"Hey, where's the inkstone that was just here?" Willow Hale demanded imperiously. Spoiled and arrogant, and seeing that Chase Adler was just a street vendor, she felt that as the daughter of the esteemed Hale Family, even deigning to speak to him was a great honor.
Chase Adler glanced at Willow Hale and couldn't help but compare her to Seraphina Sterling. 'They're both seventeen or eighteen, so why is Seraphina so polite?' Despite his thoughts, he couldn't afford to offend the Hales. "I'm sorry, that inkstone was just sold!"
"Sold? How could you sell it? Don't you know I had my eye on it?" Willow Hale shrieked furiously, as if Chase Adler had committed some terrible, unforgivable crime.
Chase Adler was left speechless. "Miss, you only glanced at it. You never said you were going to buy it. Otherwise, how would I have dared to sell it to someone else?"
"Willow, are you sure you weren't mistaken? Is it really identical to the one in the photograph?" Philip Hale asked, still hesitant.
"Dad, it's exactly the same! I was stunned when I saw it!" Willow Hale said excitedly. She knew all too well how important this inkstone was to the Hale Family.
"Sir, who did you sell that inkstone to?" Philip Hale didn't completely believe Willow's words, but he had been searching for so long without success. Now that he finally had a lead, he had to see it with his own eyes, regardless of whether it was the real deal.
"Seraphina. She lives at the east end of town." Chase Adler didn't hide the truth. Seeing Philip Hale's tense expression, he wondered, 'Could that inkstone really have been something valuable?'
"Seraphina Sterling! It's Seraphina Sterling again! How dare she steal something right out from under my nose? I absolutely will not let her get away with this!" Willow Hale was seething with rage. Last time, Seraphina Sterling had utterly humiliated her at her own family's hotel! And now she'd crossed her path again! 'She must be doing this on purpose, just to spite me!'
Chase Adler could only roll his eyes. 'What do you mean, she stole something of yours? That inkstone was mine, for crying out loud! Seraphina paid good money for it!'
Seraphina Sterling said goodbye to Summer and returned to her room, cradling her treasured inkstone. After a careful examination, she confirmed it: this was indeed Dongpo Sullivan's Xuetang Inkstone! 'Oh my god! I've hit the jackpot! In my past life, this thing sold for an astronomical price! Old Man Hale spent a hundred million to win it at auction! Now I really don't have to worry about money!'
Seraphina was still reeling from her excitement when the Hale father and daughter showed up at her door.
"Seraphina Sterling! Seraphina Sterling! Seraphina Sterling, get out here!" The anger Willow Hale had been bottling up on the way over suddenly erupted, and she cast all semblance of etiquette aside.
Kimberly Jennings, who was watering the flowers, came out holding the watering can. Seeing the furious Willow Hale, her own expression soured. "And who might you be? What business do you have with my Seraphina?"
"You must be that woman from the Jennings Family who married into high society, right? You're not even that pretty. No wonder the Sterling Family cast you out with nothing! I suggest that when you have the time, you properly educate that precious daughter of yours. Tell her not to harbor such unrealistic fantasies about marrying rich. A person needs to know their station and act accordingly. Don't let your daughter make the same mistakes you did!"
Willow Hale's words were dripping with mockery. She had no concept of respecting her elders.
Kimberly Jennings's expression faltered.
"Willow Hale, it seems you didn't take my words to heart last time. I hate repeating myself, and your memory is absolutely terrible!" As she spoke, Seraphina Sterling threw the fruit knife she was holding straight at Willow Hale. The sharp blade grazed past Willow's ear and embedded itself in the willow tree behind her.
"AHHH—" A shrill scream of terror pierced the air. Willow Hale was so frightened her legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
CRUNCH. Seraphina Sterling bit into the freshly peeled apple, savoring the sweet juice. She smiled warmly. "You must learn to respect your elders. Got it now?"
Her voice was soft and sounded harmless, but it terrified Willow Hale into trembling. She nodded frantically. "I got it! I got it!"
"What was that? I can't hear you." Seraphina Sterling had already plucked the fruit knife from the willow tree and was now spinning it nimbly between her fingertips. The silver blade glinted sharply, scaring Willow Hale so badly that her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground. She began to chant at the top of her lungs, "I'll remember! I will respect my elders!"
Seraphina Sterling was quite satisfied with Willow's performance. Putting away the fruit knife, she glanced at Philip Hale, who had been watching her intently. A faint smile touched her lips, revealing two charming dimples. "So sorry about that. My hand slipped."
Even Philip Hale, a man in his middle years, felt the corner of his mouth twitch. 'Now this is what you call a bald-faced liar!' he thought. 'Willow has been far too arrogant and overbearing lately. It's about time she was taught a lesson to rein her in a little.'
After Philip Hale helped a shaken Willow to her feet, he finally got down to business. "I heard you bought an inkstone at a stall today. I was wondering if I might have a look at it?"
'The news spread that fast? It seems Philip Hale knows his stuff, too.' Seraphina Sterling concealed her shock and said slowly, "Just to look at it? And will I get it back after you're done looking? Your daughter has a poor memory, but mine is excellent. I strongly agree with something she said—like parent, like child, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Seeing the way Willow acts, it's quite difficult to trust your character, sir."
Er… This was the first time Philip Hale had been so bluntly rejected to his face, and it was not a pleasant feeling. He gave an awkward laugh. "Willow's character is indeed a bit flawed. I will be sure to discipline her properly when we get home."
"As the old saying goes, a child's misdeeds are the father's fault. Educating Willow is your responsibility. It has absolutely nothing to do with me." Seraphina Sterling turned and started walking back toward the house, showing no intention of letting Philip Hale so much as glimpse the inkstone.
"I just want to see the inkstone you bought, nothing more! Tell you what, I'll give you double whatever you paid for it. Sell it to me. What do you say?"
'Philip Hale's mental abacus was clacking away. Whatever Seraphina could afford couldn't have been very expensive, so even double the price would be a drop in the bucket for him. If the inkstone wasn't the one he was looking for, it would be a negligible loss. But if, by some miracle, it *was* the one he'd been searching for, he would have made a fortune!'
"Sorry, it's not for sale." Inwardly, Seraphina scorned him. 'Using such tactics on a young girl… He has no shame!'
Rebuffed again and again, Philip Hale's temper finally flared. He adopted the imperious air he used in the business world. "Seraphina Sterling, you can do this the easy way, or you can do this the hard way. When I said I'd 'buy' it, I was being polite. Do you really think there's anything in all of Tollan Town that I, Philip Hale, can't obtain?"
This kind of intimidation meant nothing to Seraphina, but she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody right now. 'Offending the Hale Family is not a good idea,' she thought. 'After all, their influence in Tollan Town is immense. But I absolutely cannot give up this inkstone! What should I do?'