Chapter 173 The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend
“I don’t want to become your enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Don’t you think so too, Miss Lewis?”
In Mikayla’s eyes, the female voice coming from the other side of the phone was akin to a voice coming from the deepest, darkest abyss. She felt as if Britney was dragging her down into a bottomless pit. If I don’t get out now, I’ll be in deeper trouble next time. Thus, she took a deep breath and solemnly said, “You’re only doing this to get revenge against Courtney and Alexander because you feel as if you lost everything that you were supposed to have. When it comes down to it, isn’t it just about money? How much money do you want to end all of this? I’ll give you as much as you want.”
A sneer came from the other side of the phone. “Why don’t you say that in front of Alexander too?”
“You—”
“You don’t happen to think of yourself as a kind person, do you, Miss Lewis?” Britney’s voice was very oppressive. “You wanted to regain your original position beside Alexander. I helped you, didn’t I?”
Mikayla felt a little taken aback when she thought back on how caring Alexander had been to her ever since she was hospitalized. He used to treat her very well before she got married. However, she took all of that for granted back then. Only after suffering various grievances in the outside world could she compare between her experiences and realize the difference. Even so, that love and protection he showed her after she saved his son were but a fraction of what she used to enjoy.
Therefore, she felt a trace of bitterness in her heart. “What else do you want from me?”
Upon hearing that question, Britney laughed coldly from the other side of the phone. It seemed like everything was going as she had expected. “Don’t worry; I don’t need you to do anything. Just continue with your original plan and try to find a way to bring Alexander back to your side.”
Mikayla did not respond. Hanging up the phone, she sank down on the hospital bed with a dazed expression. She couldn’t get Britney’s sinister voice out of her head—it lingered in her ears and filled the spaces in her head.
Addie retrieved the exact address belonging to the pastry chef, Mr. Gideon, from the company’s employee profile database. When Courtney followed the address in search of the location, she ran into a dead end. A newly graduated young couple was living at the listed address. Moreover, they had been living there for two months now. Upon further questioning, she learned that the landlord was a middle-aged lady. Unfortunately, the landlord did not hold the surname ‘Gideon’ and the young couple did not know who Mr. Gideon was.
After going to various places to ask about Mr. Gideon, Courtney finally found a clue as to his whereabouts at an island off Silverkeep three days later.
“Oh, Max? He makes pastries, right? Yes, I know of him.” A dark-skinned fisherman had just returned from the sea, carrying a bucket of oysters freshly harvested from the reef. Wiping his sweat, he gave Courtney a once-over. “We come from the same village. I heard he came back not too long ago. Why are you looking for him?”
“We were colleagues at the same company. When he resigned, he left some stuff in the company. So, the company sent me here to deliver them to him.”
“From the same company?” The middle-aged man’s eyes gleamed suddenly, and his expression became one of admiration. “I heard Max was a chef at a high-end hotel. It’s world-famous! Are you working at that hotel too?”
In response, she nodded with a smile.
“C-Come with me.” The middle-aged man seemed extremely pleased as he enthusiastically led her into his village. They walked along the road lining the sparse cottages for approximately ten minutes before they came to a clean and well-maintained white-walled courtyard. The main gate was open, and voices were coming from inside.
“This is the place. The Gideon Residence is very large. The building in front is where Max’s elder brother is staying. You have to go inside and greet his brother, then walk further inside to reach the place he’s living in.” The fisherman spoke in detail as he led the way, casually telling her about many things in the village along the way there.
Therefore, she had a general idea about Mr. Gideon’s family background. Mr. Gideon came from a well-off family. He had two older brothers and his mother was still alive. Unfortunately, his wife had poor health, and there were no children between them as a result. Louie, who was working at the hotel, could be considered his half-adopted son. Therefore, they were quite close to each other.
Courtney thanked the fisherman and headed toward the courtyard. Nobody paid attention to her as she entered the courtyard. Several men were standing along the corridor, crowding around a dark rosewood cabinet. It was the only shady area inside the courtyard.
The man standing in the middle wore a suit paired with leather shoes. Moreover, he was very tall—he seemed to be at least 1.85 meters tall from a glance. He was studying the cabinet carefully with one hand placed on the cabinet. From the looks of it, he was here to purchase antique furniture.
“Hey, what are you doing here?!” The sharp voice of a middle-aged lady rang out from behind Courtney. Courtney turned around to see a face tanned by the sea breeze staring at her vigilantly. Thus, she explained, “Madam, is this where Max Gideon lives?”
The lady waved her hand dismissively. “Max Gideon? You’ve got the wrong place. Hurry up and leave. We are busy since we have a guest right now.”
Even so, Courtney immediately confirmed that Mr. Gideon was indeed living here from the way the lady’s eyes shifted nervously. As she was not in a hurry, she thanked the lady and left the Gideon Residence per the lady’s instructions.
Not long after she left the Gideon Residence, the two men who came to the Gideon Residence to look at their furniture came out too. One of them looked like an assistant to the other. He gestured a number and said, “President Lewis, they are asking for this price. If it truly is scented rosewood, then it’s not expensive at all. But, I’m not sure if it’s genuine.”
“Did you take a photo of it?”
“Yes, I did. I sent the picture to Master Walker just now, but he said he couldn’t tell from the picture. He also asked if you needed him to take a trip here himself.”
“No need for that.” The other man frowned. “He is not young anymore. Moreover, he is not in good health. Don’t let him come here.”
“Yes, sir.”
As they were walking, they were greeted by an emerald shadow standing on the bluestone slab bridge. “Are the two of you unsure about the quality of that chest of drawers?”
Two pairs of eyes swept toward her in unison. Then, the man, who seemed to be the assistant, frowned. “Who are you?”
“I was at the Gideon Residence just now and caught a glimpse of that chest of drawers. But, you didn’t notice me there.” Courtney smiled faintly before continuing in a manner that was neither haughty nor humble, “I originally came to purchase that chest of drawers too. Since you were there first, I decided not to compete with you for it. Still, it looks like the talks did not go well. If that’s the case, I’ll be taking that chest of drawers if you’re not interested in it.”
“You? Purchase it?” The assistant snorted derisively. His gaze was sharp as he added, “Even we can’t be certain about the quality of that chest of drawers. You’re so young; what do you know about antiques? You look more like a nanny hired by the Gideon Family!”
“What if I tell you that purchasing that chest of drawers at their asking price will only bring you profit?”
Listening to her confident tone, the boss finally paid attention to her. He asked in a deep voice, “How can you be so sure when you only caught a glimpse of it at a distance?”
I know I only caught a glimpse of it, but that’s enough to tell me all that I need to know. My grandfather was interested in antique furniture all his life. Even the rocking chair I used as a child was made of scented rosewood. There are countless antiques in my house, so it’s easy for me to tell.” She was able to say those words with confidence since it truly was coming from her childhood experience—her grandfather had been a fervent antique lover all his life. As a result, she could immediately tell that the chest of drawers from before was a good item. Seeing that the man still seemed suspicious of her, she continued explaining, “The color is very good, and there’s not a single scratch on it. It was preserved very well. Moreover, the legs of the table have not been sawn off. It’s very rare to see such a well-preserved scented rosewood chest of drawers nowadays. I’m sure you know that rarity increases its value.”
The man studied Courtney for a moment, seemingly pondering something. “Why are you telling me this?”
