Chapter 263 I Don't Mind at All
The next day, Elizabeth and her crew bounced outta the hotel to snag those gemstones from the jewelry market.
As they rolled up, the guards mentioned that some strange things happened last night. They heard some funky noises and took turns investigating, but found nothing.
When they got back, they saw signs of someone messing around the safe with the gemstones. The Spellscrolls on the safe had lit up one by one, giving everyone a good scare. But once they burned out, everything seemed chill.
Matthew let out a big sigh of relief. "Man, you were smart to slap those Spellscrolls on the safe," he said, still a bit freaked out. "Who knows if our gems would still be here otherwise." He had a hunch it was Darlene again, probably hiring some divination guru.
Elizabeth grinned, "Better safe than sorry. I'll whip up a few more Spellscrolls and stick 'em on. Let's get these to the airport ASAP." She had a feeling Darlene's crew would try to swipe the gems, and she was right on the money.
The more this stuff happened, the more it showed how important the Spellscroll Group and these gems were to Darlene's shady backer. Even if they didn't snag the gems this time, their enemies would still take a hit.
Matthew was all in on trusting Elizabeth now. "Yeah, draw a few more and slap 'em on," he urged.
The Ingram Group needed these gems to keep the Spellscroll Group in check and roll out their new plan, so no screw-ups allowed.
After Elizabeth drew and stuck on the Spellscrolls, the crew hauled the gems to the airport.
When they hit Clifftonshireburg Airport and grabbed the shipped safe, they saw the Spellscrolls had burn marks again.
Matthew was super grateful he had Elizabeth with him this time. Otherwise, Darlene might've swiped the gems again.
He offered to take Elizabeth home, but Raymond was like, "Nah, I got this." He had left his car in the parking lot when he picked up Elizabeth to the airport earlier, just so he could drive her home.
Matthew knew what Raymond was up to but didn't call him out, just gave a supportive smile.
Before they split, Rex looked at Elizabeth and asked, "Hey, at the jewelry market, you didn't ask for cash as a reward. You want money now, or some entertainment resources?"
Elizabeth replied, "Let's go with the entertainment resources."
Rex grinned, "No problem. When I get back, I'll have someone whip up a list of resources for your studio's artists."
Matthew had a lightbulb moment and jumped in, "Our jewelry spokesperson's contract is up next month. We're launching a new series, but the old artist's look and vibe don't fit, so we're dropping them."
He looked at Elizabeth and said, "I think you'd be perfect for it, so I'd love to have you as our spokesperson. Hope you'll think about it."
Besides wanting to keep things cool with Elizabeth, Matthew genuinely thought her image and vibe were spot-on for their new high-end gemstone jewelry line. With her recent boost in popularity from a live variety show, he was sure the other execs wouldn't have a problem with it.
Elizabeth was all in for that invite, no hesitation.
Ingram Jewelers' gems were top-tier, and their spokespeople were usually A-list celebs. Big names fought tooth and nail for that gig. It was a big deal in the industry.
Landing a high-end jewelry endorsement would seriously boost her status in the entertainment world.
After agreeing to hash out the details later, Raymond finally drove Elizabeth home. Not long after she got there, her phone buzzed. It was Herman.
Herman's voice came through. "Ms. Clark, you and Raymond got snapped together at the airport, and the pics are all over the internet. Someone's spinning it like you two are dating and this trip was a private getaway. Expect your rumored relationship to hit the headlines soon. You wanna explain or control the comments?"
When they left the airport, Elizabeth and Raymond were masked up and wearing hats. But folks still recognized them and snapped pics.
Elizabeth hadn't expected her time with Raymond to blow up like this. The pics, conveniently leaving out Rex, were probably spread for hype. She didn't mind the rumors but was worried about Raymond. "I'll ask Raymond and let his team handle it," she decided.
Herman agreed, "Sounds good. Raymond's side might care more about this."
Elizabeth then called Raymond, who had already heard about it from his manager. Not only was he chill about it, but he was also kinda happy. "I don't mind at all," he said. "Do you? If you do, I'll have someone handle it and clear things up."
Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't mind either. Just worried it might mess with you."
Raymond laughed, "Doesn't bother me at all. Might even give us a popularity boost. If we rush to clarify, people might think we're hiding something."
He asked, "So, should we just let it ride?"
Elizabeth said, "Yeah, let's leave it."
Raymond seized the moment. "Elizabeth, you helped Isaac a lot before, and he wants to treat you to dinner in a few days. That cool?"
Elizabeth laughed, "No problem."
They chatted a bit more before hanging up.
Meanwhile, Hubert, Richard, and Eugene were chilling and having drinks.
Hubert saw the latest headline and sighed, "Eugene, looks like you're outta luck."
Eugene looked confused, "What?"
Hubert handed over his phone. "Check it out, Elizabeth and Raymond from the Gonzalez family are rumored to be dating."
Eugene's face darkened as he looked at the screen. "Dating? It's gotta be the media making stuff up for clicks."
Richard leaned over to see. He teased, "Might not be just a rumor. Look, they're wearing matching masks and their hats, one black and one white, look like a couple's set. After leaving the airport, Elizabeth got into Raymond's car. Raymond took Elizabeth home before leaving. Sounds like couple stuff to me."
Eugene felt a sting and glared at him. "You're single. What do you know about couples?"
Richard shrugged. "I might be single, but I'm not clueless. Eugene, you might wanna brace yourself." He patted Eugene's shoulder sympathetically.
Eugene pushed his hand away and snapped, "Get lost, stop talking nonsense."
Then he paused. "Wait, I need a favor," he said to Richard.
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