Chapter 35

Stephen was stunned. An auction for the postage stamp was held in Yrinas, and he'd sent someone to bid. However, upon learning of the Zabinski family's bid, he withdrew. Yet, the stamp had somehow been delivered to him.

The young man's surname was Zabinski? Could it be?

A startling possibility raced through Stephen's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. That morning, he'd investigated the Zabinski family's movements. Zachary was out of the country, and Carlos was at a luncheon. No one from the family had been dispatched!

Kendrick's expression shifted repeatedly. For someone of Stephen's stature, a gift's monetary value was secondary—anything over $75,000 held essentially the same worth. What mattered was whether Stephen liked it. For instance, the postage stamp before him, worth tens of thousands of dollars, paled in comparison to the hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollar screen Kendrick had gifted, in Stephen's eyes.

Kendrick's table was near Naomi's. A shadow crossed his eyes before he smiled and loudly declared, "Naomi, your concern for Robert is quiteintense. You even enlisted the Zabinski family to procure this stamp for him. He must have impressed you quite a bit, hasn't he?"

Naomi glanced at Kendrick with disgust. "That's none of your concern, Mr. Zabel."

Kendrick chuckled. "Not worried, just concerned you and the Labelle family are being manipulated. After all, Robert's always aspired to wealth."

The guests immediately understood. Robert's performance had been orchestrated by the Labelle family. The consensus was that he was untalented; his manipulative skills, if channeled into business, might have yielded better results.

Kendrick glanced at Marilyn. He yearned to underscore Robert's flaws and his own superiority.

Stephen's initial joy turned to regret. He shook his head, closed the gift box, and announced, "This gift is too valuable; I cannot accept it."

Stephen's "value" encompassed more than the stamp's monetary worth; it involved the Zabinski family connection and Naomi's attempt to use the stamp to integrate a stranger into their circle. Accepting it would signal his acceptance of such tactics.

The butler retrieved the gift box and delivered it to Robert's table.

Kendrick's eyes gleamed. He gave Robert a pointed look.

Seeing the stamp, Robert sighed, stood, and addressed Stephen. "Mr. Hoffman, this is one of a pair. I know you possess the other and greatly desire this one. However, I'm unable to reclaim a given gift. Therefore"

Robert opened the box, held the expensive stamp, and his hands tightened under everyone's gaze.