Leanne finally had a moment to relax when Joy exclaimed with an exaggerated expression, "Oh my god, isn't this Mrs. Richardson! My apologies for not noticing sooner." "Stop teasing," Leanne chided, playfully slapping her before asking, "You haven't started a fight with Devin, have you?"
"Fight? Do I look like someone who would?" Joy swung her legs, a playful smirk on her face. "Though, his grandfather did pull me aside to ask if I was married. Quite odd." Sipping her champagne, Leanne glanced over at Hubert. "And what did you tell him?"
Before Joy could answer, Selina jumped in, excitedly sharing, "You won't believe what she told Mr. Perez! She said, 'If you're considering courting me, you must get in line. Your grandson hasn't even made a move yet."
311
Leanne nearly choked on her champagne, giving Joy a thumbs-up. "Impressive."
Joy grinned. "You should've seen Hubert's face. He was beaming like a sunflower."
Ever observant, Selina suddenly pointed out, "Leanne, the crystal chain on the back of your dress is missing?"
Joy's gaze immediately swept to Leanne's back.
Feeling a chill, Leanne reached back only to find the zipper gone. "It must have fallen off accidentally," she said, trying to stay composed despite not knowing when it happened.
"Only you could lose a zipper," Selina remarked. "That dress isn't good in quality, is it?"
Joy gave her a knowing look. "What do you know about it?"
Leanne looked up to see Curtis talking with Phillip.
Phillip, as always, appeared reserved and dignified, while Curtis looked every bit the charmer, leaning casually and seemingly holding something in his right hand.
A delicate crystal chain, twinkling like stars, mysteriously wrapped around his elegant fingers.
At this bustling party, there he was, casually playing with the missing piece from her dress.
How cheeky of him.
"Leanne." Mary's voice brought her back from the embarrassment. She stood and walked over to where Jennifer, Mary, Maddox, Phillip, and Curtis were gathering. Jennifer motioned for her to sit beside her. "Come on, take a seat." As Leanne settled beside her, Jennifer opened an antique rosewood jewelry box to reveal a pair of emerald bracelets on a velvet liner. The deep green hue was mesmerizing, the texture smooth and glowing.
Often regarded as the most prestigious gems, emeralds were especially valued in their imperial green variety. At last year's international jewelry fair, a bracelet fetched a price of sixty million.
The pair Jennifer held was of supreme quality. Their color, clarity, and water were all top-notch, making their value incalculable.
"These were a wedding gift from Mary when Maddox and I married."
Taking Leanne's hand, Jennifer slipped the bracelets onto her wrists. They looked as though they were made for her, the emeralds' rich green complementing her delicate skin perfectly. "You and Curtis have come a long way, regardless of how things started. The love and dedication you two share surpass everything else."
To Jennifer's surprise, what started as a marriage of convenience to appease an ailing grandmother turned into something genuine and loving. Jennifer once thought Mary was a real piece of work and hard to handle. Telling from it, no one was a match for Mary in playing tricks wisely.
"Today, I pass the bracelets to you, symbolizing unity and shared purpose," Jennifer continued with emotions. "May you and Curtis always be a team, harmonious in thought and feeling."
Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report
