Alex stepped into the store while Alfred waited by the entrance.As soon as Alex entered, the cold air greeted him, and the exquisite jewelry immediately caught his attention.The store was lavishly decorated, from the ceiling to the walls."Let’s choose the most expensive piece here for Sophia," he thought, eyes sweeping over the glittering jewels."Would she prefer emerald, or diamonds?" he mused, his gaze drifting over the dazzling array of gems.Even the least expensive earrings at Elegance & Co were priced above $10,000, and Alex was certain Sophia would be amazed.She would be thrilled to receive the gift, along with the invitation to the banquet.Meanwhile, at the other end of the store, a young woman was browsing jewelry, accompanied by a middle-aged man with a noticeable belly.The woman stood beside him, admiring the pieces in the display case."Tommy, baby, don’t you think I’d look stunning in these earrings?" she nudged the man. "Will you buy them for me, sweetheart?""The
"Sir, please—" the sales representative attempted to intervene."You must remove this poor fool immediately! He’s ruining our shopping experience, and I won’t tolerate it," the man insisted.Beatrix crossed her arms, watching the situation unfold with a smug expression, her head held high, exuding arrogance and confidence.The sales representative was caught in a difficult position.She didn’t want to choose sides. What could she do? If she followed the man’s orders, she’d be driving away a customer.Yet, she didn’t want to upset the old man either.She spoke into the intercom, saying, "Mr. Jerry, we have a bit of a situation here. Could you come quickly, please?"Within a minute, a man with a stern expression appeared...Jerry White, the store’s sales manager, had arriv
Alfred was already aware of what had transpired before entering the store, and he was furious.How dare anyone show such disrespect to his Young Master and his daughter’s savior!If Alex blamed him for Jerry’s incompetence, all the effort Alfred had put into building a good reputation and trying to earn Alex’s favor would be for nothing.Alfred felt an overwhelming urge to punish Jerry—this useless troublemaker had only caused problems!He deserved to be dealt with harshly.With these thoughts in mind, Alfred immediately ordered his bodyguards to escort the middle-aged man and his arrogant mistress out of the store."I don’t ever want to see them in this store again!" Alfred warned.As Jerry watched, the color drained from his face, and his eyes filled with fear.He looked like a terrified chicken as he cowered in a corner."Where is that incompetent manager? Come out here this instant!"Jerry crawled out from where he had been hiding in the corner and fell flat on his knees. "Sir, I
Once they were gone, Alfred turned to the sales representative and commanded, "Pack that necklace and bring it here. Hurry up.""Yes, Sir. I’ll do it right away," the sales representative responded, not daring to hesitate as she rushed to follow his orders.Meanwhile, Alfred leaned closer to Alex and whispered apologetically, "Please accept the necklace as a gift. It’s on the house, and I sincerely apologize for my staff’s behavior. I hope you’ll take it, so I can have some peace of mind tonight."After a brief pause, Alex nodded."Alright."Alfred sighed in relief when Alex accepted the gift. This either meant that Alex wasn’t angry with him anymore or that he had been forgiven.Phew! Thank goodness!The sales representative returned, holding the wrapped necklace.To everyone's surprise, instead of handing the package to Alfred, she respectfully presented it to Alex with a deep bow."Sir, is this to your satisfaction?" she asked, keeping her head lowered.Alex nodded as he accepted th
“What’s in the gift?” Lyra asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she glanced at the neatly wrapped package.Sophia hesitated for a moment, then carefully untied the ribbon.“Oh wow! It’s an emerald necklace, from Elegance & Co!” she gasped, clearly surprised by the luxurious gift.Sophia’s excitement was quickly replaced by a hint of discomfort.“This looks really expensive,” she said quietly, unsure how to feel about it.The intricate design and fine detail made it clear—this wasn’t just any piece of jewelry.Chris had already gone to great lengths to arrange the banquet invitations, and now his father had sent such an extravagant gift.It felt a little overwhelming.But before Sophia could express her concerns, Chris smiled confidently, as if he had anticipated the entire situation."T
Alex turned to Sophia. "Why don’t you confirm with Chris if his father really sent the gifts?"Sophia, her brow furrowing in confusion."What are you talking about? Of course, it’s Chris helping me out."She couldn’t fathom the idea that anyone other than Chris would send such luxurious gifts."Didn’t you receive an emerald necklace from Elegance & Co and three invitation cards?" Alex questioned.Sophia felt a chill run through her.How could Alex possibly know what was inside her gift?He had just returned, and the gift was already sealed.The necklace, the three cards—had he somehow read her mind?Or, even more unsettling, had he been right all along?Was Chris’s father really not behind these lavish gifts?Before
The next morning, after a restful sleep, Alex's phone buzzed, and he picked it up without a second thought.It was Abraham, Sophia’s grandfather."Alex, I’ve heard about Sophia's behavior. That silly girl! How could she ask for a separation? I’m so sorry for how she treated you. I’ve given her a good talking to."But Alex wasn’t bothered in the slightest.If Sophia wanted a separation, he wasn’t going to stand in her way.After all, marriage is not something he could ever force, even from the beginning.He had fulfilled his duty by agreeing to the marriage, hoping that it might lead him to some clues about his mother."Where are you now? I’ll send a car to pick you up. I want Sophia to apologize to you in person.""No need for that, grandpa. I’ll come on my own." Alex qu
Sophia scoffed."Do you really think bargaining will make you worth millions?"“That price doesn’t even scratch the surface of my value,” Alex replied with a wink.“But seeing how eager you are, I decide not to make it too difficult for you. I’ll offer a 99.99999999999999999% discount, so it will be just one hundred thousand. How about it?”Alex chuckled inwardly.Sophia's jaw dropped.She couldn’t believe what she'd just heard.Holy crap!She had never encountered such shamelessness in her entire life.This was the unfortunate consequence of marrying a useless man—a man who would live off her wealth without contributing anything, and still think so high of himself.Her glare deepened, and so did her disdain.