Andrew chuckled and said, "There's nothing strange about this. The antiques market has always been like this—full of counterfeits, knockoffs, and replicas with sky-high price tags.

"If they find someone clueless, they'll rip them off hard. But when they're dealing with an expert, even a treasure from a king's vault could be marked down to the price of candy in a gumball machine."

Elsie chuckled, her cheeks flushing as she gave Andrew a playful glare. "Mr. Lloyd, your analogy is pretty amusing, but you're spot on—that's exactly how it is."

Francesca clenched her teeth and muttered, "These shameless crooks! If Ms. Santana hadn't been here, I'd probably have been scammed by that old man."

After this little drama, her opinion of Elsie had clearly shifted for the better.

Elsie led them around the plaza, where they continued browsing. Francesca was unfamiliar with antiques and mostly picked items based on appearance, gravitating toward colorful or uniquely shaped pieces.

She fi