Chapter48 I Can't Figure Him Out Anymore
The crystal necklace on her neck glowed with a gentle, violet luster.
“This necklace… Is it really for me?”
“Didn't you like it?”
“The second they showed that necklace, your eyes were glued to it. You couldn't look away.”
Caius stared at her neck, which looked especially beautiful with the crystal necklace. It was long, slender, and delicate, like a swan’s. His voice was a little rough. “Besides, it really suits you.”
“But it’s ten million dollars…”
“Money is the one thing I have plenty of,” Caius said with a laugh.
As if I would cry, Linnea thought. Over something that was a long shot anyway?
She still tried to sound modest. “But it’s just too expensive.”
“Expensive? Compared to the two diamonds on your mask and the smaller ones on your dress, this necklace might actually be less expensive.”
Linnea instantly froze her facial muscles.
She was afraid she might accidentally knock off the two diamonds on her mask.
Oh god, Caius hadn't even told her. She had almost planned to secretly sell this whole outfit after the auction. If Caius hadn't mentioned it, she would have lost a fortune!
“Thinking of selling it?” Caius instantly read her mind again. “Forget it, kitten. No one would dare buy something I’ve marked as mine.”
Linnea quickly tried to sound innocent. “Of course, I wouldn't.”
“You better not let me catch you trying,” Caius sneered. “Or I’ll paddle your butt hard.”
The auction continued, but Caius’s enthusiasm was at rock bottom.
He handed the bidding paddle to Linnea and told her to pick one of the final showcase items to buy as a gift for Vivienne.
Linnea didn't want to bid on the priciest one. After observing for a bit, she chose an antique watch.
“All set?” Caius didn’t even look at it. After signing the paperwork, he pulled Linnea up. “We can go now.”
And just like that, Linnea was led out of the auction by Caius and into the car heading back to the beach apartment.
She leaned against Caius. He took off her jacket and tossed it aside. The cool touch of the crystal necklace resting on her chest was hard to ignore.
She couldn’t help but recall the few times her mother had taken her to the museum. Listening to her mother's excited sharing, she had only been happy because her mother was. She never imagined that necklace would almost fall into those jerks' hands years later, and then find its way onto her neck in a far more unexpected way.
“Caius,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
“Thank me?” Caius didn't object, but said, “Instead of a thank you in words, why don’t you think about how to repay me with action?”
“Remember what I taught you just now?”
Taught her?
Linnea pondered for a moment, then moved closer to Caius.
She tentatively reached out, her fingertips touching the base of his fingers. She slipped her hand through his, intertwining their fingers.
Almost instantly, her hand was tightly grasped. Caius pushed her against the car window, ripped off her mask, and exposed her flushed and wet face. A sweeping, passionate kiss rained down on her.
…
After being carried to bed by Caius again, and after the frenzy subsided, Linnea wiped the necklace clean and carefully placed it in the nightstand drawer.
Linnea had claimed the master bedroom nightstand to store her small treasures.
Caius had to handle some last-minute work. Before leaving for his study, he kissed her forehead.
As was his habit, he left the door slightly ajar when he went out.
Linnea lay in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. The feel of the ten-million-dollar crystal necklace seemed to linger on her neck. The purple crystal was supposed to be soothing, yet her heart was stirred up.
She thought, I just can't figure Caius out anymore.
The day arrived for Linnea’s planned workout with Soren.
Linnea had the day off, but Soren had to work in the morning.
He asked for her help to pick up a retirement gift for his professor—a set of pure gold bracelets—at a jewelry store in the downtown mall.
The reason Linnea had scheduled her gym session with Soren on a workday was because she was terrified of Caius finding out if she went out on a weekend.
She had been staying at Caius’s beach apartment for weeks now, and had even made a slight acquaintance with the neighbor’s dog.
If they had planned to meet on a weekend, it would have been questionable if Linnea could even make it.
But Caius was busy with work lately, so she was definitely safe today!
Linnea went to the second floor of the jewelry store and easily picked up the bracelets. Just as she was about to leave, a staff member called her back.
“One moment, madam. Mr. Soren instructed us that if a lady came, we should present her with the bracelet he selected.”
Linnea was taken aback, then immediately understood Soren’s intention. A move to pursue her, perhaps. Soren was as generous as ever.
In college, Soren had given her a birthday gift every year. Even though she made it clear she wasn’t interested, he never harassed her. He just continued to prepare expensive gifts, with a generous birthday wish on the card.
“I’m sorry,” Linnea offered the staff member a regretful smile, refusing outright. “Please keep it for a lady who really needs it.”
The staff member’s smile didn’t falter. “That’s fine. Mr. Soren said you were completely free to decline.”
Linnea headed toward the exit. Just as she was about to go downstairs, that persistent, grating voice suddenly echoed in her ears:
“What’s wrong with you people! You can’t even handle a simple thing like this! Which family owns this store? If you don’t serve me better, I’ll have this entire branch shut down!”
Vivienne again?
Linnea frowned in disgust. The staff member beside her also looked worried. “The difficult one is back.”
“What’s she making a fuss about?”
“The custom diamond ring box.”
The staff member stayed on the second floor, reluctant to deal with Vivienne, so they explained a little more to Linnea:
Vivienne was there to pick up the new diamond ring for her and Caius’s anniversary.
She was obsessed with a custom box by a famous designer and had been to the store multiple times, but she kept hitting a wall. The designer had no availability.
“It’s not really about availability,” the staff member quietly told her. “It’s that Ms. Salah doesn’t want to deal with anyone from the Knight family. She’s big on environmental protection, and the Knight family is heavily invested with that lumber company that burned down a small protected area.”
Linnea listened and walked downstairs.
“How dare you show up here? If you bump into anything, even selling yourself wouldn't cover the cost!”
Facing Vivienne's furious glare, Linnea smiled.
“My dear stepsister, what’s the point of throwing a tantrum when people hate you for doing something wrong? In that designer's mind, you’re already dirt.”
Vivienne entire face turned red with anger, but after taking a few deep breaths, she seemed to remember something and recovered her smug pride.
She leaned in, speaking in a wicked whisper only the two of them could hear:
“Linnea, you don’t actually think a designer without a family backing can stop us from flattening that estate, do you?”
“Don’t worry. The process is in its final stage. No matter how many people secretly object, the deal will go through. You, the stripper, can only stand by and watch it all happen. Watch the estate you and your mother lived in for over a decade burn to the ground and turn into the lumber mill your mother hated most!”