Twisted Ties of Love
Chapter 267

Early the next morning, Izabella got on a coach heading to the county town. Once there, she hailed a taxi to the biggest shopping center in the county.

Since coming here, this was the first time Izabella visited the mall. She tried to hide her trembling heart due to excitement.

As Izabella looked around, she tried to memorize the route to the jewelry store.

Finally, after asking around, she found a jewelry store that dealt with buying and selling jewels. Izabella gave a quick glance at the store's decoration and then shifted her gaze to the jewelry displayed in the glass cabinet. The jewelry here was too ordinary, and Izabella couldn't decide how to bargain for a moment.

Fortunately, the salesperson in the store noticed her and came up to ask, "Ma'am, what kind of jewelry are you looking for?"

Izabella asked directly, "Is your boss here?"

Looking for the boss? The salesperson's smile suddenly became a bit stiff, but she tried to mask it anyway. She said, "Our boss is not here, but the store manager is." "Could you please call the store manager over? Thank you." Asked Izabella.

With her pretty face and gentle manner, the salesperson couldn't figure Izabella out, so she hurried to call the store manager, lest she miss any important information.

When the store manager got the call, she rushed to the store. When she saw Izabella, who had an extraordinary temperament, sitting inside, was frowning and drinking water.

When Izabella lowered her gaze, her facial features looked very soft and gentle, exuding an elegant and charming vibe. Raising her eyes, those sparkling eyes were like brushstrokes on a painting, gazing calmly and radiating a silent yet solemn beauty.

Even rarer, these two opposing auras blended perfectly on her.

The store manager had seen many rich people and knew that Izabella was probably one of them. She didn't seem to be here to buy jewelry; instead, she looked like she was here to discuss business, which the boss might need to address.

Although this was only a small county town, the store manager had seen her fair share of high rollers. Many wealthy businessmen nowadays like to return to simplicity and build villas in the suburbs. "Miss, how do I address you?" the store manager asked as she approached.

Izabella put down the cup in her hand and stood up, saying, "Just call me Ms. Salotti."

"Hello, Ms. Salotti. This is my business card." Said the store manager.

Izabella took a look at the card and said, "Hello, ma'am."

"Ms. Salotti, are you here to pick out jewelry today?" Asked the store manager.

Izabella shook her head and slowly said, "No, I'm here to sell jewelry."

"Selling jewelry?" Asked the store manager.

"Yes, I saw your sign outside saying I can sell jewelry." Said Izabella.

The store manager's smile almost vanished, "Please show me the jewelry."

Obviously sensing the shift in her attitude, Izabella frowned and opened her bag, taking out a jewelry box from the compartment. She then opened it and said, "Ma'am, could you please take a look at this necklace and tell me how much it's worth in your store?"

The store manager initially took a casual glance. But when she saw the necklace in Izabella's hand, she was instantly stunned.

After all, she had been working in a jewelry store for more than a decade and had attended relevant training. At a glance, she knew this necklace was valuable. She could tell that the gems embedded on the surface were real.

The store manager's eyes became serious. This necklace might be even more upscale than her best-recommendation piece. Jewelry had a strong allure for women, and the store manager's eyes grew brighter and brighter as she looked at the necklace.

"Are you sure you want to sell this necklace?" Asked the store manager.

"Yes." Answered Izabella.

"As for the asking price, I can't decide. I can only ask our boss to come over. I'll give him a call. Please wait a moment." Said the store manager.

"When will your boss arrive?" Izabella asked.

"He lives nearby and not far from here. But it depends on whether he has time. I'll know after I make the call." The store manager got up, pulled out her phone, and said, "Vivian, please pour Ms. Salotti another glass of water."

The store manager went to the back room to call the boss, as some things were inconvenient to say in front of Izabella.

She returned in less than three minutes, "Ms. Salotti, our boss will be here soon. Please wait for a moment."

"Okay, thank you." Said Izabella.

"You're welcome." Responded the store manager.

While they were waiting, the store manager took the initiative to strike up a conversation and get to know Izabella, as knowing both sides would facilitate negotiations.

"Ms. Salotti, would you mind disclosing what your asking price is?" Asked the store manager.

"It depends on the price you can offer." Said Izabella.

The store manager could tell from her words that Izabella needed money right now. As long as that was the case, it would be easy. She then sent a text message discreetly to her boss.

"Ms. Salotti, let me take you inside to sit. It's not very safe to discuss things outside." Suggested the store manager.

"Okay." Izabella stood up and followed her to the back, where there was a separate reception area with a computer. Izabella sat quietly in the chair, sipping her water and looking around to pass the time.

Soon, she heard footsteps, and when she looked up, she saw the store manager with a man trailing behind her.

