SWNOVELS Chapter 25
Chapter 25 Do You Think We're Fools?
"Mr. Birkett's painting? It can't be!"
Someone snapped, "Everyone knows that Mr. Birkett stopped auctioning off his artwork long ago. This can't be his painting."
"That's right. Auctioning off a fake painting? Do you think we're fools?"
Everyone who attended the auction today were all established figures. BQ Magazine couldn't afford for them to get mad. Panicked, Mr. Nelson said hurriedly, "This painting by Mr. Birkett was sponsored by an anonymous person. That person has guaranteed that this is an authentic painting."
"Just because that person says it is authentic doesn't mean it is. Who's going to believe it?" Someone refuted right away before they continued, "Who's this anonymous person? Come out if you dare. Prove that this is an authentic painting."
The attendees of this dinner sponsored all the auction goods tonight, so the anonymous person must be present. Were they auctioning off a fake painting using Mr. Birkett's name? They wanted to see who this shameless person was. Gilbert frowned, looking upset. How dare they accuse Jenny's painting of being fake?
He was about to get up when Jenny, who was beside him, got ahead of him.
"I was the one who sponsored the painting."
Everyone else heard her voice and turned to look at her one by one. It was her! It was Gilbert's sister and also the woman who infuriated Alec.
"This painting is indeed Mr. Birkett's painting. It's not a fake like everyone claims it is," she said calmly without any signs of panic.
"What proof do you have? The whereabouts of all the paintings that Mr. Birkett auctioned off are clear. This painting," that person contemplated for a moment before saying, “This painting of yours has never appeared before. Could it be Mr. Birkett's new work?"
"It is indeed," Jenny nodded. She thought to herself, "This person is quite familiar with Mr. Birkett's artwork. He recognized that it was a new painting with just one look."
Not only did she not refute, but she also admitted directly. Everyone looked at her as if she was mad.
"Mr. Birkett said earlier that he isn't going to auction off any new paintings anymore. Before you use his name, you should at least get your facts right to avoid making a fool of yourself!" "That's right! Do you think we're that dumb?"
The crowd started to speak their mind. They had already concluded that this was a fake painting. They even changed the way they looked at Gilbert. This was the person he brought along, so more likely than not, this was the kind of person he was involved with.
"Dr. Walter, although you have good intentions with your donation, this was inappropriate. Mr. Birkett is a renowned artist, and everyone likes his paintings. You're going to cause outrage by deceiving the people with a fake painting. Just apologize."
Faye seemed to be trying to help Jenny with her earnest words, but she had indirectly deemed it a fake painting. Jenny glanced at her and sneered, "We haven't even confirmed the authenticity of the painting. and you already want me to apologize?"
"There's no use in denying it. Many of the people here are fans of Mr. Birkett. They are familiar with his
work. What's the use of denying it?"
Even though she seemed worried for Jenny, Faye was smiling inside. She had been stressed out trying to think of a way to humiliate Jenny earlier. Who knew Jenny had just made a fool of herself?
Jenny didn't entertain her. She scanned the crowd for a while before she turned her gaze to Mr. Nelson. She said calmly, "Since everybody doubts the authenticity of the painting, let's get an appraiser. What do you think, Mr. Nelson?"
"Alright, alright. I'll contact one right away." Mr. Nelson nodded repeatedly. He was also feeling super anxious. If this painting turned out to be fake, BQ Magazine would become a joke. He could only pray that Gilbert was reliable. After all, he was the one who made the guarantee back then. Worst case scenario, Gilbert had also been kept in the dark about this.