I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 141

Alexander Ramirez considered this for a moment.

"Aaron Lee," he said.

Aaron Lee received his orders and turned to leave.

"Mr. Ramirez, my family is also involved in this, so we should be the ones to step forward to make it convincing. I've already sent someone," Sophia Green said, gesturing toward the main floor.

Just as Natalie Watson was about to call for the third bid, a man's voice suddenly boomed from the audience. "None of what you're saying is in the item description! Mr. Green never said it was a royal piece when he bought it. Nora, are you just making this up so it doesn't go unsold on your watch?"

The speaker was an ordinary-looking man in a dark jacket.

After he spoke, a murmur rippled through the crowd.

Every item was displayed with its relevant information, but this painting's description had included no mention of it ever being a royal artifact.

The host politely inquired, "And you are, sir?"

"I work for Mr. Green. I'm here representing him at this auction."

An objection from Mr. Green’s own subordinate suggested a genuine problem with the painting's provenance.

If the seller himself was exposing the issue out of responsibility to the buyers, what defense could Billy Firth possibly have?

The chatter among the guests grew louder.

"Is this how your auction house deceives its buyers? We came here because of the reputations of The Ramirez Group and Billy Firth. It seems you're no different from those shady little auction companies!"

"Exactly! If they can fabricate information for this painting, who knows what else they've faked tonight."

"Refunds! We want our money back!"

The calls for refunds and accusations grew more insistent.

Sophia Green’s eyes gleamed with smug contempt. She turned to Alexander Ramirez and said, "I knew it. She was lying. And you actually believed her, Mr. Ramirez."

Alexander’s expression was unreadable, his hands tucked into his pockets. His chiseled profile betrayed no emotion.

At that moment, Natalie Watson had the volume on her lapel microphone turned up.

A voice, clear as a morning bell, rang out from the entrance of the hall.

Mr. Green strode in, walking directly to the stage before turning to face the guests. "When I first purchased this painting, I was not aware of its history with the British monarchy. Later, a friend recognized it, and I had someone trace its origins back to the artist to confirm the story. Just half an hour ago, I called the auction house to inform them and brought the relevant documentation."

As he spoke, he had his assistant produce an appraisal report and a certificate of provenance.

After showing it to the crowd, he handed the documents to Natalie. She nodded, and had Ava Thompson display them on the large screen.

All eyes turned to the screen.

Mr. Green continued, "I am grateful for the trust Nora and both auction houses have shown me. I apologize for disrupting the auction, but I can personally guarantee, on the name of The Green Group, that this information is absolutely authentic!"

Natalie leaned over and whispered something to Ava Thompson.

Ava walked over to Mr. Green and invited him to take a seat and rest, assuring him that Nora would handle the rest.

As Mr. Green sat down, Natalie gave him a nod of gratitude before addressing the audience again. "If the documents aren't enough proof, then I'll have to call on a friend."