Chapter 223
Eugene gestured for a nearby attendant to step forward, but Lucinda's steps paused. She stopped abruptly at the doorway.
She turned back to look.
The lighting on the display stand remained soft. The gemstone pendant lay quietly on the cloth, its quality lustrous, its coloring lightly steeped, as if wrapped in moonlight from years past.
"Never mind." She turned back. "Just wrap it up. I'll take it with me."
Eugene was slightly taken aback. "Didn't you just say you wanted it sent to—"
"I need to show it to Dash in a bit. Might as well save myself another trip." Lucinda lowered her eyes and urged, "Wrap it quickly."
The attendant stepped forward promptly, deftly placing the gemstone pendant into a brocade box, wrapping it in a layer of velvet cloth, then placing it into a paper bag. She tied the cord and handed it over with both hands.
Lucinda took the bag, her fingertips hooking the cord, and turned to leave.
She pushed open the door to the inner room and walked out step by step.
The moment the door closed, light from outside flooded in, cutting her profile into sharp halves of light and shadow.
She had just stepped out of the exhibition hall when a figure came barreling in from outside.
The person was moving fast, head down, eyes on her phone, practically colliding with her.
Lucinda's body instinctively shifted to the side, avoiding most of the impact.
But the other person was moving too quickly. Her shoulder still slammed hard into Lucinda's arm.
Her palm went empty.
The gemstone pendant slipped from her hand, hit the ground, and shattered into several pieces.
Lucinda looked down at the fragments on the floor, a flicker of regret passing through her eyes.
Her gaze lingered on the broken pendant for two seconds.
What a shame.
It really had been a fine piece.
Before she could say anything, the person who'd bumped into her spoke first.
It was a young woman's voice, laced with undisguised impatience.
She frowned and glanced down at the shattered pendant on the floor, then looked up at Lucinda. "Are you blind? Can't watch where you're walking?"
Lucinda's brow furrowed. She lifted her eyes.
Standing in front of her was a woman in her early twenties, wearing a pale yellow slip dress with a white blazer over it. She had on strappy heels, her hair styled in loose waves, makeup flawless, and a pair of dazzling diamond earrings dangling from her earlobes.
From head to toe, she screamed "rich".
Yet the expression on her face looked like someone owed her five million dollars.
"Move."
She raised her hand and shoved Lucinda.
Lucinda frowned, straightened up, and didn't budge.
She stood in place, her gaze slowly moving from the floor to the young woman's face. When she spoke, her tone was flat. "Apologize."
The young woman froze for a moment, as if she couldn't believe her ears. "What did you say?"
"You bumped into me. You broke something." Lucinda's voice remained calm. "Apologize."
The young woman blinked, then let out a laugh, her tone dripping with contempt. "You want me to apologize? Do you even know who I am?"
She tilted her chin up, pulled a black card from her bag, and waved it in front of Lucinda's face.
It was a membership card for one of Starlight City's top-tier private clubs—the kind with annual fees starting in the seven figures.
She slipped the card back into her bag, her tone condescending. "Do you know what this card means? It means someone like you could never step foot through that door in your entire life. You want me to apologize? Are you even worthy?"
Her voice echoed clearly in the quiet corridor.
Lucinda said nothing. She just looked at her.
The young woman grew even more irritated by her indifferent attitude. She shoved her again. "Get out of my way. Don't block the path."
This time, the force was much stronger, as if she'd truly lost her patience.
But the moment her hand touched Lucinda's shoulder, her wrist was caught.
Her hand froze mid-air.
She frowned and struggled, but couldn't break free.
"You—" Her frown deepened, her voice rising. "Let go of me! How dare you touch me? Do you know who my uncle is? Let me tell you—my uncle is Wesley, head of the Douglas family! Everyone in Starlight City respects the Douglas family! Who the hell do you think you are to stop me?"
Lucinda's brow twitched slightly.
Wesley.
She looked at the spoiled, arrogant face in front of her and suddenly remembered Valencia's phone call—something about her aunt's family returning from abroad.
She vaguely recalled her second brother mentioning that their aunt had a daughter named Hestia Sharp, who had a temper and had been spoiled rotten since childhood. He'd told her to be careful.
So this was her.
Seeing Lucinda remain silent, Hestia assumed she'd been intimidated by her status. She straightened her back even more. "Scared now? Hurry up and let go! Let me tell you—this isn't over. I'm going to make sure you can't survive in Starlight City. Someone like you—a pauper—what are you even doing in a place like this?"
As she spoke, she yanked her wrist hard.
Still couldn't break free.
Lucinda's fingers remained resting on her wrist bone, showing no intention of letting her go.
"You—" Hestia's face flushed redder. Her entire arm strained as she tried to wrench her hand free.
But the harder she pulled, the tighter Lucinda's grip became.
"Let go of me!" Her voice shot up, sharp with indignation. "Do you know who I am?! Someone like you doesn't even deserve to touch me!"
Lucinda looked at her coldly, her tone flat. "I don't care who you are. You broke my things. You need to apologize."
Hestia's eyes widened again. "Apologize? You want me to apologize? You're just some nobody—what makes you think you deserve an apology from me?"
She yanked her arm again, this time with much more force. Her shoulder shook from the effort.
But Lucinda's hand didn't move an inch.
Hestia's lips pressed into a thin line. Her entire face twisted slightly with anger.
She was about to say something else when the pressure on her wrist began tightening bit by bit. The pain made her suck in a sharp breath.
Finally, she couldn't hold it in. She let out a cry, tears spilling over. "Fine! Let go! I'll apologize! I'll apologize, okay?! I'm sorry! Happy now?"
Lucinda looked at her for two seconds, then released her hand.
Hestia stumbled back two steps, clutching her wrist. She looked down and saw a clear red mark where Lucinda's fingers had gripped her.
Her lips trembled. She lifted her head to glare at Lucinda, her voice shaking with fury. "You—you're dead!"
"I'm telling you—you've messed with the wrong person today. I'm going to have my uncle destroy you. You'll never survive in this city again. Even if you get on your knees and beg me now, it won't help. Just you wait—"
Lucinda didn't wait for her to finish. She took a step forward.
Hestia instinctively flinched backward. The harsh words she'd just spat out hadn't even cooled yet, but she'd already softened halfway. "Wh-what are you doing?"
Lucinda stopped in front of her, bent down, and picked up the shattered pieces of the gemstone pendant. She held them up in front of Hestia's face. "You apologized. What about the item?"
Hestia froze. "What?"
"Three million dollars. Pay up."
Hestia looked like she'd just heard the most absurd thing in the world. Her eyes went round. "Are you insane? You want me to pay three million dollars for a broken rock? Are you robbing me?"