“Happy birthday,” she said, her voice devoid of any warmth.
Pearl accepted it, her eyes lighting up in delight. “Thank you, but…” She paused, tilting her head with a playful smile. “I actually like the one you’re wearing more. Could you give me that instead?”
Alannah froze, her hand instinctively rising to the pendant around her neck. “No. This is my—”
Before she could finish, Pearl turned toward Quincy, her tone soft and coy.
“Quincy, it’s my birthday. Shouldn’t I get what I like most?”
He chuckled faintly, brushing a hand over her hair before fixing his gaze on Alannah.
“Take it off. Give it to her,” he ordered, his voice firm and final.
Alannah’s fingers tightened around the pendant as she forced her voice to stay steady.
“This necklace… was my mother’s. This is all I have left of her.”
When she’d arrived at the hospital that day, her mother’s cold fingers had been clutching that same opal pendant. It had been passed down through the family for generations, its meaning immeasurable.
Alannah absolutely couldn’t give it away.
At her refusal, Quincy’s brows drew together.
“You’d better think carefully before you speak…”
The threat in his eyes was unmistakable.
Alannah thought of the car ride earlier, of his words about her mother’s ashes.
In the end, she reluctantly unclasped the necklace with trembling hands and placed it in Pearl’s palm.
Pearl’s eyes shimmered with satisfaction as she turned to him, faking a sweet smile.
“Oh, Quincy, you really are too good to me!”
Watching Pearl put on Alannah’s late mother’s keepsake in front of everyone, Alannah’s hands curled into fists without her realizing it, her nails digging deep into her palms.
“Thank you all for your blessings. Let’s play the video greetings now,” Pearl announced sweetly, her smile dazzling under the lights.
But that very sweetness made Alannah’s heart skip. A cold feeling crept up her spine—something bad was about to happen...
The large screen began to play clips of various celebrities offering birthday wishes. But just seconds later, the video cut off abruptly.
Then, without warning, the screen flashed to a new scene—scandalous photos and videos of Alannah, dressed provocatively and wrapped in another man’s arms.
Her face instantly drained of color. One glance was enough to tell—the pictures and videos had been maliciously edited!
“Turn it off!” Alannah urged the staff.