Chapter 36 Mysterious Buyer
Michael successfully got diverted by Sabrina. He stepped back and sat down with her again.
"Okay Sabby, you review the requirements first. Then we'll go to the studio."
Sabrina readily agreed. Michael completely missed the flash of guilt across her face. But from my god's-eye view, I caught it crystal clear.
The video ended there. Guilt, huh?
A plan formed in my mind. A few days ago, Sabrina had stolen several of Michael's paintings. According to Melissa's observations, she'd been searching for the right buyer. Which meant those paintings were still somewhere in the Rosewood house.
Why not help Michael find them?
If Sabrina wanted to hide them, I'd drag everything into the light. A cunning glint flickered in my eyes.
I grabbed my backup phone and opened my blocked contacts to find Michael's number. Added his personal account with a note about my intentions: buying paintings.
Michael couldn't resist the bait. He accepted instantly. Mr. Genius Artist with all his pride—even though I was only there for his work, when I reached out, he acted ice-cold, like chatting with me was charity.
Annoyed me, honestly. But I kept my messages flattering.
[Mr. Rosewood, I happened to see your work at the auction last time. Absolutely loved it.]
[Unfortunately, the bidding was quite competitive and I couldn't secure it. Such a regret.]
[So I tracked down your contact information, hoping for a chance to collect some of your other masterpieces. What do you think?]
Reading those lines, I really did sound like a rabid fan. I could easily imagine Michael's tail practically wagging in the sky right about now.
He took a few minutes to respond.
[How many pieces? What's your offer?]
I replied instantly.
[The more the better, naturally. Base price of three hundred thousand per piece.]
[But could you allow me to preview your available works first? The price is negotiable.]
Tactfully put. Michael wasn't stupid—he'd understand. I was just asking to see what his paintings looked like so I could price them individually. Only going up from there, never down.
Michael couldn't sit still anymore.
[Wait.]
Seeing that response, I knew Michael had taken the bait. While waiting, I shared the whole scheme with Melissa. We were best friends—of course we'd share the fun. Besides, taking down the Rosewood family required Melissa's help anyway.
After hearing my plan, Melissa quietly opened her laptop. "Cate, want to keep watching the livestream?"
I was confused. How was she managing this? The surveillance room login credentials were controlled by Andrew. The Rosewood servants could view footage but couldn't access the backend.
She smiled smugly. "Forget what I majored in at college?"
I froze. My rusty brain started turning. Right! Melissa studied computer science.
"So you used hacking to redirect the Rosewood family's surveillance feed to your own computer?"
"Bingo."
I gave her another thumbs-up. Putting her education to practical use—seriously impressive. Melissa preened a bit at the praise.
She typed in some code, and within moments gained access to the Rosewood surveillance system. Soon enough, the live feed appeared on screen.
I felt both fascinated and a bit ashamed of myself. My past life had been such a complete waste. I'd had access to Rosewood family resources but threw away a promising future over so-called family bonds.
Thank god I'd gotten a second chance.
"Lisa, I want to become as capable as you."
The random comment made Melissa glance at the camera in confusion. "Cate, you've always been capable. More capable than me, actually."
I knew she was just trying to comfort me. Quickly changed the subject.
Through the surveillance footage, we clearly saw Michael suddenly stand up from the couch, looking to be in a great mood.
Sabrina immediately went on alert. "Mike, where are you going?"
Michael smiled at her. "Sabby, a buyer contacted me. Says he wants to purchase my paintings. I've got a few pieces left in the studio—I'm going to photograph them for him."
Sabrina's stomach dropped. She quickly stood up and blocked his path. "A buyer? Out of nowhere? Is he legit?"
What were the odds? She'd only just stolen Michael's paintings, and now someone wanted to buy them?
"It's fine, I'm just showing him what I have. If he definitely wants to buy, he'll need to put down a deposit first. Don't worry."
Michael tried heading toward the studio again.
"Wait!" Sabrina blocked him once more. "How much is he offering?"
Melissa and I exchanged glances through the screen, both seeing the same exasperation in each other's eyes. Sabrina really was a money-grubber. Asking like that just meant she wanted to know if the sale would give her enough to splurge, didn't it?
Michael told her honestly. Seeing Sabrina's expression darken, he added, "Sabby, don't worry. I'm confident in my work. He'll definitely pay more!"
Sabrina gave a half-hearted response. The miracle drug for her treatment cost as much as three of Michael's paintings per pill. Even if he sold them for more, how much extra could it really be?
"Fine, go ahead. But search thoroughly—dig out all your inventory."
Sabrina spoke with such understanding.
Melissa laughed. "Sabrina really is... she just wants to stall for time or wait until Michael digs everything out so she can steal more paintings."
"By the way Cate, are you actually going to buy them?"
I shrugged. "I'm broke."
We both smiled knowingly. Wasn't this indirectly helping Sabrina anyway? Maybe Michael really would find more paintings.
On the monitor, after Michael left, Sabrina quickly went upstairs. Soon she'd changed clothes and snuck out of the Rosewood house looking extremely suspicious.
"Cate, what do you think she's doing?"
I smiled. "Isn't it obvious? Moving her stolen goods somewhere else."
"Makes sense."
The show ended there. Melissa and I chatted a bit more before ending the call. She said she wanted to sharpen her hacking skills—if the Rosewood family discovered her current access, she could switch locations and still keep tabs on their every move.
I wholeheartedly approved and transferred her some money as encouragement. Melissa didn't stand on ceremony.
I pulled out my backup phone and, playing the buyer, sent Michael a couple of nudging messages. Just as I was about to dig into DI's competition requirements, a new call came through.
"Nicholas? Why's he calling at this hour?"
Confused but curious, I answered. The background noise on his end sounded chaotic, but Nicholas's voice came through clearly.
"Were you asleep?"
"Not yet."
"Come to the dance hall on XX Street. There's a good show you won't want to miss."