Raymond felt his forehead break out in cold sweat at the thought.

“I'm afraid I'm not as strong as this young lady," he grumbled.

He hated to admit it, but Maria was really good at this.

As for her other claims, however... Raymond refused to believe what she had said.

“What did I tell you, huh? It is a craft that requires much strength and discipline, yet she was able to pull it off with grace. This is indeed the carving style employed by Vincent." Michael beamed as he praised Maria.

In his eyes, she had already accomplished much just by being able to cut through the marble.

So what if she had ruined a perfectly good table? The Wilson family didn't lack money; she could destroy as many pieces as she wanted.

Of course, Michael had hoped for something better in the beginning, but he was willing to have Maria's back no matter what. If nothing else, supporting her was no different from supporting Anthony.

Michael was about to heap more praises on her when he noticed Maria hold up a cloth. She then proceeded to gently wipe the surface of the table.

With just a few swipes of her hand, all the dust and rubble fell away. Only then was her carving truly unveiled.

“This... Is this... A peony?!"

Lara gaped in utter shock.

She loved flowers, so she was able to recognize the pattern at a single glance.

Sure enough, it was a peony at full bloom.

From its stamens down to each of its petals, the lines were outlined with precision. More than anything else, it was the small details that made the piece all the more magnificent. Even a novice eye could tell that its beauty was parallel to that of the jade carving piece that Lara and Jacqueline had brought.

Lara forced her eyes shut to stop staring at the gorgeous carving in front of her, or she wouldn't be able to ever calm down.

A pregnant silence fell in the Living room.

Raymond and Jacqueline looked stiff in their seats, but they couldn't seem to resist stealing several awkward glances at the carved peony.

They didn't praise Maria, of course, but that didn't make them any less ashamed for mocking her earlier

"The peony is a true beauty to behold.”

Michael broke the tension by praising Maria yet again

But this time, he wasn't doing it for Anthony's sake. He was expressing his genuine admiration from the bottom of his heart.

When Jacqueline heard this, her competitive spirit was fired up again. She was young and impulsive, and Lacked the wisdom to know when it was time to back down.

“Even if you do know the technique, it still doesn't prove that the piece we brought is your work!" she said haughtily.