Chapter 62
Chapter 62:
“Since it’s my first time visiting all of you, I brought these gifts. I hope you’ll like them p>
Rising from her chair, Brinley signaled the servants to pass the gifts around.
“For Westley, an oil painting. Briseis loves scarves—this one is this year’s limited release. Byron and Ryder each get a set of p>
Carolyn sprang up with a theatrical gasp, hands flying to her cheeks. “Oh my gosh, Brinley—you’re really generous p>
With a slight turn of his head, Ryder sent her a measured look, his tone even but pointed. “Since it’s your first visit, Brinley, it was thoughtful of you to prepare these gifts. But p>
He drew out the word, letting the silence settle before continuing. “These gifts cost a fortune, right? Austin may be running the company now and hardly short on cash, but our family has always preached restraint. Your extravagance could draw unwanted criticism if people hear about it p>
𝖮𝗋𝘨a𝗻𝘪𝘇𝘦 у𝗼𝘶𝗿 𝘭і𝖻𝘳a𝗿𝘺 𝗈𝘯
Carolyn cut in immediately. “Exactly, Brinley. You ought to be prudent with money. How could you be so careless? And isn’t it Austin’s money you’re burning p>
From the couch, Brinley listened to their criticism, a cold smile ghosting at the corner of her mouth.
They saw her as an easy target—someone they could needle just to make Austin look bad.
Steadying herself, Brinley lifted her handbag, slid out a stack of printed pages, and placed them on the coffee table. “Ryder, Carolyn, why don’t you take a look at these p>
Attention snapped to the neatly stacked papers, curiosity rippling through the room.
In a crisp, steady tone, Brinley said, “I chose every gift myself, and yes, they weren’t cheap. I paid for them with my own money. None of it came from Austin p>
She tapped the documents lightly with a fingertip. “Here are the itemized gift list, the matching receipts, and my bank statements. Go ahead and verify them p>
Corbett reached for the list first. As his eyes skimmed the columns, his brows drew together until he sucked in a sharp breath. “Hold on—this painting is the one from last month’s auction p>
“Yes,” Brinley replied with a small nod. “I heard Westley is into paintings, so I made sure to bid on that one p>
A stunned edge roughened Corbett’s voice. “We’re talking thirty-two million for this painting p>
Most of them didn’t truly understand art, yet the sheer price tag seemed to hum in the air.
Gasps cracked through the room.
Refusing to accept it, Carolyn snatched the itemized list and the bank statements, running a finger down each line.
Rows of figures—some in the hundreds of thousands, others climbing into the millions—drove her to the final tally.
These gifts totaled forty-eight million seven hundred thousand.