The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1757

The commenter was none other than Wynter, who gazed at Eric with a faint smirk. Eric furrowed his brows while the senior chamber members erupted into an uproar.

"What do you mean by that? Explain!" A senior member could hardly keep his cool, glaring at Wynter as if she were a grave sinner.

The gold-eyed goldfish symbolized the Southern Cascadia Chamber of Commerce's very root, embodying longevity and thriving success. Yet, Wynter had questioned the emblem's authenticity, which the senior members found unacceptable.

Wynter replied calmly, "I mean exactly what I say. What Mr. Lofstedt's holding is a fake. You must've known that, too, or you wouldn't be reacting this strongly."

The skeptical senior member in question was Isaiah Rylan, the man Cleo had once approached. Though Isaiah was grateful toward Gordon, he refused to wait any longer. Seeing how well Eric handled the business, he chose to let Eric take the reins.

However, Isaiah had never once mentioned the benefits he received in return.

Wynter didn't blame him for his shift in allegiance. Anyone would've switched sides given the circumstances. However, she sensed an insincerity in his constant reminiscent of the Quinnell family.

Isaiah had once worked as a waiter at the port, despite his age. Wynter didn't mind him using Gordon's name to connect with the Cascadian expats in the past. But what irked her was that he was still relying on Gordon's name to maintain those connections even now.

Without hesitation, Wynter pointed out the issue. "You've all been saying that the times have changed and the chamber needs new leadership. But why are you still relying on Grandpa Gordon's connections, then?"

Her question caused some faces to turn red with shame.

Noticing their attempts to dodge the issue, Wynter looked over and said, "The gold-eyed goldfish is considered Grandpa Gordon's personal possession, and no one else would have it."

"Impossible! I had the chance to observe the emblem before. The pattern and texture match exactly with the one in Mr. Lofstedt's hand. So much had happened back then, and even Mr. Gordon doubted that the emblem would survive the chaos.

"There were also rumors that it had ended up in the Fopylans' hands, and Mr. Lofstedt acquired it at the auction. Isn't that right?" Isaiah stood firm in Eric's defense, especially since he was present during the auction.

Eric would never admit that the auction was a mere charade. He nodded and asserted, "Of course, this emblem was acquired through trusted sources."

The reporters exchanged uneasy glances as they listened to the conversation. Although they couldn't afford to offend the Lofstedt family, they were always eager for juicy gossip.

"It wasn't until I gave up half of my trading rights that the collector finally agreed to part with the emblem. Even if you're the Quinnells' descendant, you shouldn't show such disrespect.

"I don't mind your doubts, but the senior members here have seen the emblem before. You weren't even born then. How could you be so certain that mine is fake?" Eric countered pretentiously.

Wynter watched his pretentious behavior with a smile. "It's true I wasn't born yet, but I know a thing or two about the emblem."

She turned her gaze to the fountain centerpiece in the banquet hall, noting its Velorian design could work to her advantage.

"As for Mr. Rylan's defense, it doesn't hold up. The gold-eyed goldfish is a symbol of trade, passed down from the Atlantean era. Such an artifact is usually housed in a museum or kept by a private collector.

"If the emblem has truly gone up for auction, it would be all over the news. Even without official confirmation, the dark web has information on it. Thus, your rebuttal is unconvincing," Wynter commented coolly.

Her sound reasoning left everyone speechless, as she had made a convincing argument.

Unbeknownst to the others, the senior chamber members were aware of the gold-eyed goldfish emblem's rarity as an antique. Considering it was Gordon's personal possession, the Quinnell family might very well be a part of a long-standing national business lineage.

Unfortunately, they had never fully verified it as they were relying on Gordon's support at the time. Back in the Quinnells' heyday, everyone was well-fed and had the means to rise above poverty. Through Gordon's connections, certain weapons could even be delivered to the frontlines.

It was during that time that they first learned the gold-eyed goldfish had inherited the fortune from the Atlantean era. Once an emblem of the national business people, it had since become a vital artifact for the Southern Cascadia Chamber of Commerce's prosperity.

Wynter glanced at Eric and Isaish. "Both of you have experienced those times. You should understand that no businessman would give up on the gold-eyed goldfish, especially the Fopylans.

