Chapter 41
Chapter 41:
Rupert scratched his head, clearly embarrassed. “We did have the painting authenticated before, but none of the previous appraisers noticed anything wrong p>
“Even today, out of eight experts, only two caught the forgery. It’s an extremely well-crafted fake p>
Ruben looked at Noelle, completely stunned.
Eight experts. Only two had spotted the fake—and they needed twenty minutes to do it.
But Noelle? She had caught it in seconds, with just one glance.
Whа𝘵 𝘦v𝖾𝗿y𝘰n𝖾 іѕ 𝗿е𝘢𝘥iո𝘨 𝗼𝘯
He found himself staring at her in disbelief. She really was something. No wonder Ethan trusted her so completely.
Rupert, who had initially dismissed Noelle as an inexperienced young woman, now looked at her with genuine respect.
If that fake painting had been sold and later exposed as a forgery, the auction house would have taken a massive blow—its reputation and credibility completely destroyed.
“Thank you for your keen observation, Ms. Moss. You saved us p>
Rupert couldn’t stop thanking Noelle. “Ms. Moss, you’ve really helped us out. We’re so grateful for what you did tonight p>
She offered a modest smile. “There’s no need for thanks. It was just a small favor p>
Rupert found himself genuinely admiring her humility.
At first, he had treated her respectfully only because of Ethan. But now, after witnessing her skill firsthand, his respect came from genuine recognition.
The team of appraisers standing behind him looked equally impressed. One of them, the head appraiser, stepped forward, clearly curious. “Ms. Moss, if you don’t mind me asking—how did you figure out that this Frost Elegy was a fake p>
He placed the counterfeit painting on the table with care, eager to hear her explanation.
Noelle’s eyes flicked toward Ethan, the only person in the room she truly felt anchored by.
Ethan met her gaze and gave a slight nod. “If you feel like explaining, go ahead p>
Ruben, watching from the side, was stunned. Ethan looked like he was ready to hand her the keys to the world. Since when did his boss ever indulge anyone like this?
Without hesitation, Noelle rose to her feet and walked over to the painting. She gently pointed to a section near the upper-right corner. “The lines in this area—see here? They’re broken. Trey Calderon’s brushwork was always continuous and fluid. This jagged edge isn’t his style at all p>
The appraisers leaned in immediately. After a moment, one of them let out a small gasp. “She’s right! That stroke is too sharp p>
“Wow, this detail is so subtle. You’d have to be looking for it p>
“The forgery is top-tier. They captured almost all of Trey’s style—probably ninety-nine percent. It’s no wonder we missed it p>
“This is embarrassing. I checked the whole painting several times and didn’t notice that p>
Another examiner laughed. “Ms. Moss, you’re incredible. I feel like a rookie standing next to you p>
Noelle gave a small, polite laugh, then pointed again—this time to the signature in the bottom right. “Also, the ink color of the signature is wrong. Trey p>
“…always signed his name with a pale blue ink. This one is far too bright—the color pops too much p>