Zane stood there awkwardly. He had stepped forward eagerly, offering a warm greeting, but Jackson barely paid him any attention. Instead, Jackson directed his acknowledgment toward Spencer—who was standing all the way up on the platform. A flicker of displeasure crossed Zane’s face, but he quickly pushed it aside. After all, none of this would matter soon. The real highlight of the evening would be watching Spencer and Arthur humiliate themselves. That was the goal tonight—to crush Spencer completely and eliminate him as a threat once and for all. Without paying Zane any further attention, Jackson made his way straight toward the stage. As he stepped onto the platform, his sharp gaze immediately landed on Arthur, who was standing just behind Spencer. Arthur was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo, impeccably tailored to perfection. The luxurious fabric exuded elegance, subtly highlighting his noble demeanor—it was as if the suit had been crafted just for him. Though still young, Arthur possessed a calm and composed demeanor that was far beyond his years, a rare presence that set him apart from others. From Jackson’s earlier position, Arthur had been obscured behind Spencer, so he hadn’t noticed him before. Although Jackson didn’t yet know who he was, he instinctively gave Arthur a slight nod as a greeting. Arthur, slightly surprised that Jackson greeted him first, returned the nod politely. Reaching Spencer’s side, Jackson wasted no time. “What needs to be appraised?” he asked, getting straight to the point. Spencer didn’t bother with unnecessary chatter either. Stepping toward Arthur and Ashley, he introduced them. “Mr. Jackson, this is my daughter, Ashley, and her fiancé, Arthur. There are two items we’d like you to appraise today.” Arthur extended his right hand with ease. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jackson. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The moment Arthur lifted his hand, Jackson’s sharp eyes locked onto the ring on his finger. His attention snapped to it instantly.Without hesitation, he shook Arthur’s hand briefly—then immediately reached for the ring. “This… This is—” Jackson turned Arthur’s hand over, tilting it under the light, carefully examining the ring from every angle. His fingers traced the details, his focus unwavering. The sight of this had the crowd below buzzing with excitement. “What’s with that look on Mr. Jackson’s face? He looks like he just stumbled upon some kind of rare treasure!” “But wasn’t Arthur’s ring supposed to be fake? Could he have actually managed to buy the real one in just a few days?” “No way. According to Maris, the original buyer fought hard to win that piece at auction. How could Arthur not only track them down but also convince them to give it up?” “Maybe he paid an insanely high price? But we’re talking about an emerald here… That would cost a fortune.” “Let’s just wait and see what Mr. Jackson has to say.” Zane had followed closely behind and was now back on the stage. The moment he saw the expression on Jackson’s face, his heart sank. A wave of unease crashed over him—something felt off. His instincts screamed that this wasn’t going to play out as he had planned. Meanwhile, Jackson’s attention had already locked onto Arthur’s ring. Seizing the moment, Spencer stepped forward and spoke. “Mr. Jackson, the first item we’d like you to appraise is this pair of emerald jade rings,” he said, gesturing toward Arthur and Ashley’s matching rings. “Arthur specially prepared these as their engagement rings. But Zane here—” he paused briefly, glancing in Zane’s direction, “—interrupted their exchange and suddenly claimed the rings were fake.” As Spencer spoke, many in the crowd instinctively turned their eyes toward Zane as well. At that moment, the reality of the situation set in—regardless of whether the rings were real or fake, Zane’s actions were already inappropriate. Even if the rings were fake, that was a private matter between Arthur and Ashley. Yet, Zane had stormed in uninvited on such an important day and openly declared their rings were counterfeit. This was an obvious attempt to cause trouble. No matter the outcome, his behavior was completely out of line.Whether the rings were real or not no longer mattered. Zane had already overstepped. At that moment, Zane finally realized his mistake. Regret flickered across his face. He had acted too hastily. He should have come up with a more strategic plan—one that allowed the situation to unfold naturally, rather than barging in so aggressively. Had he done so, his reputation wouldn’t have taken such a hit. But Arthur and the Gibson family had pushed him to his limits too many times. The moment he heard Arthur was hosting his engagement party at this estate, he rushed over without a second thought, convinced that this was the perfect opportunity to humiliate him. Concerned that his position might restrict what he could say, he brought his two sons along to manage the situation for him. I should have thought this through more carefully. While Zane was silently regretting his decision, Spencer had no intention of letting him off the hook so easily. After a brief pause, Spencer continued, his voice calm yet firm. “At the end of the day, what truly matters in an engagement is sincerity. A ring—no matter how expensive—is just a symbol. What’s important is the commitment between the couple. We invited so many guests here today not just to celebrate but to witness this special moment with us.” His expression darkened slightly as he turned his gaze back toward Zane. “But who could have expected Zane to show up uninvited, causing a scene on such an important day? And now, in order to clear my children’s names, I have no choice but to request an official appraisal.” Spencer’s tone remained calm, but each word landed heavily, weighing down on Zane.