Sir Simon had the lawyer seal the trunk.
Lord Grant's expression was terrible.
Edward stood by the stairs, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
Victoria put the copy of the transfer confirmation for the old collection into her handbag.
"The original goes to Sir Simon, and I will take the copy."
Sir Simon nodded.
"Mrs. Wendell, at ten o'clock tomorrow morning, I will come to the castle to formally audit the loss of the old collection and the trust expenditures."
"Very well."
Grant lowered his voice.
"Victoria, this matter can be handled privately."
Victoria looked at him.
"Before tonight is over, you could also return the items privately."
Grant stopped talking.
Edward said coldly:
"Are you really going to drag the Wendell family's reputation through the mud across all of London?"
Victoria walked up to him.
"When you sold the paintings, you didn't think about reputation."
"That painting wasn't worth anything to begin with."
Jiang Lin handed the price floor list to Sir Simon.
"The floor price was 150,000 pounds, while Drouot valued it at around 10,000 euros. Count, you all made a clean sweep of the difference."
Edward glared at him sharply.
Isabella stood by Jiang Lin's side.
"Don't start a fight; there are too many people here, and it's not the right place to continue making a fool of yourself."
Grant's guests were already retreating toward the door one after another.
Some were whispering on their phones.
Some were pretending they didn't know the host.
Some looked at Jiang Lin, Isabella, and Victoria, their expressions clearly having changed.
After tonight, the entire Mayfair circle would know.
The Countess of Wendell, accompanied by a French winery owner and a young man, had upended Grant's private cocktail party.
Chen Qian clutched the document box, her fingers turning white with tension.
Seeing this, Victoria reached out and took the box.
"Miss Chen, you've worked hard tonight."
Chen Qian whispered, "I can still carry it."
Isabella walked over and tucked her hair, dampened by the rain, behind her ear.
"You have already carried enough."
Chen Qian blushed.
"Thank you, my lady."
Jiang Lin looked at Sir Simon.
"It would be best to register the remaining attachments of the old collection in the box tonight."
Sir Simon: "I will take them personally."
Victoria: "I will send Irene with you."
"That works."
Grant finally couldn't help it:
"Simon, this is my party."
Sir Simon closed the file bag.
"Lord, it is now also a trust audit site."
Grant shut his mouth.
Victoria turned around.
"Let's go."
The group left the mansion.
The rain was still falling.
The car was parked at the bottom of the steps.
Just as Isabella was about to get in the car, Victoria suddenly called out to her.
"Mrs. Montclair."
Isabella turned back.
"That kiss just now was very timely."
Chen Qian's face turned red instantly.
Isabella's expression remained unchanged.
"It was for the documents."
Victoria looked at Jiang Lin's tie.
"It looked very much like a genuine display of affection."
Isabella smiled.
"Mrs. Wendell is welcome to keep guessing."
Jiang Lin opened the car door.
"Get in first."
Victoria sat inside.
Isabella followed.
Jiang Lin was about to sit down when Chen Qian whispered a reminder:
"Mr. Jiang, there is still a little bit on your tie..."
Isabella reached out and pulled his tie toward her.
Jiang Lin lowered his head accordingly.
Her fingertips wiped away that smudge of lipstick.
"It's gone now."
Victoria watched from inside the car.
"Mrs. Montclair wipes very carefully."
"Evidence shouldn't be left in the wrong place."
Jiang Lin sat in the car.
Chen Qian sat opposite them, clutching the document bag, her head bowed very low.
The car door closed.
The driver started the car.
The car was quiet for a few seconds.
Victoria laughed first.
"Tonight is worth a drink."
Isabella: "Back to the castle first."
"We'll drink when we get back."
Jiang Lin: "You two are still in the mood to drink?"
Victoria: "We got the documents tonight, blocked Grant, and cornered Edward; of course we should drink."
Isabella watched the rain outside the window.
"And someone was forced to kiss."
Chen Qian coughed.
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"Is your throat uncomfortable?"
"No."
Victoria rested her chin on her hand.
"Miss Chen, how much did you see just now?"
