Regretting the Wife He Threw Away novel Chapter 66

Although James never really warmed up to Jason, the long-standing friendship between their families compelled him to make an effort. So, he forced himself to chat with Jason, keeping up polite small talk while Briony wandered off on her own.

As the two men talked, Briony lost herself among the stalls. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She crouched down, pointing at a delicate porcelain bowl. “How much for this one?” she asked.

The vendor glanced over. “It’s got a chip, so I’ll give you a deal—five grand, flat.”

Without missing a beat, Briony said, “Wrap it up for me.”

The vendor stared, wide-eyed. That chipped, unimpressive bowl had been gathering dust in a corner for ages—he’d practically given up hope of ever selling it. In a place crawling with experts, only a real pro would snap it up at asking price, no questions asked.

He hesitated, scratching the back of his head, about to say something. But Briony cut him off, “I’ll give you ten. It’s the real deal, but it’s flawed. If you don’t sell it to me, it’ll just sit here collecting dust.”

He fell silent. She was right. Several collectors had shown interest, but all of them had walked away because restoring it would be a nightmare.

In the end, Briony bought the bowl for ten thousand, just as she wanted.

As she turned away with her purchase, she found herself face-to-face with Jason’s mocking gaze.

“Seriously? Only someone with more money than sense would pay that much for a damaged piece.”

Standing beside James, Jason slipped into full lecture mode. “Listen, antiques aren’t really for women to dabble in. I know you want to impress Mr. Delaney, but don’t waste your hard-earned cash on junk just to keep up appearances.”

Briony stared at him, speechless. Who was really putting on a show here? The nerve!

She couldn’t be bothered to answer and turned instead to James.

James pressed his lips together, struggling not to burst out laughing.

Briony sighed. “I’m done here. Can we go?”

“Of course, let’s head back.” James gave Jason a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Mr. Prescott, I’ll catch you later. Enjoy the rest of your shopping.”

Jason frowned. “Leaving already, Mr. Delaney? I was hoping to show you the treasure I just picked up.”

James paused, a little curious despite himself. “Well, with your eye for antiques, I’m sure it’s something special.”

Eager to impress, Jason produced a porcelain statue from his bag. “Check this out—a late Medieval Christ figure! Real masterpiece!”

A porcelain Christ figure?

Briony and James exchanged a look, then turned their eyes to Jason’s “treasure.” Silence hung between them.

After a few seconds, their glances met again, and without a word, both were thinking the same thing: What an idiot.

James finally spoke. “Out of curiosity, Mr. Prescott, how much did you pay for this?”