a mistake, but—"

"Angela," Kevin’s voice rose, cutting her off. "I’ll ask you again. Are you absolutely certain this is the Turner family heirloom, the Fortune Jade!?"

His tone was filled with fury.

Joe and Angela both froze as they realized something was wrong. The entire venue went silent, the weight of the atmosphere pressing down as everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

...

In the corner, Selina sat calmly, nibbling on the pastries Kevin’s staff had given her and sipping tea that his staff had brewed for her. Watching the scene unfold, she almost wanted to applaud.

Angela, however, couldn’t make sense of Kevin’s sudden accusation.

How could this be wrong?

Wasn’t this the very Fortune Jade Kevin himself had given her at the studio? He had even said it was priceless—the culmination of three generations of the Turner family’s craftsmanship.

Why was he suddenly denying it now?

"Angela," Kevin’s voice boomed like thunder. "Answer me!"

Cold sweat beaded across Angela’s forehead under the heavy, suspicious stares of the crowd. "Th-this is the Turner family’s Fortune Jade. Do you... do you think something is wrong with it?"

"Something wrong?" Kevin’s expression turned icy. "Everything is wrong! Is this the Morris Family’s attitude? To parade a fake in public and call it our heirloom? What, are you declaring yourselves enemies of the Turner family?"

The room fell into stunned silence.

Everyone had heard Kevin’s words clearly—fake.

A fake? This was a fake?!

Joe flushed crimson, utterly flustered. His first instinct was to distance himself from the scandal. But then he remembered—he had already cut ties with Selina. Now, Angela was his only daughter. He swallowed hard and stammered, "Mr. Turner, perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding!"

Kevin didn’t even glance at him. His cold voice cut through the air. "Angela, I’m asking you a question!"

Angela’s mind raced. Something had to be wrong, but how? Kevin had handed her the Fortune Jade in front of others—if it wasn’t the real heirloom, surely someone would have spoken up.

And back then, Kevin had mistaken her for Selina. What possible reason would he have had to deliberately set Selina up?

Then a chilling thought struck her like lightning. Angela’s eyes widened in horror.

What if... what if Kevin had planned this all along?

What if he had intentionally handed her a fake—setting a trap for Selina?

And now... hadn’t she just stepped into that trap herself, becoming the one to take the fall in Selina’s place?