Chen Qian's face was red enough to bleed.
"I only look at the documents."
Isabella said calmly:
"Very good."
Victoria: "Do you really believe her?"
Isabella: "She will learn what to remember and what not to remember."
Chen Qian nodded quickly.
"I will."
Jiang Lin leaned back against the seat.
"She has already been corrupted by you two today."
Isabella looked over.
"Who is corrupted?"
Victoria followed suit and looked at him.
"Say that again?"
Jiang Lin shut his mouth.
Chen Qian couldn't help it and laughed softly.
Victoria: "Miss Chen, it's okay to laugh out loud."
Chen Qian bowed her head.
"I wouldn't dare."
Isabella: "She would dare. She's just not used to it yet."
The car drove through the rainy night in London.
Streetlights swept past the car window one by one.
Victoria picked up the copy of the documents and flipped through it again.
"With this confirmation, we can file a case to investigate the loss of the old collection."
Isabella: "Grant won't be clean."
"He has been a middleman for many years; he won't only have the Wendell family's items in his hands."
Jiang Lin: "That's why he will cut ties with Edward tonight."
Victoria: "Who do you think he will betray first?"
"Harold."
Chen Qian looked up immediately.
"Because Harold signed it, Grant can claim he only acted as a witness."
Jiang Lin nodded.
"Correct."
Victoria looked at Chen Qian.
"You react quickly."
Chen Qian blushed again.
Isabella: "Don't praise her too much, she'll get big-headed."
Chen Qian sat up straight immediately.
"I won't."
Victoria smiled and closed the documents.
"Mrs. Montclair, if Miss Chen were with me, I would let her get a little big-headed."
"That is exactly why she cannot be with you."
Jiang Lin looked out the window.
"The documents are in hand, Sir Simon will audit tomorrow, and Edward won't dare to touch the old collection in the short term. Next is Hall Capital."
Victoria: "You still want to talk about business tonight?"
Jiang Lin: "What else would we talk about?"
Isabella looked at him.
"Talk about you getting kissed."
Chen Qian covered the folder.
Victoria's smile deepened.
Jiang Lin looked at Isabella.
"My lady, you were the one who made the first move."
"To save the situation."
"Hmm."
"What kind of expression is that?"
"I believe you."
Isabella leaned in a bit closer.
"You had better really believe it."
Victoria said softly: "What if I don't believe it?"
Isabella turned her head to look at her.
"Mrs. Wendell is very eager to see some drama tonight?"
"I am."
"Then you might be disappointed."
Jiang Lin was about to speak, but Isabella suddenly reached out, pinched his chin, and kissed him directly.
The car fell silent instantly.
This time there was no wine cellar.
No footsteps.
No safe deposit box.
And no documents.
Only the sound of rain outside the car window.
When she let go, Isabella's hand still rested on his chin.
"This time, it's not for the documents."
Chen Qian lowered her head completely, her ears turning bright red.
Victoria sat upright opposite them, the smile in her eyes fading slightly.
"Mrs. Montclair wins very directly."
Isabella leaned back into her seat.
"So you stop guessing."
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"So can I speak now?"
"No."
Victoria looked out the window.
"There is a good bottle of brandy in the castle cellar."
Isabella: "We can open it tonight."
"For the documents?"
"For the victory."
Victoria turned her head.
"And for the kiss?"
Isabella's expression was calm.
"Mrs. Wendell, you can have two glasses."
When the car returned to Wendell Castle, it was nearly midnight.
Irene was waiting at the door.
"My lady, Sir Simon has already taken the box to the secure storage room and will bring a lawyer back tomorrow morning."
Victoria nodded.
"What about Edward?"
"He returned to the West Wing and hasn't come out."
"Send someone to guard the archives."
"It has been arranged."
The group entered the castle.
The fireplace in the hall was still burning.
Victoria took off her gloves and ordered someone to bring wine to the Small Parlor.
Isabella looked at Chen Qian.
"You go back to your room to rest."
Chen Qian hesitated.
"The documents..."
Jiang Lin took the document bag from her hands.
