The car stopped outside a grey stone mansion in Mayfair.
Two attendants in black suits stood on either side.
Victoria stepped out of the car first.
"Lord Grant's private cocktail party is by invitation only."
Isabella pulled her shawl tighter.
"Then do we have an invitation?"
Victoria raised her eyes to look at the entrance.
"We do now."
She walked up the steps and handed over a business card.
The attendant saw the name and immediately lowered his head.
"Mrs. Wendell."
"Is Grant inside?"
"He is in the cigar room on the second floor."
"And Edward?"
The attendant paused.
Victoria's voice turned cold.
"Do I need to ask Grant myself?"
"The Earl arrived ten minutes ago."
The door opened.
Warm light, the scent of wine, and low murmurs of conversation poured out.
The first-floor hall was full of people.
Men in suits, women in long gowns.
Several paintings were temporarily displayed on the walls, and silver trays held champagne and caviar canapés.
This place didn't look like a public auction house; it felt more like a place where the old money circle exchanged things privately.
Chen Qian clutched the document box, following closely behind Jiang Lin.
"Mr. Jiang, are we going straight to the Earl?"
"Find the items first."
Victoria lowered her voice.
"Grant will try to stall. Edward won't keep the contract in his hands for long."
Isabella scanned the hall.
"Where is the document most likely to be?"
Chen Qian pulled out the paper with the reference numbers.
"If it's a transfer document for an old collection, it might have been handed over to the party's storage room first, to be retrieved once all the buyers have arrived."
Jiang Lin looked toward the side corridor.
"Where is the storage room?"
Victoria pointed to the left side of the hall.
"Over there."
Just as she finished speaking, Edward appeared at the top of the stairs.
His expression changed immediately when he saw Victoria.
The silver-haired man beside him also turned his head.
Lord Grant.
Victoria walked straight toward the stairs.
"Edward."
Edward kept his voice low.
"You followed me here?"
"Hand over the document."
Lord Grant held a wine glass, his smile polite.
"Mrs. Wendell, tonight is just a private cocktail party."
"Then don't touch my family's property."
Quite a few people in the hall looked over.
The smile on Grant's face faded slightly.
Edward spoke coldly:
"Are you bringing this group of people to cause trouble again?"
Victoria took a step forward.
"I will only ask once: where is the document?"
Edward did not answer.
Jiang Lin turned to look at Chen Qian.
"The number."
Chen Qian immediately handed over the slip of paper.
"Old collection contract number WEN-AR-1896-37. The insurance attachment number also ends in 37."
Jiang Lin looked at Isabella.
"Come with me to the side corridor."
Isabella didn't ask any questions and followed immediately.
Victoria stayed at the foot of the stairs, blocking Edward.
Chen Qian, protected behind Martin, continued to flip through the documents.
The side corridor was darker than the hall.
Hunting paintings hung on the walls, and the floor was covered with a thick carpet, absorbing the sound of footsteps.
There were two doors at the end.
One was marked "Restroom."
The other had no sign, and a young attendant stood by the door.
Jiang Lin walked closer.
"Storage room?"
The attendant reached out to block him.
"Sir, this area is not open to guests."
Isabella took off a pearl earring and placed it into the tray.
"Is it open now?"
The attendant was stunned.
Jiang Lin placed a 500-pound note under the earring.
"We'll only take a look."
The attendant looked toward the hall, then back at the tray.
"It cannot exceed three minutes."
The door opened.
Inside was not an ordinary storage room, but more like a small wine cellar.
A row of wine cabinets, several safes, and temporary storage boxes for paintings and documents were placed along the wall.
Isabella closed the door.
Jiang Lin immediately checked the labels on the document boxes.
"37."
Isabella searched on another row.
"Here."
She crouched down and reached out to pull a black leather case.
A small label was pasted on the case:
WEN-AR-1896-37.
Jiang Lin knelt halfway down to check the lock.
"It has a combination lock."
Isabella took the thin hairpin from her hair and handed it to him.
"Can you open it?"
"A little."
"Always 'a little'."
"It's enough."
Click.
The lock opened.
Just as the case opened a crack, footsteps were heard outside.
Isabella immediately pressed down on the lid.
Someone pushed the door open.
