Chapter 212 No-Event Token

Chapter 212: Chapter 212: No-Event Token

Due to Stella Sutton’s medical malpractice incident, the antique exhibition was hastily organized.

However, with Julian Sterling’s help, everything remained perfectly in order.

Ivy Hawthorne accompanied Sophie Winslow to the antique shop. It was a standalone three-story building. This was an ancestral property of the Winslow Family, building and all.

By the time Sophie arrived, the parking lot was already packed with luxury cars. This was her first time stepping foot here in years. For years, while the antique shop was in the hands of Isaiah Sutton and Maeve Walsh, she had been barred from coming near it, let alone stepping inside for a look.

It was rightfully the Winslow Family’s territory. Yet now, her ability to even visit relied on a provocative "charity" invitation from the Sutton Family.

"Does Julian Sterling have a heart at all? This is just rubbing salt in your wound!" Ivy looked at the bustling scene, her anger flaring.

Everyone present today was here for Julian. He had single-handedly drummed up all this immense fanfare!

Sophie didn’t say a word, simply pulling Ivy toward the entrance. However, just as it was their turn, Maeve Walsh happened to walk out from inside. Upon seeing Sophie, she bypassed them entirely, smiling brightly as she greeted the person behind them.

"Mr. Miller, long time no see. Right this way, please."

As she brushed past Sophie, she added with a sickeningly sweet smile, "A lot of VIPs are arriving today. You just wait a bit and let them go in first."

"You want us to just stand around waiting?" Ivy scoffed in disbelief.

They were deliberately leaving them out to dry! They had sent the invitation, yet here they were, putting on airs. Moreover, this antique shop belonged to the Winslow Family—it belonged to Sophie! Sophie was returning to her own territory, yet she wasn’t allowed in?

Maeve was in a remarkably good mood. She didn’t bother arguing with Ivy over her tone, instead addressing Sophie. "It won’t kill you young folks to wait a little longer. If I hadn’t sent you that invitation, you wouldn’t even have the chance to come back."

With that, she turned and headed inside.

Sophie didn’t lose her temper. She had come today for two reasons: first, to see the place where she had spent every day as a child, and second, out of fear that their so-called "charity auction" would end up selling off the Winslow Family’s most precious core treasures.

"You’re here?"

Behind them, Stella Sutton arrived, her arm linked with Julian Sterling’s. Their appearance instantly drew a flurry of attention. Stella was no longer the frantic, overwhelmed mess she had been a few days ago. Clearly, coming up with the idea of using a charity event to salvage her reputation was paying off handsomely.

"Come on in, then. Do you have your invitation? If not, just come in with Julian and me. They won’t ask you for it," Stella said, projecting a warm and friendly demeanor for the public.

That generous, inviting posture made an indescribable emotion bubble up inside Sophie, laced with a bitter sense of irony. Stella’s tone made it sound as if she were the true owner of the antique shop.

Oh, right. She had almost forgotten.

Julian had originally bought the antique shop from Isaiah Sutton, promising to transfer it to her later. But as long as it wasn’t officially transferred, anything could happen. Especially since, if Stella married him ahead of time, the shop would become their joint marital property.

In that split second, Sophie suddenly felt uncertain. She feared that Julian might ultimately go back on his word and refuse to return the antique shop to her. After all, he was capable of doing absolutely anything for Stella.

She shot a sudden glance at Julian. He was looking at his phone, but sensing her gaze, he looked up. His eyes were completely placid, like a dark, bottomless pool that concealed every possible outcome.

A chill ran down Sophie’s spine.

With Julian and Stella "leading the way," they entered the main hall without a hitch.

Sophie’s hands and feet were ice-cold as she surveyed the familiar surroundings. Back when she was a child, before everything had gone wrong, she would come here every day after school to do her homework. Her mother and grandfather would supervise her, keeping her from running around and reminding her not to touch the fragile items. She had spent the vast majority of her childhood right here.

And now...

Sophie looked over at Julian and Stella, who had been swarmed by a crowd the moment they walked in.

Stella’s face was flushed with radiant pride. As she accepted the compliments and greetings, she announced, "Actually, today, our family plans to publicly auction off fifteen antiques. All the proceeds will be used to establish a foundation, making a humble contribution to society to help children who can’t afford medical treatment. I hope everyone will support us."

