Chapter157 A Gift for Him
The next evening, the sky outside gradually darkened.
Miranda sat in her office, finishing the last document and raising her hand to glance at her watch.
Six thirty.
Almost time to head to dinner.
She closed her laptop, stood up, and walked to the cabinet nearby, taking out the black velvet box from her bag.
She opened it.
Under the lights, the pair of deep blue cufflinks lay quietly inside.
After the final setting, the originally harsh metal lines had been softened somewhat. The deep blue main stone emitted a profound and mysterious luster, remarkably similar to that man's eyes.
Miranda's fingertip gently traced the cool surface of the cufflinks, the corner of her mouth unconsciously curving into a faint smile.
She wondered if he would like them.
After gathering her things, Miranda took her bag and drove directly to the reserved restaurant.
The restaurant was very private, with elegantly decorated private rooms.
After arriving at the room, Miranda didn't idle.
She neatly placed several gift bags she'd prepared in advance on the seats around the round table.
These were prepared for Clifton's team members.
That day at the mine, if they hadn't followed Clifton to find her, she probably wouldn't be alive now.
She would always remember this debt of gratitude.
Just as she finished arranging them, the door to the private room was pushed open from outside.
"We're here!"
A hearty, loud voice came through first.
Miranda straightened up, a proper smile on her face.
Clifton walked in first. Today he'd changed into casual clothes, a black windbreaker that made his figure look tall and upright, his features still carrying some coldness.
Following behind him were several team members. Though not in uniform, their bearing couldn't be hidden.
"Everyone, please have a seat." Miranda smiled as she spoke.
Clifton strode over with his long legs and naturally pulled out the chair beside Miranda to sit down.
The other team members also took their seats.
As soon as they sat down, one team member noticed the gift bag by his hand.
"Hey? What's this?"
The team member curiously picked up the bag to look at it, his face surprised as he looked at Miranda. "Ma'am, you prepared these for us?"
Miranda nodded with a smile, explaining warmly, "Last time, thanks to everyone for saving me. These are medicinal packets. Your training intensity is high, so when you soak in the bath, add these in. They can relieve muscle fatigue and are also good for old injuries."
Hearing this, several of the men showed moved expressions.
They were used to rough living in the team. When injured, they just endured it. Who had ever cared for them so thoughtfully?
"Ma'am is so considerate!"
"Thank you, Ma'am!"
Clifton leaned back in his chair, playing with his lighter, listening to his subordinates calling "Ma'am" left and right. The corner of his mouth curved almost imperceptibly.
Soon, servers began bringing out dishes.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the private room was warm and harmonious.
The team members were all busy eating, no one noticing Clifton discreetly leaning closer to Miranda.
The man's pleasant scent instantly enveloped her.
Miranda was reaching for some food when she suddenly heard a low voice by her ear.
"You prepared gifts for all of them."
Clifton tilted his head slightly, those pitch-black eyes staring at her, his tone carrying a hint of barely detectable sourness.
"What about mine?"
Miranda paused, turning her head to look at him.
The man's expression was frank, without any awareness of being the boss. Instead, he was like a child who hadn't gotten candy, righteously demanding his gift.
Miranda couldn't help but smile, lowering her voice to say, "In the cabinet in the bedroom bathroom. I've always kept supplies there for you."
Hearing this, Clifton raised an eyebrow, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Mm."
He gave a light hum, thinking she at least had a conscience and hadn't forgotten him.
Just as Clifton was about to look away, he suddenly felt something hard and cool being pressed into his palm hanging under the table.
His movements paused as he looked down.
Miranda's hand had quickly withdrawn from under the table, and in his palm lay a delicate small box.
Clifton's heart suddenly jumped. He turned to look at Miranda.
Miranda said softly, "That medicinal packet is just for daily use. This is your actual gift."
Specially for him. One of a kind.
The smile in the man's eyes instantly deepened, like spring water after melting ice and snow, rippling with scattered light.
He didn't bring the box up but deftly opened the lid with one hand under the table.
By the scattered lamplight from the side, he could see what was inside.
A pair of cufflinks.
Simple and sharp in design, the deep blue stones glowed even in the dim light, perfectly matching his usual temperament.
"I learned to polish these with a craftsman."
Miranda's voice was soft, mixing with the sounds of the team members' drinking games around them, yet it clearly reached Clifton's ears.
"This blue stone isn't any precious gem."
She explained somewhat embarrassedly, "It's something I picked up when I was twelve, traveling to the Arctic with my family. I thought it was pretty so I brought it back and kept it all this time."
"But don't worry about wearing it. I had someone test it. The stone doesn't contain any harmful substances, it's just quite hard and difficult to polish."
She paused here, her tone carrying some hesitation.
"If you don't like it, you can just keep it in the closet. You don't have to wear it."
After all, he was used to fine things. Though she'd made these cufflinks herself, in terms of value, they really couldn't compare to top luxury brands.
Clifton caressed the slightly cool stone, as if he could feel twelve-year-old Miranda bending down to pick it up on that distant Arctic ice field.
This was her childhood, and her sincerity.
He closed the lid, clutching the box tightly in his palm.
He turned his head, his gaze burning as he looked into Miranda's eyes.
Those normally cold eyes now seemed to hold a fire, scorching and intense.
"I like it."
The man's voice was low and magnetic, carrying an electric current that drilled straight into one's heart.
Two simple words, yet he spoke them with lingering affection.
Looking at those unfathomably deep eyes, Miranda's heart seemed to skip a beat.
For a moment, she was actually dazed.
She couldn't tell if the "like it" he spoke of referred to the gift.
Or to her.