Chapter 171 The Jewel
"So, you thought I'd accept it if someone else delivered it? You could've at least changed the box," Sophia said, laying it all out on the table.
She had recognized the jewelry box – it was the very same one Gabriel had tried to gift her two days ago.
Harrison was speechless. What a blunder.
If Gabriel found out the gift hadn't been delivered... Harrison could already feel his glare, lethal enough to kill.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Harrison’s mind , and he came up with a crafty plan. "It was indeed bought by Mr. Lancaster. He said since it wasn't given, it ended up with me. I have no use for it myself, so I thought you might as well have it for your birthday. If you don't want it, that's fine too. That necklace is worth a fortune, you know."
He was no fool; he knew that the last time he'd apologized with a gift, she'd sold it off. Telling her the necklace's value would surely tempt her to take it and cash it in.
But Harrison was mistaken. Last time, she accepted the gift because it was her due. The trouble she'd been through was partially Harrison's fault, and she had every right to that compensation.
This time was different. It was just too valuable, and no matter Harrison's reasons, she would refuse to accept it.
The most extravagant birthday present she'd ever received was a luxury car from Caroline, worth hundreds of thousands, but she could afford it. When Caroline's birthday came around, she could reciprocate with a gift of equal value.
A necklace worth millions? Forget it. She couldn't pay that back.
Sophia teased, "Are you afraid it'll just gather dust? With all the ladies you know, any one of them would be over the moon to get such a gift."
Harrison sighed in frustration. ‘Giving someone a gift has never been so tough.’ He thought to himself.
"I'm single now. I don't have anyone to give it to,” Harrison confessed.
“Then save it for later,” suggested Sophia.
Feigning busyness and checking the time, Sophia made a swift exit, "I've got to run, Harrison. See you later.”
She left the office so quickly that Harrison barely had a chance to respond.
Ten minutes later, Gabriel was confronted with the contentious gift box. Harrison vented, "I've never met a woman this stubborn. Most would kill for a gorgeous and expensive gift like this, but she just flat-out refuses. Mr. Lancaster, you're on your own; I can't help."
About to leave, Harrison was stopped by Gabriel's calm inquiry, "Did she actually see what’s inside?"
“No, she didn’t.”
Sophia hadn't even peeked inside either time.
"Then get a more ordinary box and tell her Sam thought this necklace was perfect for her and especially bought it for her."
With a thumbs up, Harrison realized Sophia wouldn’t refuse a gift from Sam. Why hadn't he thought of that?
The next day, Harrison nonchalantly tossed the gift to Sophia. "Sam spotted this necklace yesterday and said it was perfect for you. He bought it and asked me to deliver it. Take it if you want, or I'll return it to Sam.”
He delivered the lie so convincingly, he almost believed it himself.
From Sam? She had just received earrings from him, and now a necklace?
Sophia eyed the necklace; it was undeniably beautiful but seemingly quite expensive. Could Sam really afford it with just his allowance?
A little note fell out in Sam's handwriting.
"Dear Aunt Kelly, I ran out of allowance and had to borrow from Dad to buy this. I hope you love it and think of me all the time.”
Ah, Sam was such a sweetheart, even reminding her to keep him in her thoughts. And she would, every single moment.
Sophia, without a shred of suspicion, joyfully accepted the necklace, thinking it was from Sam, immediately putting it on and turning to Harrison with a beaming smile, "Does it look good?"
Harrison responded half-heartedly, "Yeah, looks great."
Nonetheless, Sophia wasn’t bothered by his tepid reaction; she felt a spring breeze of happiness as if flowers were blossoming all around her.
With that, the gift had successfully been given.
When Harrison came to report back, he caught sight of Tiffany in Gabriel's office and suddenly held his tongue.
"Are you here to give a report, Harrison?" Tiffany asked with a gentle, soothing smile.
Harrison didn’t take to Tiffany. Ever since she took up with Lancaster, she had reaped plenty of benefits from him. That, he could tolerate. What irked him, though, was her strutting around the office as if she already owned the place, practically calling herself Mrs. Lancaster before they'd even tied the knot.
When Sophia married Gabriel, she never flaunted it the way Tiffany did.
In Harrison’s view, nothing about Tiffany was right. But what could he do? She had Gabriel's favor, and Gabriel was content. It was just like his own unrequited affection—a one-sided affair.
"Do I always have to be here on business when I come to see Mr. Lancaster?" Harrison retorted with a half-smirk.
Tiffany’s face twisted into a mix of hurt and defiance. “Did I do something to upset you?”
“No,” Harrison replied, exasperated. Was she really playing the victim now?
It seemed honesty was no longer welcome.
"What about you—”
“Did I insult you? Did I hit you?” Harrison cut her off, clearly impatient.
Tiffany’s face soured; her expression pitiful as she looked to Gabriel for support. She thought, despite Harrison’s friendship with Gabriel, he had no right to treat her, the prospective lady of the Lancaster empire, with such disdain. And Harrison? He was just an employee.
Wasn't Harrison worried about putting Gabriel in an awkward spot?
For Gabriel, who found himself caught between his friend and his girlfriend, it was truly a torturous predicament.
After reviewing the day's stock trends and seeing that Lancaster Corporation was stable, Gabriel finally looked up and said, "You should head to City S on Saturday."
"I can’t," Harrison sighed, throwing his hands up helplessly.
“Why not?” Gabriel queried. As far as he knew, Harrison had no travel plans, and any work could be covered by someone else in the company.
"My mom's been trying to set me up with someone, and this time I really can't dodge it. If I make up an excuse about a business trip, she's actually planning to double-check with you. I might as well bite the bullet and meet her this time."
Harrison found some humor in the thought of leaving the matchmaking to Gabriel's discretion.
Gabriel arched an eyebrow, fully aware of Harrison's track record – a long string of casual dates, but never serious enough to involve family. Now in his thirties, Harrison was under increasing pressure from his mother, who was anxious to see him settled down and was relentless in her efforts to introduce him to potential partners.
At first, Harrison humored his mother and went on a couple of these dates, but he quickly grew tired of them. He would always claim to be tied up with work whenever a new introduction was arranged. But this time, he couldn't find a way out.
With a hint of resignation, Gabriel agreed to clear his schedule.
"You should just meet her. Who knows, you might hit it off."
Harrison had hoped for a bit more enthusiasm from his friend, but that was not forthcoming...
While they were talking, Tiffany stood by, increasingly agitated by their lack of attention towards her.
She couldn't remember the last time Gabriel had been so inattentive.
What had changed?
"Gabriel," Tiffany said, stepping closer to him, trying to recapture his attention.
Gabriel's frown deepened; he had been purposefully ignoring her.
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