“Turn the air-conditioning all the way down. Don’t let her out until eight hours have passed,” I instructed the men.
Early the next morning, when I returned to our house, a message from my father’s people popped up on my phone.
[We've already finished our task, Miss. We’ll leave now.]
Then, the door opened.
Cedric hurried over and pulled me into his arms. “I told you I’d come get you. Why did you discharge yourself?”
He then carried me to the dining table and added, “I made egg drop soup, your favorite. Sip some while it’s hot. What happened this time was that Melina went too far. I’ve already scolded her. She said she knows she was wrong, so don’t hold it against her anymore.”
I listened to his lies without any expression.
Last night, Melina had been locked in an operating room. So, how could she have had the chance to talk to him, let alone be lectured?
My eyes flicked to the gift box on the coffee table. “What’s that?”
His expression stiffened, a hint of unease crossing his face. “Nothing. Just a small gift from a client.”
Suddenly, his phone vibrated twice, and his childhood friends' voice messages auto-played.
"Cedric, how’s that ruby from New York? My intel wasn’t wrong, right? Melina likes it?"
"Obviously. Cedric flew overnight to the New York auction just to cheer Melina up. How could she not like it? Looks like he still can’t forget Melina."
"Idiot, wrong group."
Immediately, the three messages were deleted.
Seeing there was no way to hide it anymore, Cedric sighed and reluctantly pulled a necklace out of his pocket.
“Actually, I flew there to buy a gift for you. They’re just talking nonsense. Don’t listen to them.”
I glanced at the necklace, and bitterness flooded my mouth.
It looked more like a free add-on to the ruby, worth less than a tenth of its price.
Cedric pushed the necklace toward me, as if offering a treasure.
For a moment, I saw the twenty-year-old Cedric again.
Yvonne's POV
Back then, after openly defying Mr. Winslow, all Cedric's financial support was cut off.
As such, he worked day and night at nightclubs and convenience stores just to buy me a pair of earrings that cost thirty-two dollars.
The love in his eyes had been so intense it nearly overflowed. His eyes were red, afraid I’d feel even a hint of grievance.
“Someday,” he promised, “I’ll buy you jewelry that’s more expensive, more luxurious. Yvonne, I swear it.”