Chapter 1370
Chapter 1370:
“Actually, I saw your chat,” Rupert admitted, his expression shifting subtly. “I didn’t expect you to know him p>
At first, when Rupert had glimpsed Annabel’s messages, he hadn’t thought much of it. But her remark earlier had stirred his curiosity. He truly hadn’t expected Annabel to have any connection to Howell.
The Howell they meant was the patriarch of the Kelly family—Vickie’s grandfather. He was a renowned figure in the raw jadeite gambling world, the one who had single-handedly raised the Kelly family to its current prominence.
“My connection with Howell is… interesting,” Annabel said, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
The truth was, she owed it to her famous grandfather. When she was a child, she met Howell, who asked her to pick a stone. She chose one at random, and by sheer luck it turned out to be valuable. After that, Howell had wanted to take her on as his protégé.
Years later, while living in the countryside under her grandfather’s tutelage, Annabel anonymously bought a high-quality jadeite from Marlo Jadeite online—nearly provoking Howell into tracking her down in a fury.
This time, when she helped Rupert gamble on raw jadeite, she quietly asked Howell for advice on picking stones. But when she went to take the stone he recommended, Vickie snatched it first.
When Howell learned Annabel was up against Vickie, he directly told her that one of the stones contained a huge treasure.
At first, Annabel doubted the plain-looking stone. But when Howell assured her it had been confirmed by his contacts, she believed him. It was bold of Howell to leave something like that ignored in a dusty corner.
“So you chose that stone based on Howell’s suggestion?” Rupert asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. After all, Vickie was Howell’s granddaughter. Even if Howell cared about Annabel, helping her like that seemed excessive.
“Yes,” Annabel confirmed, “and Howell deliberately p>
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“…let me win over Vickie,” Annabel confirmed. “He said that while Vickie is highly talented, her pride has swelled because of it. He’s afraid it will lead to her downfall someday, so he wanted me to bring her down a peg p>
By gambling against Vickie as a novice, even if Annabel won through luck, it would still deal a harsh blow to Vickie’s confidence.
After all, Vickie had overlooked the best material right in front of her eyes—something that would be difficult for someone as competitive as she was to accept.
Annabel felt no sympathy for Vickie. If not for Howell, she would have handled Vickie far more harshly.
“You always manage to surprise me.” Rupert looked at Annabel with tender affection, his eyes warm.
Annabel smirked and leaned in, looping her arms around Rupert’s neck. “Then you should treat me even better, so I won’t fall for someone else p>
Her teasing was cut short when Rupert’s gaze sharpened, his arms tightening around her waist as he pulled her closer.
“Who would you fall for?” he murmured into her ear, the softness in his voice carrying an unmistakable warning.