By the time Seraphina Sterling arrived home, Terrence Grant was already out of danger. This incident was clearly a deliberately set trap, meant to lure him in for an assassination. The bomb in the bar was just for show. The enemy only wanted to use it to get him to leave the bar, giving them an opportunity to strike on the road.
And both the large truck at the beginning and the black sedan that followed were nothing more than a smokescreen. The enemy's real goal was to make him jump from the car. Their true killing blow was waiting in the Tollan River. Those four mercenaries—with their quick reflexes, agile skills, seamless teamwork, and ruthless methods—were definitely not your average grunts!
It seemed the enemy knew him very well; otherwise, they never could have devised such a meticulous assassination plot.
Hughes poured Terrence Grant a glass of red wine as usual. Seeing him lost in thought, Hughes hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "It was so dangerous tonight. Why did you save Seraphina Sterling first instead of letting me help? Don't tell me her life is more valuable than yours?"
"Her life is indeed more valuable than mine! Her life isn't just her own." Terrence Grant gently swirled the wine glass in his hand. The crimson liquid spun along with the motion, looking rather beautiful.
Hughes said no more. He knew Terrence Grant had his own reasons for everything he did. Although he was still puzzled, he also knew Terrence Grant wouldn't explain further.
The next few weeks were quite comfortable for Seraphina Sterling. Kimberly Jennings, worried Seraphina might do something dangerous for money again, gave her a certain amount of pocket money every week. Even though it wasn't as much as she had with the Sterling Family, for their current situation, it was still quite a luxury.
With money in hand, Seraphina Sterling gave up the idea of getting a part-time job and would instead occasionally browse the largest antique and second-hand goods stall in town.
Tollan was an ancient town with a thousand-year history. It was said that people had lived here since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Many people used this as a gimmick, setting up street stalls to sell wares that looked ancient.
The vendors here had a peculiar trait: any item laid out on the ground, if you showed the slightest interest, would become a "family heirloom" in the stall owner's mouth.
Seraphina Sterling came by almost every day. At first, she just wandered from one end of the street to the other, getting a feel for the rules of trade and seeing just how many of these so-called antiques were actually valuable.
Setting other skills aside, when it came to the art of authenticating antiques, the only ones who could compare to Seraphina Sterling were the old fossils at the research institute. Back then, to help Justin Hale get on the good side of the Hale Family's old patriarch, she had suffered a great deal to hone her razor-sharp eye for authenticity.
After understanding the local rules of trade and getting a feel for the stall owners' personalities, Seraphina Sterling started to make her move.
At first, it was inconspicuous little trinkets and old coins costing a dozen-odd. Then, blue-and-white porcelain plates and tea sets for several dozen. She even grit her teeth and bought a few jade pieces that cost around a hundred. After more than half a month, the small cabinet in her room was stuffed to the brim. This was all important capital for her future foray into the business world!
Although Kimberly Jennings knew Seraphina was always buying strange things, she was relieved to see that Seraphina wasn't doing anything dangerous anymore. Perhaps from having been a wealthy lady for so long, she didn't mind such small sums of money. Her only worry was Seraphina's schooling. School would be starting in a little over ten days, but Seraphina was out all day, and she never saw her studying hard. 'What if she really fails the entrance exam? What will we do then?'
Seraphina Sterling, of course, had no idea what was on Kimberly Jennings's mind. She was now completely focused on the antique stalls and went almost every day. Whenever Summer was free, she would go with her. The two of them had become regulars at the stalls. Everyone knew that a girl had been coming around recently who always took something she liked home with her and rarely left empty-handed.