Jiang Lin pulled her to hide behind the wine cabinet.
The space was very narrow.
The two were pressed between the wooden wine cabinet and the wall, with almost no gap.
Isabella's back was against the wine cabinet, and Jiang Lin shielded her.
The door opened.
Two men walked in.
One was Grant's butler.
The other's voice was very familiar; it was the attendant by Edward's side.
"The Earl wants you to move case number 37 upstairs."
"Now?"
"Yes, now. Mrs. Wendell is here."
"Has the lock been opened?"
"How could it be?"
Footsteps approached.
Isabella's breath was against Jiang Lin's collar.
Her hand gripped his cuff.
Jiang Lin lowered his head, almost touching her forehead.
She raised her eyes.
They couldn't speak, or they would be heard; they could only use their eyes.
The butler picked up the case outside.
"Wait, this lock..."
The attendant cursed under his breath.
"Someone has tampered with it."
Just as Jiang Lin was about to go out, Isabella suddenly reached out and hooked his tie.
She pulled him down.
And kissed him.
Her lips carried the chill of red wine and the rainy night.
The moment she pressed against him, Jiang Lin's hand clasped her waist, pressing her back into the shadows of the wine cabinet.
The people outside heard the commotion.
"Who's there?"
Isabella didn't retreat.
Instead, she bit him.
Jiang Lin's Adam's apple bobbed, and he loosened his grip by half an inch.
Isabella raised her hand and deliberately knocked over an empty wine bottle nearby.
Clang.
The bottle rolled away.
The butler walked around the wine cabinet and saw the two of them.
Jiang Lin had one hand braced against the wine cabinet, Isabella was leaning in his arms, her dress slightly disheveled, and her lips still moist from the kiss.
The butler was stunned.
The attendant was also stunned.
Isabella slowly turned her head, her voice low and cold.
"Have you never seen guests kissing?"
The butler immediately lowered his head.
"Sorry, Madam."
The attendant stared at Jiang Lin, then at the case.
"What are you doing here?"
Jiang Lin straightened the tie she had pulled askew.
"What do you think?"
Isabella raised her hand, her fingertip brushing across the corner of Jiang Lin's mouth, as if wiping away lipstick.
"Leave now."
The butler didn't dare look at her.
"Yes."
The attendant wanted to say something more.
Isabella looked at him.
"Do you want to stay and keep watching?"
The attendant's expression turned ugly, and he picked up the case and walked out.
The door closed.
The wine cellar quieted down.
Isabella didn't let go immediately.
Jiang Lin looked down at her.
"Madam, you're quite practiced at this."
"Improvisation."
"You bit me just now."
"I was afraid you wouldn't be convincing enough."
Jiang Lin chuckled.
Isabella grabbed his tie and pulled him half an inch closer again.
"Don't laugh."
"You kissed me first."
"For the sake of the document."
"Now they've taken the document."
Isabella leaned against the wine cabinet, her chest still heaving.
"The case was opened; was there anything inside?"
Jiang Lin pulled several folded sheets of paper from his inner suit pocket.
Isabella was stunned.
"When did you get them?"
"Before you kissed me."
She looked at the document in his hand and suddenly smiled.
"So, that kiss just now was for nothing?"
Jiang Lin handed the document to her.
"It was worth it."
She took it and read the title on the first page.
"Confirmation of Restoration and Transfer of Old French Female Portrait Collection"
Wendell Family seal.
Edward's signature.
Harold's signature.
Grant's witness signature.
Isabella's expression immediately turned cold.
"That's enough."
"Not yet."
Jiang Lin took out another thin sheet of paper.
"This one is more useful."
It was the reserve price list for the old collection transfer.
One item was clearly written:
"Portrait of a Woman in a Grey Dress, poor condition, suggest low-price disposal, target price not less than 150,000 pounds."
Isabella looked up.
"They knew it was valuable."
"At least they knew it wasn't an ordinary imitation."
Footsteps were heard outside again.
Jiang Lin stuffed the documents back into his inner pocket and opened the door.
The direction of the hall was already in chaos.
Victoria stood at the foot of the stairs, Grant was blocking her, and Edward was walking toward the second floor.
Chen Qian saw Jiang Lin and Isabella come out and immediately ran over.
