After a moment of hesitation, Jonathan gestured to Finley to leave before answering the call. The caller seemed surprised at first.Then, her gentle voice came through, "Jonathan, I never thought you'd pick up my call. How have you been these years?"Jonathan remained silent for a long time.Anastasia then continued, "I know you probably still resent me. But, I truly had no choice back then … Can't we let the past be the past? At the very least, the Finches and the Youngs are prestigious. And we used to …"Jonathan coldly interrupted her as he said, "What are you up to?"It seemed like he didn't want to indulge in reminiscing. Anastasia forced a bitter smile. She took a deep breath before getting to the point."My grandfather wants me to participate as one of the organizers for the National Jewelry Design Award. I'd like to invite you as a special judge. You can rest assured, that you'll only need to appear during the finals. It won't take up much of your time."Jonathan was abo
"Go on and dream your little dreams. I won't stay there!"With these resolute words, Rose left the reception room in feigned composure. As she descended the stairs, her heart raced with anxiety.These rich men always played their games. Perhaps the so-called Mr Finch had set his sight on her, waiting to make her his plaything.However, she refused to be a kept woman. Besides, she had never even seen what he looked like; he might have a crooked face or twisted mouth for all she knew.Worried that he might employ further tactics, she thought of her star escort husband. She made an immediate decision. On the other hand, Finley entered the reception room after Rose left."Mr. Finch, why did Ms. Shaffer leave so fast? It's only been a short while …"Jonathan also felt a tinge of disappointment. Even though there was a folding screen between them, he had wanted to steal more glances at her. Her parting words, however…His deep eyes gleamed mysteriously. Just then, his phone rang. As e
A twinge of melancholy coursed through Rose's senses. Feeling worried, Jonathan turned around and was about to check on her. However, she grabbed his wrist and looked at him with anticipation."What kind of surprise?"Jonathan was speechless. It seemed like she was right since she hadn't forgotten about this matter."I'll tell you when you make it to the finals," he crisply replied before heading into the master bedroom.He suddenly thought that agreeing to be a judge for Anastasia's invitation was a good idea after all.Outside the door, Rose's curiosity remained unsatisfied, but this fueled her creativity. She stayed up all night to complete her design.After uploading the design to the official website at 6:00 AM, she finally went to sleep.At 3:00 PM, she was awakened by her phone's ringtone. Still half-asleep, she could only make out that it was a call from Evan as she picked it up."Evan …""Rose, a friend from Regalia has just arrived in Aquastead and wants to see you.
Kelly gazed in the direction and saw only the silhouette of a woman. Nevertheless, she recognized the man—it was Evan. As for the woman … Her figure bore a striking resemblance to Rose.Evan was following her. It made Kelly increasingly certain that the woman was indeed Rose. In an instant, jealousy surged within her. Alongside jealousy, there was an urgent sense of crisis.What was Miles doing with Rose? Was it because of the upcoming National Jewelry Design Award? Did he admire her designs, or was Evan trying to help her by using unfair means?The more Kelly thought about it, the more unsettled she became. Nixon noticed her change in complexion and immediately showed concern."Kelly, are you feeling unwell? Let's go then. I won't return to Lane residence tonight. We can head to the apartment in the city."The city apartment had always been their secret rendezvous spot. Kelly had initially intended to hold onto Nixon before securing the support of Jonathan. However, as she look
Rose's heart skipped a beat. She thought of him as a refined charming gentleman in public but a love expert behind the scenes. However, his earnest gaze and sincere tone contradicted her assumptions.She immediately reproached her judgment and felt a pang of curiosity."Her? Is she your ex-girlfriend? Your first love?"Miles noticed the curiosity in her eyes.He chuckled and said, "No, she's my sister.""I see. Your sister …"Rose forced a smile. She had assumed there was some juicy backstory.Meanwhile, Kelly was eavesdropping on them from not far away. Earlier, she had rejected Nixon's offer to send her home and pretended to take a taxi to leave.Nevertheless, she returned after a few minutes and deliberately waited for them to come out.Seeing them engrossed in conversation and seemingly getting along well, her jealousy flared up like a burning fire.She was now more certain that Rose had made up to Miles to use his connections in entering the National Jewelry Design Award
How could Rose ignore a handsome guy who was starving? She pointed toward the kitchen as she signaled him to let go of her.She then went to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, a plate of spaghetti was placed in front of Jonathan.He looked at the simple-made spaghetti with disdain. He already expected that her culinary skills were nothing special.However, after taking a bite, he revealed an incredulous expression. The taste was surprisingly good.Rose was cleaning the stove in the kitchen. Jonathan became entranced as the warm light illuminated her.When Rose was about to turn around, he shifted his gaze away and concentrated on eating his meal. Five days later, the semi-final results of the National Jewelry Design Award were announced.Rose successfully made it to the finals.She eagerly screenshot the news and sent it to her star escort husband as she texted, "You promised me a surprise if I made it to the finals. Can you finally tell me what it is?"Jonathan was in a meeting.
Rose quickly ran away after handing the phone to Jonathan. As she closed the bedroom door, she heard her star escort husband's deep and sexy voice from outside."Okay. We'll discuss it when I return to Regalia," he said.Rose recalled the woman's gentle voice she had heard earlier. Anastasia? From the way she talked, it seemed she had a close relationship with her star escort husband. He was returning to Regalia?Rose felt a bit uneasy. Suddenly, she thought of something. Just now, Anastasia called her star escort husband by his name."Is it 'Jon?'" she wondered.She strained her memory but couldn't recall the exact name due to nervousness.She didn't even delve into the fact that both Anastasia and her star escort husband used the word "return" when they talked about Regalia.The news that Jonathan would be a special guest judge at the National Jewelry Design Award finals quickly seized the headlines on Facebook.Many wealthy parties announced their plans to attend the auction
Rose drove all night long to Chereton, where she managed to find the house according to the address the next morning.The door was open when she arrived, and a middle-aged woman sat outside in the courtyard sewing. She was surprised to see Rose."Hi there, are you Mdm. Angelica?" Rose asked gently. Angelica Willis swiftly set her sewing down and walked up to Rose.She looked at her long and hard before saying, "You're so big now, Rose. I held you when you were a baby, do you remember? Oh, you must've forgotten about me already."Angelica gazed fixedly at Rose's face, then exclaimed, "Your eyes … you look just like her!"Miles had said her eyes resembled someone else's the other day, too. Knowing now that Angelica meant her mother, she beamed happily, feeling closely affectionate to the older woman.Angelica told Rose all about her mother, and then handed her an old box. Inside was a large chunk of raw fire opal."Your mother left this behind decades ago. Take it. I have no use