Chapter 295: Chapter 295 The Fake Masterpiece Exposed
Rose glanced at the plump fishes swimming in the pond. They had already gathered around the waterlogged scroll, nibbling curiously at its edges. Even if it were retrieved now, the damage was done.
One of the attendants hurried into the pond and carefully recovered it.
Victoria rushed over, gently unrolling the soaked calligraphy. Although it had been stored in a protective case, the paint had bled through the paper, several sections had torn, and the entire piece was in terrible condition. Restoring it would be nearly impossible.
"What are we going to do?" Victoria murmured, her face filled with regret. "This was the piece Mrs. Taylor treasured most..."
Samantha’s expression darkened.
She stepped forward, intending to inspect the damage herself.
Just then—
"What happened here?"
Grace Taylor had arrived.
She hadn’t made a sound, and no one had noticed her approach. Derick and Ryan were among the group walking behind her.
The moment Samantha saw Grace, her face went pale.
She was about to explain.
But Grace had already noticed the ruined painting.
Her expression changed immediately as she hurried over.
Victoria suddenly stood.
"This has nothing to do with Ms. Hill," she said quickly. "I was the one trying to recover this piece to surprise you. Unfortunately, there was an accident, and it ended up being damaged..."
She was clearly trying to protect Samantha.
Having witnessed everything from the beginning, Rose knew that wasn’t what had happened.
Grace’s hands trembled as she lifted the soaked artwork.
It was beyond repair.
Samantha’s heart sank.
She could tell how much Grace valued the painting.
She hadn’t expected to make such a serious mistake before even officially becoming part of the Taylor family.
If she denied responsibility now, Grace could simply ask the staff later and discover the truth.
After weighing her options, she took a breath.
"I’m sorry," Samantha said, her face pale. "I truly didn’t mean for this to happen. I had no idea this piece meant so much to you."
Grace’s anger was unmistakable.
Years ago, one of her late husband’s treasured works had been secretly stolen by a dishonest servant and sold for money, believing no one would notice. Since then, it had disappeared into private collections, changing hands countless times.
She had spent nearly ten years searching for it.
And now...
Her eyes flashed with fury as she looked at Samantha.
Just as she was about to speak—
Daisy hurried over.
"This isn’t Sam’s fault," she said quickly. "It was all a misunderstanding. Sam and Victoria had a disagreement because of what happened to Sam’s mother, and things got a little heated."
Victoria lowered her eyes, saying nothing.
Derick frowned at Daisy.
"What exactly have you been telling the child?"
Daisy froze.
She hadn’t expected Derick to defend Victoria.
He had once loved Sophia so deeply.
Had he really become this protective of Victoria?
His words felt like a direct rebuke.
An awkward silence settled over the courtyard.
Samantha felt increasingly uneasy.
She hadn’t even completed the DNA test yet, and she’d already managed to offend Grace.
How was she supposed to earn Grace’s affection after this?
Rose watched the entire scene unfold like a family drama she had accidentally wandered into.
She wondered how it would end.
Then—
Ryan, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke.
"Is this one of Mr. Taylor’s original paintings?"
The moment he opened his mouth, Rose felt a strange sense of foreboding.
She instinctively looked at him.
Grace nodded. "Yes. I’ve been searching for it for almost ten years."
Hope immediately returned to Samantha’s eyes.
She assumed Ryan was stepping in to help smooth things over.
At the very least, perhaps he could lessen Grace’s anger toward her.
Ryan walked forward at an unhurried pace.
After giving the damaged artwork a brief glance, his cold gaze shifted toward Rose, who had been quietly staying out of the conflict.
"I’m curious," he said evenly. "Where was this piece recovered?"
Victoria answered hesitantly.
"A private collector in L.A."
"Really?"
A faint smile appeared on Ryan’s lips.
It never reached his eyes.
He continued looking at Rose.
"That’s quite a coincidence."
"I believe I’ve seen this exact calligraphy hanging in Ms, Bennett’s grandfather’s antique gallery."
He paused. "So now I’m wondering..."
"Which one is the original?"
The courtyard instantly fell silent.
Victoria stiffened.
A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes before she slowly looked at Ryan.
Everyone else was equally stunned.
Samantha and Daisy hadn’t expected that revelation.
The antique gallery had belonged to the Bennett family for years. Although the Hill family had acquired it later, they certainly didn’t know every item in its inventory.
Ryan, however, possessed an almost photographic memory.
With a single sentence, he had shifted everyone’s attention.
Rose hadn’t anticipated this either.
In an instant, every eye in the courtyard was on her.
Grace looked at her with both surprise and excitement.
"Is that true, Rose?"
Rose didn’t know how to answer.
After being cast out of the Bennett family as a child and losing the gallery, she had never returned.
She had no memory of its collection.
After a brief pause, she replied honestly, "I don’t know."
"If you don’t mind, the next time I’m back in New York, I can visit the gallery and check."
Grace’s face lit up with delight.
Ryan said calmly, "Mrs. Taylor, perhaps you should examine this painting first."
Grace immediately looked back at the damaged scroll.
She studied it carefully.
After a long moment, she frowned.
"This really does appear to be a forgery."
"The seal is uneven, and several brushstrokes are wrong."
She looked at Victoria.
"Was it always like this, or did the water reveal the flaws?"
"Where exactly did you buy this fake?"
Had it not been soaked, the forgery might never have been discovered.
Victoria was stunned.
She had gone to great lengths to obtain the painting, hoping to please Grace.
Now, because Ryan had mentioned the Bennett family’s antique gallery, the gift had completely backfired.
"I..." she said softly.
"I was so eager to find it for you that... I must have been deceived."
Ryan looked at her without expression.
"Very few people know Mr. Taylor’s paintings well enough to produce convincing forgeries."
His words left Victoria speechless.
Unable to defend herself, she quietly returned to Derick’s side.
Derick turned to Ryan.
"Mr. Knight, thank you."
"If you’ve truly seen another copy, my family appreciates the information."
"As for everything else, we’ll handle it ourselves."
Ryan gave a slight nod.
He said nothing further.
Samantha and Daisy both breathed quietly in relief.
Still, neither of them had truly come out ahead.
Even if the painting was fake, Samantha had still destroyed what Grace believed to be a priceless keepsake.
That first impression would not be easy to erase.
Victoria hadn’t escaped unscathed either.
A forgery was still a forgery.
Whether she had knowingly purchased it or had been deceived made little difference now.
Samantha pressed her lips together.
She shot Rose a cold look.
Ryan’s memory had unexpectedly turned the situation in Rose’s favor.
Now Grace wanted to visit the Bennett family’s antique gallery with her.
That only brought Rose even closer to the Taylor family.
Rose herself felt utterly baffled.
Both Samantha and Victoria had managed to upset Grace.
Yet somehow, the entire matter had shifted onto her—and now even her grandfather’s antique gallery had become part of the conversation.
She frowned and glanced toward Ryan.
He had already stepped back into the crowd.
Sensing her gaze, he turned and looked at her.
Calm.
Composed.
Completely unreadable.
She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
At that moment, Grace spoke.
"I’ve already arranged the DNA test."
"The medical team will come to the Taylor residence tomorrow to collect everyone’s samples."
Comments