Chapter 880

Later on, Nikolas discovered that when Cedric first came into money, he went through a fleeting phase where antiques became his shiny new obsession.

Daniela once mentioned that Cedric had even purchased an entire villa-just to stash his treasure trove of antique finds.

But like a summer storm, his interest passed as quickly as it came.

Nikolas figured Hamilton didn't truly understand Cedric.Otherwise, Hamilton wouldn't have dragged Cedric home to flash his riches like a parade banner.If he had, this whole display would've seemed outright ridiculous.

Rather than throwing luxury at Cedric's feet,Hamilton would've been better off praying to the heavens.

After all, Cedric's world spun entirely around love.

As Hamilton made his grand descent down the staircase, Cedric lounged on a sofa rumored to be worth more than a hundred million, casually sipping on a glass of water.

Hamilton's brow twitched. "Water? For our guest?Bring out my special blend-the one that costs five million per gram," he said, sinking into the chair across from Cedric with a flourish. "You've never tasted anything like it. Try it today."

At that point, Nikolas was completely convinced-Hamilton was absolutely parading his wealth in front of Cedric. And Cedric had no doubts about it either.

Cedric raised a hand, cool and calm. "No need to go to the trouble. I'm not really a coffee person."

Hamilton clicked his tongue twice in mock dismay."You have no idea what you're passing up."

Hamilton then launched into a long speech,waxing lyrical about the coffee for nearly half an hour.

At last, it was time to eat-and Hamilton became a tour guide, describing everything from the table's origin to the wine's vintage, right down to the texture of the dessert.

Out of consideration for Nikolas, Cedric decided not to take his leave right away.

When the meal finally wrapped up, Cedric thought he could make a quiet exit, but Hamilton had one more performance planned, his prized collection.

Cedric couldn't bottle it up anymore. He let out a dry chuckle and gestured toward a striking painting at the base of the stairs. "Isn't there a ten-meter version of this piece? Why settle for such a modest one here?"

Hamilton let out a hearty laugh. "You're clearly not in the loop. That ten-meter version? Total myth. Rumor says some mystery billionaire snagged it, but no one's ever confirmed who-because it never happened. And you know how much this little gem of mine is worth?"

With a smug grin, he raised his fingers and flashed.a jaw-dropping number.

Cedric nodded with an amused smile. "That much,huh?"

Hamilton puffed up proudly. "Naturally. Now imagine the price tag on a ten-meter version. Honestly,don't think anyone but me could ever afford something like that. So if it really existed, don't you think I'd be the first to know?"

Hamilton was brimming with confidence, oblivious to Nikolas shooting him increasingly frantic eye signals like warning flares.

Hamilton glanced at Nikolas. "If there's something wrong with your eyes, go get them checked. What's with the weird glances?"

Cedric burst into laughter, shook his head, and made his exit.

He didn't just threaten to leave-he meant it. Cedric called up a driver and was out the door before Hamilton could even lift a finger to stop him. Gone,just like that.

Hamilton instinctively moved to run after him.

The princess hadn't even arrived yet. How could Cedric just leave like that?

"Dad, stop!" Nikolas groaned, mortified. "That ten-meter painting-the one bought by that so-called mystery buyer-it's hanging in Daniela's villa!"

Hamilton had tried to strut his feathers, and ended up humiliated.

He stood rooted to the spot, stunned into silence.

Nikolas added, "Haven't you seen Damon's social media? Check it yourself. First day at the villa, he took a selfie with that exact painting!"

Hearing that, Hamilton scrambled to pull out his phone like it might save his pride.

Sure enough, there was Damon in a photo, beaming beneath the massive painting, with a bold caption,

"The world's largest painting! I totally earned it!"

Hamilton felt like the punchline of a cruel joke-humiliation burning hotter than shame ever had.

Just then, his secretary burst in, all excitement and no clue. "Mr. McCoy! The princess has arrived!"

The world swam, the light vanished, and this time,Hamilton didn't just waver-he hit the floor for real.