Chapter 5 The Most Dazzling Focus
Selena's POV
Sterling?
My heart skipped a beat.
That surname wasn't common.
Mr. Sterling's gaze fell on me, full of appreciation and kindness.
"You must be Selena? Such a beautiful and elegant young lady. Even more impressive than in the photos."
Suddenly his face showed a hint of apology. "I'm so sorry. My good-for-nothing son Royce—the company had an emergency situation today, and he really couldn't make it. He specifically asked me to apologize to you and your family on his behalf."
That arrogant man who stood me up and got taught a lesson by me didn't come because he made up an excuse to avoid another blind date with this "country girl."
And now his father was apologizing to me in person for his lame lie.
How interesting.
"No need."
I cut him off directly. "I don't think there'll be a next time between Royce and me."
I didn't want any more involvement with a narcissist.
Besides, a man who lacked even basic respect and integrity wasn't worth any of my time.
With that, I ignored the spectacular array of expressions on Mr. Sterling's face, turned around, took a glass of champagne from Uncle Jonathan, and walked toward the other side of the yard.
My mom followed.
"That Royce is just outrageous! How did the Sterling family raise a son like that? Honey, don't be upset. It's my fault for not doing my homework before making arrangements. Tomorrow—no, tonight—I'll cross his name off the list! Our Selena deserves better!"
As she spoke, she huffed and pulled out her phone. "Forget about him. To celebrate your homecoming, I've hired the world's top jewelry designer to create a custom, one-of-a-kind jewelry set just for you! You'll absolutely be the most dazzling person at any event!"
The world's top jewelry designer?
In the jewelry design world, there were only a handful of designers who could truly be called "top-tier," and I knew most of them—had even worked with them. How come I didn't know about some new colleague in the industry?
"Mom, which designer is it?"
"Well, it's a secret! This designer is very mysterious, never appears in public, and only accepts anonymous commissions from top-tier clients. I pulled so many strings just to get in touch! Just wait for your surprise!"
Seeing my mother's "praise me" expression, I could only smile and nod. "Okay, I'll wait for Mom's surprise."
Honestly, I didn't have any particular preference for jewelry.
To me, they were more like investment pieces, or a hobby to pass the time.
Yes, besides gardening, jewelry design was my other secret.
I owned a jewelry design studio that never appeared publicly, called "Astraea."
It had been doing pretty well these past few years, gaining some reputation in elite circles, mainly because of its privacy and unique designs.
After the party ended, I returned to my room and opened the studio's encrypted email.
A new commission email was sitting quietly in the inbox.
[Client: Hart]
[Request: Design a complete jewelry set for a young woman around twenty years old, including a necklace, earrings, bracelet, and a ring. Must use the finest diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. The design style should reflect the owner's prestigious status while not appearing too old-fashioned. Unlimited budget.]
At the end of the email was an astonishingly high deposit.
I looked at this email.
I completely understood who Mom had commissioned for this homecoming gift.
My assistant David called. "BOSS, we got an email from a super big client wanting custom jewelry. Boss, should we take it?"
"Take it." I barely hesitated.
There's no reason to refuse money that comes knocking.
Besides, this money was coming out of my mom's pocket and going back into mine.
The feeling was truly wonderful.
"Got it, boss! I'll reply right away!"
David hung up excitedly because the commission on this order was substantial.
I leaned back in my chair, unable to help but smile.
My dear mother probably couldn't imagine in her wildest dreams that the "world's top mysterious designer" she'd gone through so much trouble to find was her own daughter right in front of her.
The world is sometimes just that small—small enough to be full of absurd irony.
Just as I was about to close my computer and start sketching design drafts, my personal phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar encrypted number.
I frowned and answered the call.
"Miss Selena?" An anxious man's voice came through, with chaotic alarm sounds and people shouting in the background.
"Speaking. Who is this?" I had a bad feeling.
"I'm Mark, your manager at the Kingston Mining Area in Nevada! There's been an incident, Miss!"
Mark's voice was almost a roar. "Mine shaft number three had a massive collapse early this morning, and seven miners are trapped below! And... and our competitor, Westwood Mining, is now blocking the mine entrance with lawyers and media, claiming our safety measures have major flaws and demanding the government immediately revoke our mining permit!"
My brain raced.
The Kingston Mining Area was a rich mine I'd anonymously acquired a few years ago, mainly producing a rare metal used in high-tech applications—a target Westwood Mining had been eyeing.
The collapse, trapped miners, predatory competitors... it was all too coincidental.
This was definitely not an accident.
"What about the rescue team?"
"They've already gone down, but the situation is complicated. The collapse area is too large, and we lack professional heavy equipment. Miss, Westwood came prepared this time. They've bought off the local media, and public opinion outside is very unfavorable to us. The board is in complete chaos, and no one can make decisions. You... you must come in person!"
It seemed someone wanted to make a move against me while I was away.
"Keep the situation stable, comfort the workers' families, don't accept any media interviews, and tell Westwood's people that I'll talk to them personally."
"Yes, Miss!"
After hanging up, I immediately opened my computer and booked a flight to Nevada departing soon.