"It's not the first time they've tried to steal our trade name. Those incidents were well-documented, and I suppose I don't need to go over them again."

Isaiah never imagined that Wynter was familiar with the chamber's history. But how did she know about it? Weren't all the records archived in Colifernia?

Isaiah was visibly flustered as things had gone out of his expectations. It was unlike any situation he had faced before, but surely, Eric could handle it!

He instinctively glanced at Eric, whose expression had been hidden under the lights. But upon closer observation, he noticed the tightness in Eric's jaws and the grim look on his face.

Isaiah's heart sank. Could Eric really be…

Eric interjected before Wynter could say more. "It's exactly because of the emblem's rarity that I hesitated to disclose this—I had made a deal with the Fopylan businessman to acquire it. I won't go into the details, but you all know how ruthless the business world can be."

Wynter casually retorted, "Is it a legitimate deal, or is it money laundering? You claimed the emblem is priceless, but you can't even explain what makes it unique."

Eric refuted in a low voice, "It's not that I can't explain it—I just don't want to argue with a youngster. Since you're so dead set on my emblem being fake, then I have nothing more to say."

Wynter let out a chuckle. "You're mistaken. I'm not just convinced—it's a fact that your emblem is a fake. I'm sure you've heard of my visit to Hawford before coming here. I don't think I need to retell my story, but there's one thing that your subordinate doesn't know, Mr. Lofstedt."

She continued coldly, "The last place I visited before leaving Hawford was Serenity Hotel. I'm sure you've heard about the place. The Quinnell family started out in Hawford, where many of the chamber's activities revolve around.

Wynter paused, reaching into her bag once more, and held something up. "This is the real gold-eyed goldfish. I acquired it following Grandpa's instruction in the Youth Daily."

The banquet hall instantly broke into loud commotion, while the senior chamber members stared at the emblem in Wynter's hand. Isaiah stood frozen as he turned to Eric in disbelief. Though Eric had concealed his expression, his body language betrayed his unease.

"What's the meaning of this, Mr. Lofstedt?" Isaiah demanded.

Eric let out a cold snort. "What do you think? I bought the emblem at an auction. Are you seriously going to believe that girl just because she's a Quinnell?"

"B-But she found it at Serenity Hotel…" Isaiah attempted to argue.

Eric swiftly cut his words off. "That hotel's an auction house. Besides, who has ever seen Mr. Gordon store anything there? You're all buying into this nonsense based on a newspaper article without solid proof. I've had enough of this farce!"

As Eric prepared to leave, Colin responded to Wynter's signal by blocking his path.

Eric narrowed his eyes in anger. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Your nephew is involved in drug use, and so you are equally responsible. Please wait for the inspectors to arrive to make a statement," Colin replied in a firm tone.

Never before had Eric felt such humiliation. He caressed his rosary bracelet and warned, "Abraham's the drug addict, not me. I refuse to make any statement. If you've got questions, call my lawyers instead. Here's a piece of advice, young man—don't just stop anyone in their way."

At that moment, Wynter's voice rang out from behind. "I was the one who asked Colin to stop you. It's not over yet, and you can't just walk away. I told you, I've come to put things in order on Grandpa Gordon's behalf. Do you remember that?"

Eric spun around at her words. Though he was infuriated, he still managed to force a smile. "So, what are you going to do? Get rid of me, the one who made this chamber thrive? You really shouldn't show such ingratitude, Wynter."

Wynter countered with a languid yet firm tone, "You took the words right out of my mouth, Mr. Lofstedt. You've been insisting that your emblem is the real one, haven't you? Let's put it to the test, then. Mr. Stavius and the other mediums here will bear witness."

Eric shot her a fierce glare and took a deep breath. Before he could say anything, Wynter tossed the gold-eyed goldfish into the fountain. Everyone was flabbergasted at the sound of the emblem splashing into the water.

"How could you just throw the emblem into the water? What if it's the real one?"

While everyone panicked, Kaspar seemed to have realized something. He arched a brow and glanced at Wynter.

Wynter calmly explained, "It's easy to tell whether the gold-eyed goldfish is authentic. Unlike any other objects, it unveils its true wonder upon contact with water."