This man had a large belly and walked unsteadily. He had a greasy face, and wore small gold-framed glasses on his nose. When he looked at people, liked The store manager introduced him first, "Ms. Salotti, this is our boss, Mr. Dewitt."

"Hello, Ms. Salotti." Mr. Dewitt walked up to Izabella with a beaming smile, his cunning eyes peeking out from behind his glasses, revealing his scheming side. Izabella seemed to be familiar with situations like this. Her body reacted faster than her brain, extending her hand graciously to shake hands with Mr. Dewitt. Mr. Dewitt cut to the chase, "Ms. Salotti, where's the jewelry you brought?"

squint and give a contemptuous glance.

Izabella opened the jewelry box and kept her eyes fixed on Mr. Dewitt's expression as he feigned nonchalance. She couldn't tell the value of the necklace in his eyes.

However, he was astonished by the necklace. Although he had heard from the store manager on the phone that it was stunning and valuable, he didn't expect it to be even more breathtaking than he imagined. This necklace definitely didn't come from this small place.

Mr. Dewitt's eyes flashed sharply, "3,000 dollars, take it or leave it."

Izabella marveled at his audacity, thinking he could fob her off with just 3,000. Clearly, he thought she was just an easy mark who didn't know any better.

3,000 wouldn't even cover baby formula and diapers for her child.

"Mr. Dewitt, you've been in the jewelry business for years. Surely, you can recognize the value of a piece of jewelry, right?" She stared at him, even without any facial expression. Her sharp gaze still gave an oppressive feeling that made it hard to breathe, making her aura quite imposing.

Pointing at the gem on the necklace casually, she said, "Besides this pigeon blood red gem worth seven figures, each diamond on this necklace is worth five-figures. Even if I sold them one by one, each would be worth more than 3,000."

From the beginning, Mr. Dewitt displayed his greedy nature, staring at the necklace in her hand, his mouth watering.

Now, with Izabella's words, he broke out into a cold sweat. He awkwardly laughed, "I apologize; I didn't look closely enough. Let me examine it further."

Upon hearing this, Izabella pushed the jewelry box over, "Take a good look."

Her tone carried no emotion, but her voice was cold, giving off an oppressive feeling that emanated from within.

Mr. Dewitt knew this woman was no ordinary person, feeling a bit tense. He took out the magnifier from the toolbox and carefully examined the necklace from across the table.

The more he looked, the more surprised he became. This necklace was rare; if he wasn't mistaken, it must be a limited-edition custom piece, with only one in the entire country.

The price was similar to what the woman had just mentioned, perhaps even higher.

All in all, the necklace was estimated to be worth over 3 million dollars, maybe even more, and had a high collector's value.

Having such a necklace as the centerpiece of their store would utterly outshine their competitors, right?

Mr. Dewitt glanced at Izabella, wondering who this woman was and why she would appear with such valuable jewelry in a small town like this.

The store manager said that Ms. Salotti's reserve price was conservative and still depended on their offer. It seemed she was in need of cash now. Could this woman be a bankrupt tycoon on the run from debt? But with her strong presence, she didn't look like a desperate debtor at all.

Mr. Dewitt tentatively asked, "How much do you have in mind?"

"1 million dollars." Said Izabella.

"This is..." Mr. Dewitt hesitated, not that he couldn't afford it. The necklace was worth at least 4 million. With a starting price of 1 million, it was obvious that he'd make a profit. But people always like to bargain, thinking they could get a better deal.

Plus, businessmen tend to be a bit cunning.

"To be honest, this price is too high for our small town. We can't afford it, and no one here would spend so much on a necklace," implying he hoped she could lower the price.

"How much do you suggest?" Asked Izabella.

Seeing her attitude softened, Mr. Dewitt said, "Fifty grand."

He had flat-out slashed the price by half.

Izabella almost laughed at his offer, "It seems that Mr. Dewitt isn't really interested in making a deal with me."

"Ms. Salotti, how can you say that? Where am I insincere?" Asked Mr. Dewitt.

"I've clearly told you the value of this necklace, and you should know that with a 1 million item, asking for a mere 150,000 is already the lowest I can go." Said Izabella.

"I do, but we really can't afford that much here." Said Mr. Dewitt.

"Really?" Izabella carefully observed the details of Mr. Dewitt's every expression, noticing his eyes inadvertently flicking to the bottom left, indicating he was lying.

"1 million dollars. I don't believe a big shop like this can't afford it. I intended to take it to the city auction initially, but it's too far and more complicated. This necklace is a gift from my ex-husband; I want to cash it in as soon as I can and not waste more time." Izabella didn't hide the disdain on her face.

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