Chapter 215
The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lucinda changed and came downstairs.
Valencia sat at the dining table. When she saw her come down, her eyes lit up. "Cindy, heading to the mall today?"
"Yes. To check out the jewelry exhibition booths."
"Let the driver take you."
"No need. I'll drive myself."
Valencia opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just nodded. "Drive carefully, then."
Lucinda walked to the entrance to change her shoes. Milton hurried down the stairs, holding a light jacket. "It's getting cold outside. Wear this."
Lucinda took the jacket and glanced down at it.
It was hers. She had no idea when Milton had taken it upstairs.
"Milton, did you take my jacket last night?"
"Yeah. I ironed it for you while I was at it."
His tone was matter-of-fact.
Lucinda opened her mouth to say something but ultimately said nothing. She put the jacket on.
Nox Core Tower, owned by the Lancaster Group, was located in the heart of Starlight City's busiest commercial district. Lucinda parked in the underground garage and took the elevator up to the first floor.
When she stepped out of the elevator, she was greeted by a wide, bright, open space.
The storefronts Reginald had given her were spread across floors one through three of the mall. Each one was in a prime street-facing location with excellent natural lighting, square layouts, and generous ceiling heights.
She stood in the center of one of the units, turned in a slow circle, and already had a rough plan forming in her mind.
Just then, her phone rang.
A familiar name flashed on the screen: Bianca.
The manager of her Maple Street store.
"Boss! Where are you? I'm on the first floor. I can see the row of storefronts!"
Bianca's voice was brimming with excitement.
Lucinda smiled. "I'm in the one at the far end. Come over."
Less than two minutes later, Bianca came trotting over in heels.
She wore a sharp black suit dress, her eyes bright, a tablet clutched in her hands.
"Boss! This location is insane!" She started spinning in circles the moment she walked in, talking a mile a minute. "I went to like five different malls with Tamsin before this. Either the locations were terrible or the rent was sky-high. Where did you even find this gem?"
"A friend gave it to me."
"A friend? What kind of friend is that generous? The annual rent for this whole row of storefronts could buy a house!"
Lucinda didn't respond. She simply took the tablet from Bianca's hands and started scrolling. "Pull up the floor plan for this level first. I want to see the layout."
The two spent the entire morning walking through all the units across the three floors.
Bianca let out an exclamation every time they entered a new space. By the end, her voice was starting to go hoarse.
At noon, Lucinda glanced at the time and put the tablet away. "Let's eat. We'll continue this afternoon."
Bianca nodded quickly and followed. The two walked side by side toward the exit.
As they passed through the atrium, Lucinda's steps paused.
In the center of the atrium's open space, a small temporary exhibition booth had already been set up.
White backdrop. Clean lines. The Ethereal Jewel Studio logo printed across it.
Several uniformed staff members stood around the booth, adjusting the lighting and display stands.
She walked over. Someone immediately recognized her and stopped what they were doing, bowing slightly. "Ms. Wipere, Mr. Lancaster instructed us to set this up ahead of time. He said you'd be coming to look at the storefronts today, so we prepared a preliminary version of the booth setup. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, you can make changes directly."
Lucinda stood in place, looking at the booth.
Light fell from the side onto the empty display stands, as if they were already waiting to receive something.
"Where is he?"
"In a meeting on the top floor. He said it should be over by three this afternoon."
Lucinda withdrew her gaze, turned, and walked out, the corner of her mouth curving slightly.
She pulled out her phone, opened Reginald's chat window, and typed: [Saw the booth. Thank you.]
Less than five seconds after she sent it, he replied: [Do you like it?]
[It's okay.]
[Okay means you like it.]
She looked at that line, didn't reply, and slipped her phone back into her pocket.
Bianca stood behind her, watching the exchange between her and Reginald, and quietly swallowed.
Her boss and the head of the Lancaster family had this kind of rapport? Just thinking about it made her excited.
She quickly jogged a few steps to catch up with Lucinda, silently vowing to herself that she would make this jewelry exhibition absolutely flawless. She wouldn't let her boss down.
After leaving Nox Core Tower, Lucinda drove back to one of her own properties—a shopping mall.
She'd acquired it a few years ago. The location wasn't as central as Nox Core Tower, but it was stable, and the rental income had always been solid.
She parked in the surface lot, crossed through the main lobby, and headed toward the basement level.
The basement was the antiques district.
The entire floor was paved with dark tiles. The lighting was warmer than upstairs, and the air carried the distinct scent of old wood and aged paper.
Shops lined both sides of the corridor. Their entrances were cluttered with all kinds of vases, jars, and vessels—some coated in a thin layer of dust, others polished to a shine.
Lucinda walked deeper into the corridor and stopped in front of an unassuming shop.
The sign was an old wooden plaque.
She pushed the door open. The hinge let out a faint creak.
The old man behind the counter looked up. When he saw it was her, his eyes brightened. "You're finally here. Those pieces I mentioned last time—have you thought it over?"
Lucinda sat down across from him and took a sip of the hot tea he handed her. "Which pieces?"
The old man immediately set down what he was working on, turned, and retrieved several wooden boxes from the shelf behind him. He carefully placed them on the counter.
He opened the first one. Inside was a pair of porcelain vases—thin-bodied, lustrous glaze, intricate patterns.
The second contained a vintage copper incense burner, deep red throughout, its edges worn smooth.
The third box held a natural gemstone pendant—fine, translucent texture, with an antique carved relief pattern that was simple and elegant, exuding a high-end feel.
"This pair of vases is from the Victorian era. Condition's perfect. The copper burner is early seventeenth century, with clear maker's marks. The pendant is even older—probably late Renaissance. I had an old expert in the trade take a look. All of them are genuine antiques, the real deal."
Lucinda's gaze swept over the three items.
She didn't reach out to touch them. She just looked quietly for a moment, then picked up her teacup and took another sip. "How much for the pendant?"
The old man's eyes lit up. He quoted a number.
Lucinda listened, set down her teacup, and didn't haggle. She simply said, "Wrap it up."
The old man froze for a moment, clearly not expecting her to be so decisive. Then he nodded repeatedly and began packing it up with practiced hands. "You're straightforward. You won't regret taking this pendant home. If I wasn't in a hurry for cash right now, I wouldn't part with it."
Lucinda nodded and pulled a card from her bag, handing it over.
The old man took the card, swiped it through the machine, and handed it back. The entire process took less than three minutes.