Chapter 417

Janet chimed in at the perfect moment. Melody,, just apologize and admit your mistake. Do you really want Ken to come over and clean up this mess? Though he may value your relationship with him, he won’t take sides unfairly. Better apologize now before things get worse.

She might have said that, but Janet secretly hoped Ken would show up soon.

She knew Nana’s scheme, even if clumsy, could put Melody in a tough spot. But she had not counted on Melody accusing Nana of forgery

Melody glanced at Janet calmly, about to respond, when someone suddenly announced “Coys, Ken is here!”

Everyone turned to see Ken, dressed in blue casual clothes, at the door.

Then, Nana quickly said, “Ken, we are all old friends. I trust you’ll handle this fairly, right?

But Ken did not even glance at her. Instead, he walked straight to Melody’s side.

“Are you okay?” His concern for Melody was clear, making Janet clench her fists in frustration.

Melody shook her head and said, I’m fine, but the painting is definitely a fake one?

Janet could not take it anymore. She took a deep breath and said, “Ken, I don’t know how much you heard, but this really is Melody’s fault?

Ken’s dark eyes locked onto Janet with such an intense stare. She felt a pang of guilt and looked away.

Ken then turned his gaze to Nana. “It’s just a fake painting. Is it really worth all this fuss?”

Hearing that, Nana felt the weight of Ken’s words and went pale, her heart beating faster.

But then she remembered Ken only married Melody because of his elders and relaxed a bit. “The collector who sold me that painting has dealt with me many times. He would never sell me a fake!”

Sid, worried about causing a bigger rift in their friendship, quickly interjected, “Ken, let’s not escalate this issue, okay? Melody can apologize, and we’ll compensate her a bit more. Then this will be over.”

Ken turned to Sid and asked, “Why should she apologize if she did not do anything wrong?”

“Well…” Sid started, but Ken quickly cut him off, turning to Melody. “Do you have any way to prove this is a fake?”

“Yes.” Melody nodded and said, “I left the real one back home. I can have someone bring it.”

“You mean your home in the countryside?” Nana scoffed. “How far is your countryside from Silverlake? You are not just stalling, are you?”

Ken’s cold gaze turned to Nana, silencing her.

‘Didn’t Janet say they were married under Ken’s parents’ orders? Why does he seem to genuinely care about Melody?’ she thought, growing uneasy.

Nana stayed quiet, so Janet stepped in. “Melody, your home is really far. Who knows how long it would take to get painting here? We can’t wait that long. Do you have any other way to prove that Nana’s painting is fake?”

“That’s right, Melody,” added another girl. “Are you sure you have the real one and Nana’s is a fake painting?”

Melody replied indifferently, “When I was in the countryside, Mr. Frost came by and painted that piece during our chat. That’s why it’s at my place.”

“Mr. Frost visited you?” Sid was taken aback. There were only a few people in Halcyon who could get a personal visit from Yannick.

Sid’s mouth twitched as he said, “Melody, this is not the right time for jokes. Plus, this one is really not funny.”

“I’m not joking, Sid,” Melody replied calmly. “If you’re unsure, why don’t we just ask Mr. Frost to come?”

Her words were like a bombshell, leaving everyone stunned and trying not to laugh.

Sid could not help but point out, “Melody, Mr. Frost is about to retire. He wouldn’t bother with something this minor. Even if Ken and I ask him, it’s unlikely that he’d come just for this.”

“I didn’t ask you to step in,” Melody said, glancing at Sid before turning back to Nana. “If I manage to get Mr. Frost to come over and prove that your painting is a fake, how will you make it up to me?”

Nana quickly shot back, “That’s impossible! If Mr. Frost actually comes and proves it, I’ll call you boss!”

Melody smirked and said, “That’s silly. I don’t need to be called a boss, but I’ve got a better deal: if I’m right, you should work for me for a month. What do you say?”

Nana’s face twisted in disbelief and said, “Work for you? No way!”

Melody teased, “So, you think the painting might be fake?”

“Of course not!” Nana said defensively. “I don’t believe you’ll ever get Mr. Frost to come here. If you failed, you owe me an apology and ten times the painting’s value!”

“Okay, deal,” Melody said, already pulling out her phone to make the call.

Everyone watched as Melody made the call. She held the phone to her ear and said, “Hey, it’s me, Melody. Where are you? Can you come over? I’m at the Swanson villa now, and there’s something going on here that involves you.”

No one could hear the response from the other end, but Melody ended the call and turned back to the group. “He’s eating in the nearby restaurant and should be here in about ten minutes.

Nana’s face turned pale. ‘Could this plain-looking person really get Mr. Frost to come over?’

Janet was also starting to get worried. While a painting could be a fake, it was hard to fake a real person.

Yannick was a well-known person, and everyone knew what he looked like, so it was unlikely Melody was lying.

But just then, Melody’s phone rang again.

After hanging up, Melody said, “Mr. Frost won’t make it in ten minutes, but he will be here in about an hour.”

Nana’s expression relaxed, clearly relieved. She was pretty sure Melody was just stalling, and that the call was a scam.

With a smirk, Nana said, “Miss Fox, it’s not too late to apologize right now. For Ken’s sake, I might let it slide.”

Melody was done arguing with Nana and responded, “You will see him in an hour.”

Nana rolled her eyes, thinking, ‘This woman is stubborn as a mule.’

Then, Sid jumped in to lighten the mood. “Looks like everyone’s hungry. I’ve got a ton of takeout on the way. Let’s order whatever else you need. It’s all on me!”

He handed his phone over, and the guys quickly rushed to grab it, excitedly placing their orders.