Chapter 28 A Seven–Carat Diamond Ring -If You Won’t Wear It, Th…
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Chapter 28 A Seven–Carat Diamond Ring -If You Won’t Wear It, Then Throw It Away!
In the small meeting room, Caleb felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
He shifted uncomfortably. “Ms. Monroe, you flatter me. I’m really not as good as you say.”
“Mr. Caleb, please let me finish. You’re a good man–you deserve someone better, someone who truly loves you. But that person isn’t me. I already like someone else.”
“Uh…” Caleb nodded. So this was her way of giving me the nice guy card?
His phone vibrated. Caleb glanced at the screen.
“Ask her who it is that she likes.”
It was a message from Mr. Donovan.
Caleb took a deep breath and said, “You like someone else? If I may ask, who is it that you like?”
“I’m married. So of course, the person I like is my husband. Our marriage happened pretty suddenly, so he hasn’t gotten around to preparing a ring yet. But our relationship is very strong, so there’s no chance for anything between you and me. I hope you won’t secretly help me anymore. It only adds to my emotional burden.”
Even though he was rejected, Caleb actually felt a lot more at ease.
He adjusted his gold–rimmed glasses and said, “Ms. Monroe, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t have any romantic feelings toward you.”
“No romantic feelings? I already know it was you who left the milk and bread on my desk. And you were the one who helped glue my files, right? The cashier at the convenience store told me–during that time slot, only you came in and bought anything.”
So that’s how she figured it out. Caleb realized he had underestimated Juliette’s intelligence.
“I actually think of you more like a younger sister. You really remind me of my sister back home. That’s why I can’t help but look after you a little more. That’s all. I hope you won’t read
too much into it.”
What? So it was a sibling–like affection? Had I overthought everything?
Makes sense. Caleb was a savvy man–how could someone like him fall for looks alone?
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Chapter 28 A Seven–Carat Diamond Ring -If You Won’t Wear It, Th…
“My apologies, Mr. Caleb. I misunderstood.”
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“It’s fine. Just call me Caleb. I still have some work to take care of, so I’ll be heading off.” He stood up.
“Okay.”
When Caleb returned to the executive office, Max was still seated at the head of the desk, as calm and collected as ever, flipping through a document.
He hadn’t said a single word, and yet his mood seemed… distinctly good.
The afternoon passed quickly.
Juliette tidied up her desk and headed downstairs with her bag.
After stepping outside, she received a message from Max saying he’d be picking her up from work.
She looked around–his car hadn’t arrived yet, so she opened her phone and started scrolling through Instagram.
I had already lost three years of my life. If I didn’t stay in the loop with trends, I’d fall even further behind.
Parked near Sphere Corporation was a black Legacy–it had been there for some time.
Last time, Vivienne had already explained to Gavin that she only arranged for someone to harass Juliette at that shady place to scare her into quitting.
Gavin believed Vivienne–and also her claim that Juliette must’ve been kept by Caleb or another Sphere executive to get a job there.
Otherwise, with her prison record, why would a company that prestigious ever hire her?
This time, Gavin came to talk to her about exactly that.
If she resigned from Sphere, he could begrudgingly offer her a position at Sinclair Group.
He stepped out of the car, just about to head over, when he heard a car horn coming from Julieue’s direction.
Then, he saw a bright smile spread across her lips as she walked toward a simple Volkswagen.
That smile… I’d seen it before. Back when she used to smile at me like that.
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Chapter 28 A Seven–Carat Diamond Ring -If You Won’t Wear It, Th…
But that was years ago.
I hadn’t expected that the next time I’d see that smile, it would be directed at another man.
A dull ache stirred in his chest.
She got into the passenger seat, and the man in the driver’s seat leaned toward her.
From Gavin’s angle, it looked like they kissed–and Juliette didn’t resist.
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Actually, in the car, Juliette was a little startled too. She thought Max was going to kiss her, but he just reached over and fastened her seatbelt.
She was still caught up in the moment–so close to Max’s striking face that she felt almost dazzled.
She hadn’t noticed Gavin watching nearby at all.
The car sped off, leaving Gavin behind with a sense of failure.
It felt like I had everything… and yet, nothing at all.
“So you’re free to pick me up today? Not busy?” Juliette asked casually as she gazed out the window.
“Yes.”
As usual, Max was as succinct as ever.
She glanced at his profile and noticed a bit of darkness under his eyes.
“Didn’t sleep well last night?”
“No. I helped someone out, but that person ended up giving credit to someone else,” Max replied, casting a cold glance her way.
Juliette frowned, puzzled. Why did his look seem to suggest that I was the clueless person he was talking about?
But I hadn’t asked him for help last night.
Still confused, the car pulled into Janover Condo.
Just as Juliette was about to get out, Max tossed her a gift box.
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Chapter 28 A Seven–Carat Diamond Ring -If You Won’t Wear It, Th…
“What’s this?”
“A wedding ring.” He turned and walked toward the elevator.
It wasn’t about making a promise–I just thought she had a point earlier.
If she didn’t wear a ring, how would other men know she was married?
A ring on her finger would save them some trouble.
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Juliette held the box and headed upstairs. She didn’t think too much about it and opened it as she went.
She had expected something modest, maybe a 0.3- or 0.4–carat diamond.
But when she opened it, the sparkle nearly blinded her.
It is a diamond ring–just… way too big and way too sparkly.
“How much was this?” she asked the man beside her.
“100,” Max replied.
“Right, sounds about right. 100 dollars isn’t cheap either. Next time, get a smaller one–it’ll be cheaper,” Juliette said as she slipped the ring on her finger and held it up to the light.
She muttered, “If it’s smaller, people might actually believe it’s real. But this? One look and you can tell it’s fake. Who even gives out rings this big? Must be seven carats or something. Sure, it’s shiny–but it’s way too flashy!”
Was she kidding? I, Max Donoven, never gave fake gifts. If I gave something, it had to be real.
That was a genuine seven–carat diamond ring, worth seven million.
And this clueless woman thought it was only worth a hundred?
Max let out a long sigh. What a foolish woman!
“Do you think this ring can be returned? Maybe exchange it for a smaller one?”
That ring had been bought at an auction. Where was I supposed to get her a smaller one?
“If you won’t wear it, then throw it away!”
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