Chapter 168

But without the pearls, if Freya went to the police, things would only get messier. With that daunting thought, Johanna had no choice but to call the casino owner she had gambled with before.

“Mr. Felix, remember those pearl earrings I pawned at your place? I want to reclaim them. How much are we talking?”

“Those pearls are of fine quality. It will cost you a cool $80 million to get them back. Cash on delivery.”

“What? $80 million!” The number nearly knocked Johanna off her feet. How could those pearls be worth 80 million dollars?

Back in her room, Freya couldn’t help but smirk. The pearls were antique bridal gifts from her mother, over a century old. Johanna, clueless about their real worth, had pawned them off for just a few hundred thousand. With the market for such pearls plummeting, assembling a matching set could easily cost 10 million. Freya was curious how Johanna would scrape together the 80 million dollars.

The following morning, worried sick about Leland, Johanna hadn’t slept a wink. Descending the stairs, Johanna saw Freya lounging on the couch without a care. Johanna bit back her frustration and approached. “Freya, can Leland come home tonight?”

“What’s the rush, Johanna? You still haven’t transferred the ten million dollars you promised me, and you were supposed to pick up that sports car for me today. Remember, I won’t be nice if you don’t hold up your end of the deal.” Freya left no room for negotiation.

As frustrated as Johanna felt, she had no choice but to comply. “I reserved the car for you last night, and I’ll go to the bank and transfer ten million dollars now. But about those pearls…”

“Those pearls were left to me by my mother. Don’t tell me you’ve lost them,” Freya said with a cold glance.

With her son in Freya’s grip, Johanna dared not refuse. She steeled herself. “Don’t worry. Give me a few days, and those pearls will be in your hands!”

Thinking about the lavish party she was hosting at the Majestic Manor Hotel, with all the gifts from the high-society attendees, she figured she could sell some to raise funds. Maybe then, she could gather the money for the pearls.

Seeing she wouldn’t get the pearls from Johanna, Freya relaxed. “A few days is fine, but Johanna… words alone aren’t enough. Let’s make it official with a contract.”

Freya handed over a contract she’d prepared in advance. Johanna’s expression soured when seeing how prepared Freya was.

But Freya continued, “Johanna, I’ve gone over the contract carefully for you. Just sign it, and I expect those pearls within a week. That should give you enough time to get them back, right?”

“Of course…” Johanna said so, but her heart was racing uncontrollably. 80 million! Where was she supposed to get that much money? The wealth she had accumulated from her years with the Dawson family and their company didn’t come close to 80 million dollars!