Sophie’s lips pressed into a tight, tense line. She had guessed right. They really were going to sell off the Winslow Family’s belongings. They were using the Winslow Family’s treasures to salvage Stella’s reputation, ensuring her career wouldn’t be destroyed by the medical malpractice incident!

"What gives them the right to sell the Winslow Family’s antiques to gild that Sutton woman’s reputation?! Those were left to you by your mother and grandfather!" Ivy was so furious she wanted to march up and crash the event.

Furthermore, the Sutton Family had deliberately invited Sophie here to watch it happen with her own eyes! How vicious were their intentions? And fifteen collected items—how much money would that rake in? They really had no qualms about squandering someone else’s property, did they?

"There’s no point confronting Stella," Sophie said, cooling down rapidly. Her mind was racing as her icy hand gripped Ivy’s wrist.

She stared fixedly at Julian, who was standing right beside Stella. The one driving all of this was undoubtedly Julian. The antique shop was currently in his hands; he was the one calling the shots.

Ivy followed her gaze. Suddenly, she felt a suffocating ache in her chest on Sophie’s behalf. They had been married for so many years, yet not only was there no affection between them, but he was actively helping his wife’s enemy stab her in the back. It was truly rare to see a marriage devolve to such a wretched state.

Sophie managed to placate Ivy. She knew that Ivy’s heart ached for her and that she genuinely had the nerve to cause a scene. But doing so would only give them an excuse to make trouble.

As more and more guests arrived, the auction was on the verge of beginning. Sophie bided her time and finally found an opportunity to approach Julian.

Julian had been making polite conversation with numerous people. Halfway through, he stepped away to privately discuss a partnership with someone. The third-floor collections were more valuable and had individual viewing booths.

Sophie seized the perfect moment. She walked briskly to his side, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him behind a pearwood folding screen.

Julian allowed himself to be pulled in. He cast his eyes downward, glancing at the hand gripping him so tightly. She was using quite a bit of force, likely fueled by anger.

He didn’t pull away. Instead, he simply leaned against the screen, his tone somewhat aloof. "What is it that you need to say to me behind people’s backs?"

"Say it out there?" Sophie mocked. "Would your precious darling be able to handle the embarrassment?"

It truly felt as though their marriage was something shameful that had to be kept in the dark.

He was well aware of Sophie’s sharp tongue. Leaning back against a nearby display counter holding a row of top-tier imperial green Jadeite, he said, "You certainly never speak softly to me."

Sophie didn’t feel she had said anything wrong. She stared dead at him. "Did you ask me before auctioning off the Winslow Family’s belongings? You promised to give the antique shop to me."

"Well, I haven’t given it to you yet, so I should have the right to dispose of it, shouldn’t I?" He tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing and clear.

"Could you..." Sophie didn’t let go of him. She took a slow breath. "...not auction them off?"

She couldn’t let the Winslow Family’s heritage be sold off just like that. A vast majority of it was her grandfather’s life’s work. She wasn’t sure if those fifteen items included the pieces her grandfather had explicitly designated as never to be sold, so she had to protect as much as she could.

Julian caught the microscopic, almost imperceptible tremble at the end of her sentence. He fell silent for a moment.

"I already discussed this with you. You refused to issue the clearance certificate from Longview," he said. "Mia, you can’t have your cake and eat it too."

Even though his tone was calm, there was an inexplicable cruelty to it. He was implying that she was the one who had refused to negotiate with him first.

The remark sent the blood rushing to Sophie’s head. She flung his hand away without hesitation.

But before she could speak, Stella’s voice drifted over from outside the screen. "Where did Julian go?"

Sophie moved to step out. Julian suddenly grabbed her hand and yanked her back. The gesture filled Sophie with a baseless sense of revulsion, and she instinctively struggled against him.

In those few seconds of tugging and pulling, the display cabinet holding the row of exquisite imperial green Jadeite wobbled.

One of the No-Event Tokens was about to plummet. With lightning-fast reflexes, Julian kept one hand firmly on Sophie while his other hand shot out, catching it steadily.