Orion's sharp words left Cedric furious. He raised the statue in his hand, ready to smash it, but Francesca and Elsie quickly grabbed him and calmed him down.

Francesca asked anxiously, "Grandpa, why are you so upset?"

Cedric's face turned red and pale in anger as he gritted his teeth. "Do you see this statue? Orion tricked me into buying it for a million, only for me to find out it's a fake. That rotten old cheat!"

Francesca was livid and stepped forward, ready to confront Orion, but Elsie held her back.

"Ms. Aicker, you shouldn't," Elsie said, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Francesca shot back. "Just because he's a big shot, he's allowed to scam people?"

Elsie let out a small sigh. "That man is Orion Kelce, one of the top antique experts from Bridgefields. He's highly respected in the field."

Francesca was not having it. "So what if he's an expert? Does that give him the right to cheat others?"

Elsie replied with a wry smile, "Unfortunately, in the rules of this appraisal event, once a