The Mafia Heiress's Comeback: She's More Than You Think novel Chapter 258

Chapter 258 The Hidden Original Painting

“Go ahead, sir. What are you thinking?” Scotty had’s piorad up on ring drag, wads only logged suspicion aimed at Donn

Maren had selected the piece herself, and Scorey had signed off on it is too calling it a lakay The adet st well with anyone.

“I’ve got proof it’s a forgery Dunn’s voce reg with certainty, there mough to make a few people site uncomfortably,

The weight in his words unsettled the room

Silence spread like spilled ink as Dunn smirked

He flung the painting towards Scotty, “You’re the expert here, Run you fingers across the cats–you’ll see

“You want me to touch it? What’s supposed to be wrong?”

Scotty hesitated, brows drawn in confusion, but he eventually reached one

He’d been absorbed in the image–its style, its strokes, its story, Texture hadn’t even crossed his mind

The instant his fingers brushed the surface, doubt cracked through his composure.

“Mr. Turner, what’s wrong?”

The room tensed, watching him.

Only Dunn stood unfazed, lips curling into a cold smile.

“I apologize. I was wrong earlier. This painting is, in fact, not authentic,” Scotty admitted, dearly embarrassed.

What?

It was a fake.

Maren had brought them a counterfeit.

Every gaze snapped to her in unison.

Even Lucien flinched. The thrill they’d shared moments ago had vanished without warning Confusion swept through him. Had she made such a mistake?

“I figured you were the real deal,” Dunn said, his grin smug and cutting “Guess you’re just another amateur in over her head.”

He’d nearly fallen for it himself.

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After getting burned like that, he had no intention of letting Maren walk away unscathed. He planned to insult her publicly and thoroughly.

“I never claimed this painting was real. Why’s everyone acting like I did?” Her voice cut through the tension

before Dunn could land his next blow.

“What?”

A ripple of confusion passed through the crowd. “Didn’t you say you found it with this painting?”

Scotty exchanged a glance with Lucien. Neither could figure out what she was trying to say.

Dunn let out a booming laugh. “Oh, so now you’re walking it back? Picked the wrong thing and trying to cover it up?”

He finally found his exit.

Whether or not the lot held anything of value didn’t matter anymore. But what if she’d chosen the wrong piece?

That was a rookie mistake–one that could stick.

And now, he looked like he had won.

“I’m not backtracking. You just heard what you wanted to. I never said the painting was it–I said I found it while holding the painting. There’s a difference.”

Maren grabbed the frame and peeled the canvas off in one swift motion. She flung the fabric aside like it meant

nothing.

The painting was nothing more than a replica, offering no real value. Even though it appeared authentic, the

canvas itself raised concerns.

The canvas wasn’t antique at all. It was modern.

“The frame? Isn’t that just wood? What’s so special about that?” Scotty and the others exchanged confused

glances, struggling to grasp what Maren was implying.

Wooden frames were everywhere–cheap, unremarkable. Nothing worth a second thought.

“That chunk of wood? You can’t be serious. You’re not claiming it’s some sort of hidden treasure, are you?”

Dunn mocked, clearly unimpressed.

Such a ridiculous idea wouldn’t fool anyone, especially not a child.

“Keep your eyes open.” Maren slammed the frame down on the table with a sharp smack.

The crack that followed was unmistakable–loud, distinct. The wood split perfectly down the middle. Maren pried it apart with her hands, revealing a hollow space inside.

She reached into the opening and pulled out a fresh canvas.

The room fell silent, eyes wide with disbelief. “Another painting was hidden inside the frame?”

“And it’s the exact same image.”

As Maren unrolled the new painting, gasps filled the air.

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It was a perfect match to the first one.

But…

“It’s real! This one’s real!” Scotty rushed forward, running his fingers over the canvas. There wasn’t a single flaw -it was genuine.

“This can’t be happening!” Dunn sprang to the painting, his hands tremng as he pressed them all over it, even sniffing the surface like a man possessed. He nearly lost his balance and stumbled, his disbelief turning

into awe. “It’s real…”

He turned to Maren, eyes wide with shock. “How did you know the original was hidden inside the frame?”

Dunn had spent his entire life in the antique business. He’d handled priceless pieces, touched history with his hands, but never in his wildest dreams had he encountered something like this.

The others were just as stunned; their eyes locked on Maren with a mix of confusion and admiration.

“Miss Morgan, you didn’t just guess, did you?” Scotty asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

From the calm, confident expression on her face, it was clear she had known from the start that something was

hidden inside.

“I read about it in an old book. It described how, during times of war or chaos, people would hide valuable paintings inside the frames, covering them with fakes to throw off anyone looking. The replica would be convincing enough to fool most people. And since it had some artistic value, no one would destroy it. That way, the real painting was safe, right under their noses.”

Maren spoke as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. It wasn’t just knowledge–it was strategy, learned from her days in the Sovereign Underworld.

Most of her antique expertise came from that one book.

The room went deathly quiet.

These were people who prided themselves on knowing every detail of antiques–who had read every piece of literature they could get their hands on. Yet none of them had ever heard of this method.

“This is incredible,” someone murmured. “She isn’t just good. She’s a master.”

The admiration for Maren reached its peak.

“Lucien, you really hit the jackpot with her,” Scotty said, clapping Lucien on the back with a wide grin.

Lucien laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

Truthfully, Maren had blown away every expectation Lucien had. This wasn’t just impressive. It was mind-

blowing.

She wasn’t just better than Scotty, the top expert in Voutsas.

She was better than the antique specialist Lucien had brought in from one of Ozel’s most prestigious families.

He began to wonder if Maren was really a gang boss or if she secretly ruled the world of antiques. “This can’t be real.” Dunn’s voice trembled with disbelief. “It’s not in any of my family’s records.”

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Chapter 258 The Hidden Onginal Painting

While the others showered Maren with praise, Dunn stood frozen, struggling to accept the reality of the situation

But reality, as it always does, remained indifferent to his disbelie

It was real. And that was all that mattered.