"Did you find it?"
Jiang Lin nodded.
Just as Chen Qian was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she saw Isabella's slightly messy hair and the lipstick mark on Jiang Lin's tie.
Her face turned red instantly.
Isabella glanced at her.
"The document was found."
Chen Qian lowered her head.
"I... I didn't ask anything."
Jiang Lin handed the document to her.
"Keep it safe."
Chen Qian took it, her hands almost shaking.
"Okay."
Victoria also saw them.
Her gaze fell first on the document, then on Jiang Lin's tie.
Then she looked at Isabella.
"It seems Mrs. Montclair is quite skilled at gathering evidence."
Isabella walked up to her.
"The process isn't important."
Victoria raised an eyebrow slightly.
"The traces are very obvious."
Isabella smiled.
"The evidence is also very obvious."
She handed the document over.
Victoria opened it, and the smile on her face disappeared bit by bit.
Edward stopped on the second floor.
Grant's expression also changed.
Victoria looked up.
"Edward."
Her voice wasn't loud.
But the hall went quiet.
"Explain this transfer confirmation."
Edward saw the document, and his face instantly went pale.
"Where did you get this?"
Jiang Lin stepped forward.
"From the case you just sent someone to retrieve yourself."
Lord Grant spoke immediately:
"Mrs. Wendell, this might just be a restoration process document for the old collection."
Victoria held up the reserve price list.
"Would a restoration process document list a target price of 150,000 pounds?"
Grant stopped speaking.
Chen Qian opened another document and whispered a reminder:
"Madam, there is also Grant's witness signature here."
Victoria looked at Grant.
"You were involved too."
Grant's expression was ugly.
"I was only acting as an intermediary to witness the intent of the transaction."
Jiang Lin interjected.
"Is sending a Wendell old collection to a small French auction house to be sold cheaply as an imitation also just an 'intent of transaction'?"
People in the hall whispered among themselves.
Edward hurried down the stairs, reaching out to grab the document.
Isabella stood directly in front of Jiang Lin.
"Don't touch him."
Victoria also stepped forward half a step.
"Don't touch the documents."
Edward stopped.
The two women stood on the left and right in front of Jiang Lin.
Chen Qian stood behind, clutching the document box.
Grant spoke in a low voice:
"Everyone, this is a private cocktail party."
Jiang Lin looked at the surrounding guests.
"That's perfect, everyone here is a witness."
Victoria held up the documents.
"These documents involve the private transfer of the Wendell Family's old collection. I will hand them over to the trust overseers and lawyers."
Grant's expression darkened.
"Mrs. Wendell, do you want to take things this far?"
"It was you who put my property into a black box first."
Edward kept his voice low.
"Victoria, do you want to destroy the Wendell Family's reputation?"
She looked at him.
"You've already destroyed most of it."
Isabella said softly:
"The rest is just cleaning up."
At the entrance of the hall, an attendant hurried in.
"Lord Grant, Sir Simon has arrived."
Everyone looked toward the entrance.
Sir Simon walked in, followed by two lawyers.
Victoria handed the documents over.
"Perfect."
Sir Simon opened the first page.
Then he looked at the second page.
His expression turned serious.
"Where are the original documents?"
Chen Qian immediately placed the document box on the table.
"The case is here; the lock was opened, and there are other old collection attachments inside."
Sir Simon looked at Grant.
"Lord, who has been in charge of this case tonight?"
Grant's expression stiffened.
"I need to confirm first."
Sir Simon spoke coldly:
"Confirm it now."
The hall was deathly silent.
Jiang Lin stepped back half a step.
Isabella turned to look at him, her gaze falling on his tie.
"Wipe it off."
"What?"
She raised her hand and used her fingertip to wipe the residual lipstick from the corner of his mouth.
Victoria stood to the side, watching this scene.
"Mrs. Montclair, it seems you've won a lot tonight."
Isabella looked at her.
"It's what I should have taken back."
Victoria walked up to Jiang Lin and straightened his crooked tie for him.
"Then at least I can straighten his tie."
Isabella didn't stop her.
"You may."
Chen Qian clutched the document box, her face so red she didn't dare look up.
Sir Simon put the documents into an evidence bag.
"Everyone, tonight's cocktail party is over."