Chapter 236

The hotel manager swept a cold gaze over the panicked girls, his lips curling into a mocking smirk.

"Those succulents are worthless," he drawled.

"But the planters you smashed are genuine antiques from the Ming and Qing dynasties."

"The cheapest one is valued at two hundred thousand."

Before he finished speaking, several girls' legs gave out beneath them.

Lydia Montgomery clutched the broken shards in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

"As for those stones in your hands," the manager's voice cut like a blade, "they're all remnants of Burmese jade."

"That handful you're holding," he pointed at one girl, "is worth at least three hundred thousand."

The air froze solid.

All eyes turned to Sophia Lowell, pleading for salvation.

Sophia forced herself forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sir, this was our mistake. I'll cover the damages. Could we... avoid involving the police?"

Seeing his expression soften, she hastily added, "Perhaps we could discuss this somewhere more private?"

Inside the private room, staff tallied the losses.

"Antique planters—eight hundred thousand. Succulents—three million. Jade remnants—five million." The manager tapped his calculator. "With the dining charges, the total comes to ten million and thirty thousand."

The number made Sophia's vision darken.

She dug her nails into her palms to keep from fainting on the spot.

These idiots!

"Charge it," she said, her hand trembling as she handed over her credit card.

The manager nodded approvingly before leaving.

When the card returned to her grasp, Sophia could almost hear her heart shattering.

"May we leave now?" She forced a smile.

Once granted permission, she took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Security still surrounded the girls.

"Just a misunderstanding," Sophia said breezily. "My apologies for the commotion."

As the guards dispersed, Lydia crept forward nervously. "Sophia, is everything really okay?"

"What could possibly be wrong?" Sophia waved a dismissive hand. "The manager mistook us for someone else."

"Sophia, you're amazing!" The girls swarmed around her again. "What about these—"

"Keep them." Sophia's smile was sweet, but her nails bit into her palms.

These bloodsuckers!

Her ten million—

All wasted on these brainless fools!