Back to the Past: Breaking the Love Spell

The call came from an unfamiliar number with the last six digits ending in eights.

Carlisle answered, and a deep voice came from the other end. “Is this Carlisle from Riverland University?”

Carlisle replied, “Yes, may I ask who’s calling?”

“It’s Yuriel,” came the reply.

“Mr. Gust!” Carlisle exclaimed.

His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the “Galloping Horses” painting he held.

This painting rightfully belonged to Yuriel, but Carlisle had bought it first. He wondered if Yuriel would

confront him over this.

“No need to be nervous. Just treat me like anyone else.” Yuriel tried to sound reassuring.

Collecting himself, Carlisle asked, “Mr. Gust, what can I do for you?”

Yuriel inquired, “Did you purchase the ‘Galloping Horses‘ painting from Retrovintique?”

“Yes, I did, Carlisle replied.

‘Til offer you 500 thousand dollars for it. What do you say?” Yuriel offered a price that would be hard for

anyone to refuse.

Without hesitation, Carlisle replied, “I’m sorry, Mr. Gust, but I’m not willing to sell the painting.”

Yuriel’s brow furrowed slightly. “500 thousand dollars can get you a house and a car. Think about it,” he

reasoned.

Carlisle smiled and said, “Since you’ve called, I won’t beat around the bush. I won’t sell for anything less

than a four.”

Since the driver was a stranger, Carlisle kept the details vague.

Yuriel understood Carlisle’s implied figure of 4 million dollars. Being a billionaire, he wasn’t fazed. “I’ll sweeten the deal with another 500 thousand dollars, but you only have one night to decide!*

With that, Yuriel ended the call.

There had been rumors circulating’a few months ago that within a shipment of top–notch counterfeit paintings sold in Vintex Garden, there was an authentic masterpiece by Harold Delacruz.

Yuriel had spent over 200 thousand tracking down the batch’s distribution to various antique shops. Over the past three months, he had visited numerous antique shops across several cities, buying up all of Harold Delacruz’s paintings, whether authentic or not.

Retrovintique was his last stop. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The shop owner claimed to have only two Harold Delacruz paintings, one of which Carlisle had just

bought.

This also meant Carlisle likely bought the authentic one.

Yuriel leaned back in his chair, lighting a cigar.

While he had no interest in antique paintings, he needed land for a construction project.

With multiple developers eyeing the same plot, competition had turned fierce.

The father of the official responsible for approvals had a particular fondness for Harold Delacruz’s paintings. This led competitors to buy authentic works by Harold Delacruz as a bargaining chip.

The landline phone rang, and Yuriel picked it up.

A deep voice on the other end said, “Mr. Gust, people from Windex Corporation have also gone to Retrovintique!”

Yuriel’s face darkened instantly.

Carlisle and Cameron were in a taxi, crossing over Laguna Bridge.

Laguna was a river that crossed through Riverland.

At one stretch, the river widened, resembling the belly of a python that had swallowed a large ox.

This area was called the Riverwatch District.

Carlisle gazed out the window into the distance.

The Riverwatch District was about to undergo development. It would become the most development area in Riverland.

Urious

Property prices were expected to soar from the current 320 dollars to 900 dollars per square foot.

After the 2008 global financial crisis, property prices across the country skyrocketed. The Riverwatch District experienced a second wave of growth, breaking the 2000–dollar mark per square foot.

By 2014, after years of rising prices, the market began to soften. Purchase restrictions were lifted, leading to a surge in property acquisitions by many businessmen, pushing prices to new highs.

Carlisle pursed his lips, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Riverwatch District was a golden opportunity for investment, and he was determined to seize a significant portion of it.

Suddenly, Carlisle narrowed his eyes.

He was curious as to why Yuriel had personally gone to Rainville to search for antiques.

If he truly valued the painting, Carlisle wondered why he would sell it for a mere 3.86 million dollars.E

To an ordinary person, 3.86 million dollars would be an astronomical sum. But for Yuriel, who was worth billions, it was merely a drop in the ocean.