"Give it to Irene."
Victoria: "Miss Chen, you did a great job today. Go to sleep now."
Chen Qian nodded.
"Good night."
She walked up the stairs, and halfway up, she looked back.
Jiang Lin was handing the documents to Irene.
Isabella stood by his side.
Victoria stood by the fireplace.
Chen Qian looked away and walked quickly to her room.
Only the three of them were left in the Small Parlor.
A waiter brought the brandy.
Victoria poured three glasses.
"The first glass tonight is for those documents."
Isabella took the glass.
"The second glass is for Mrs. Wendell finally regaining the initiative."
Victoria looked at Jiang Lin.
"What about the third glass?"
Jiang Lin picked up his glass.
"For tomorrow."
Victoria laughed.
"What a buzzkill."
Isabella, however, clinked her glass with his.
"For tomorrow."
The three of them took a sip.
The liquor was very strong.
Victoria leaned against the side of the sofa.
"Edward won't stop."
Jiang Lin: "I know."
"Grant will cut ties."
"Even better."
"Hall will up the ante."
"Let him."
Isabella looked at him.
"You really won't rest tonight."
Jiang Lin put down his glass.
"Didn't you also not let me rest just now?"
Victoria looked at Isabella.
Isabella took a slow sip of her drink.
"Jiang Lin."
"Hmm?"
"Say one more word, and you'll be sleeping in the hallway tonight."
Victoria answered quickly.
"I can arrange a blanket."
Jiang Lin stood up.
"I'm going back to my room."
Isabella: "Stop."
He stopped.
Isabella walked over, completely untied the tie that had been pulled askew, and took it into her own hands.
"I'm taking this."
Victoria watched her.
"A trophy?"
"Evidence."
Jiang Lin looked down at his empty collar.
"Then what do I wear tomorrow?"
Victoria picked up a new dark gray tie from beside the sofa and handed it to him.
"This."
Isabella glanced at her.
"Prepared very quickly."
"The castle has everything."
Jiang Lin took the tie.
Isabella reached out and pressed her hand on it.
"I'll tie it for you tomorrow morning."
Victoria's hand didn't let go either.
"This is what I provided."
Two hands pressed onto the tie at the same time.
Jiang Lin looked down at it.
"You want to fight over this one too?"
Isabella: "Yes."
Victoria: "Of course."
Jiang Lin let go.
"You two decide."
The tie was held by both of them at the same time.
A moment later, Victoria let go.
"See you tomorrow morning."
Isabella held the new tie.
"See you tomorrow morning."
Jiang Lin looked at Isabella.
"So my old tie and new tie are both with you."
She draped both ties over her arm.
"You don't need to wear one tonight."
Victoria laughed out loud.
Jiang Lin said nothing more, turned, and left the Small Parlor.
When he returned to the East Wing corridor, Isabella followed him.
She was still holding those two ties.
Jiang Lin stopped at his door.
"Anything else?"
Isabella walked closer.
"Just now in the car, you didn't respond."
"You said I couldn't speak."
"Now you can."
She raised her hand, grabbed his open collar, and pulled him down.
This time, the kiss was very slow.
Not performed for anyone to see.
Not fought over for anyone to see.
The scent of alcohol, rain, and perfume mixed together.
Her fingers gripped the collar of his shirt, and when she let go, there was a crease in the fabric.
Jiang Lin held her waist.
"My lady, the doorway."
Isabella pressed against him, her voice very low.
"What about the doorway?"
"Someone might see."
"Then let them know."
She let go and stuffed the dark gray tie into his hand.
"Wear it yourself tomorrow morning."
Jiang Lin looked down at the tie.
"You're not going to tie it?"
"Depends on my mood."
Isabella turned and went back to her room.
The door closed.
At the other end of the corridor, Victoria's door was half-open.
She stood behind the door, holding a wine glass.
Jiang Lin looked over.
Victoria raised her glass slightly.
"Good night, Mr. Jiang."
Jiang Lin tucked the tie into his hand.
"Good night, Mrs. Wendell."
Victoria closed the door.