Chapter 594: Tina's Triumph
A gasp arose from the crowd, snapping everyone to attention. Tina had fashioned the five-colored glaze stones into two pendants! Scarlett gasped, "Tina, this... this is such a waste!" The precious stones, now crafted into pendants, had consumed even more materials, enough to make one's blood boil. Even Scarlett, who usually cared little about money, felt the pinch.
But Tina was unfazed. After all, she had plenty of these stones in her warehouse, all gifts from Uncle. "If you like them," Tina chuckled, "I'll have another set made for you tomorrow. There are so many colors in these stones, I just turned them all into jade ornaments. They look more impressive this way."
Jared kept his gaze fixed on Tina's waist. "Hmm, anything Tina gives is designed by her personally, unique and unmatched in the market." It was then that everyone realized: not only were the pendants made of five-colored glaze, but they were also the latest masterpieces of the renowned Irene. Previously, Irene's designed jewelry was fervently sought after online; acquiring one was considered a stroke of ancestral fortune. Since that incident with the Farrell family, she had ceased designing anything-until now.
The combination of material and designer rendered these two pairs of pendants priceless! Kiki and Mimi, who had put the pendants back on, cherished them greatly. They clung to Tina's neck, almost ingratiatingly, "Tina, can all our future jewelry come from you?"
"Make sure to make two of each, Tina, and in exchange, I'll treat you to a strawberry cake!"
Hearing about the strawberry cake, Tina nodded vigorously, "Deal! But I want two cakes each time!" The crowd joked, "Just two strawberry cakes to secure a masterpiece from Irene!"Content © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.
Boris had never imagined that Tina could produce so much of the five-colored glaze stone, and to think that what he had struggled so hard to obtain turned out to be a counterfeit! This put the Pace family in an embarrassing position, making it hard for Boris to face the crowd. Rachel was equally mortified; she had earlier spoken up for Boris to assert her status, but now everyone knew they had offered a fake!
Humiliated, Boris quietly slipped away while others were distracted. Sharp-eyed Sophia shouted, "Uncle Pace, are you leaving?" Now all eyes turned to Boris. Boris glared at Sophia, this detestable little girl, just like her brother. Brandon lifted Sophia up, "Sophia, let Uncle Pace go. The Brookes family won't welcome him anymore, especially after he insulted your sister-in-law." Brandon's message was clear: their grievance with Boris wasn't just about the fake stones but his public insult of Tina.
"Mr. Pace, no need for farewells," Jack joined in with a stern look at Boris. Boris clenched his fists, stunned by the lack of respect from the Brookes family, despite the long-standing ties between their families.
Logan approached Boris, "Before you leave, apologize to my granddaughter-in-law, or I'll have to speak with your family head about how our Farrell family has offended the Pace family." Grandpa Brookes remained silent but his look was enough: apologize or don't leave.
Cornered by the two elders, Boris had little choice. He couldn't just do nothing, lest the incident reach his grandfather and earn him a scolding.
Boris had no choice but to apologize to Tina in front of everyone, "I'm sorry, Miss Reed, my ignorance is to blame. I apologize and will make sure to visit you soon to express my regret." Tina's lips curved slightly as she articulated each word clearly, "It's, okay."
It was far from okay!
After her remark, Tina flicked her fingertip gently, and Boris instantly felt an incredible stiffness in his limbs, although it wasn't visible externally. He turned to leave, his limbs awkwardly moving as if he were a robot, eliciting laughter from everyone present.
Brandon, always ready to stir trouble, addressed Rachel, "Rachel, aren't you going to quickly escort your good friend out?" He clearly hadn't forgotten Rachel's smug expression earlier. Was she only around for the good times and hid during the embarrassing moments? Impossible!
Tina had intended to give Rachel some face, considering she was still a member of the Brookes family, but Brandon clearly didn't care about that. Rachel had no choice but to drag the robotically moving Boris away quickly.
Grandpa Brookes didn't intervene; after all, Rachel was the child he had raised. He could see through her little schemes. Furthermore, with the unresolved issue of the previous poisoning incident, Grandpa Brookes was still angry. Rachel was nearly in tears as they left the Brookes family estate. Once outside, the stiffness in Boris's body disappeared without a trace. Seeing Rachel crying so pitifully, Boris felt even more guilty. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I didn't know that item was fake. I was in a hurry and bought it from those jewelers without proper verification."
Rachel was close to hating Boris. If not for him, she wouldn't have faced such humiliation. Yet, despite her anger, she still relied on Boris. After today's events, the old man would surely blame her even more. If she could successfully marry him, perhaps there was still a chance for redemption.
"It's not your fault; it's all Tina's doing. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be in this situation..." Rachel wiped her tears, her tearful eyes masking the disdain in her gaze.
Boris, relieved that Rachel wasn't really angry, took her hand and said as they walked, "You're right. Tina takes advantage of Grandpa Brookes's affection and acts recklessly, acting like a real member of the Brookes family when she's nothing but a fake."
Rachel paused, and Boris realized his mistake. "Rachel, I didn't mean that. I meant she doesn't deserve it, not like you. You grew up beside Grandpa Brookes; she can't compare to you!"
"I know," Rachel responded with a forced smile, cursing Boris in her heart.
Boris soothed Rachel with many words, and the atmosphere between them finally eased.
However, unbeknownst to them, a silent set of footsteps was slowly closing in behind them.
After spending a day enjoying themselves, Boris and Rachel returned to the Pace family home before nightfall. Mr. Pace had already retired, and Boris quietly returned to his room. On a hilltop outside the Pace family home, Natalie was observing through a telescope, which was so powerful she could even see if the Pace family's dog had double eyelids. Yet, all of the Pace family's security systems failed to track her.
Natalie wasn't really looking at the dog's eyelids but at the only family portrait above the fireplace at the Pace family home. Everyone in the portrait wore a faint smile.
But Natalie's gaze was fixed on the face behind Mr. Pace, staring for a long, long time.
It was him...