Ava was proud of her friend when she heard the comments.
On the other hand, Niamh began to feel shy. “Lie low, Ava.”
Ava shrugged and stared at Naya in exasperation. “It’s not my fault she started it.”
“…” Naya’s lips twitched. She opened her mouth to protest as she felt that her image was beginning to shatter.
“So what if you were Miss L.ady’s top designer? That doesn’t give you the right to defame me! My father’s a well-known businessman in Glendale. We aren’t even short on money, so why would I need to buy a fake? You’re just slandering me to help Ava!”
She wore a pitiful expression to pull the crowd on her side.
“Vera Quinn, right? Since you’re the one who designed it, then take a look at the serial number on my bracelet! Why would I need to wear fakes when I’m the daughter of a businessman?”
Niamh remained calm. “I don’t know whether you need to or not, nor do I want to know. I just want to say that the fact that there’s a serial number further proves that the bracelet is a fake. These so-called serial numbers are a system structured by those who sell fakes. The real bracelet doesn’t have a serial number at all. I can pull out the information for you if you don’t believe me.”
“What…” Naya’s expression fell at her explanation.
She clenched her jaw, unable to refute.
Ava did not speak either, merely smiling at Naya instead.
Huffing, Naya turned to leave as she realized the situation was not looking good for her.
However, her turn was too dramatic and she knocked into the clerk approaching from the opposite direction. Everything the clerk held fell onto the floor, causing one of the earrings’ diamonds to fall out. There was a scratch mark on the sapphire necklace as well.
The clerk’s expression fell. “Oh no!”
Naya was looking for an outlet for her anger and raged at the clerk. “What’s there to ‘oh no’? It’s just a set of accessories. I’ll just pay you back!”
“But… “ The clerk looked at Ava. “This midsummer limited edition set from Legendary Mystery belongs to this lady.”
Naya turned to the direction the clerk was pointing in to find a smiling Ava.
Naya did not believe her. “Are you kidding me? Her? How can she afford to buy this set of accessories when she can’t even afford a piece of crystal from that earring with her entire monthly pay?”
Ava had initially come to refund the accessory but had a better idea now.
“Stop wasting your saliva, Miss Mendez. Your carelessness has caused serious damage to my properties. You have two choices now. Either open a check and pay me back now, or you can wait for a letter from my lawyer.”
“You…” Naya was infuriated.
“Aren’t you the daughter of a businessman? I’m sure you bring your checkbook with you wherever you go, right? Then get to it already. Let’s not waste anyone else’s time.”
“…”
Naya clenched her fists, her beautiful face twisting in anger.
She had lost enough of her dignity with the bracelet she wore being discovered fake. To have her unable to write a check now would only make it worse.
However, with how much she had spent recently, she already reached the limit with the checks and could not pay for the accessories!
Seeing everyone waiting for her to write a check, Naya grew more embarrassed and pulled out her name card before throwing it at the clerk. “Come look for me here tomorrow. I didn’t bring my checkbook with me today!”
Flushed, she picked up her purse and left. Naya glared at Ava and Niamh just as she walked past them. She warned the former, “Just you wait!”
With Naya gone, Niamh and Ava immediately felt more relaxed.
Naya was two completely different people in front of the Graham family and moments ago.
“You’ve got to hold tight to Dan, Ava. This Naya seems difficult to deal with.” Niamh reminded kindly, for she could tell from Naya’s actions. “That bracelet too. She knew it was fake all along.”
“I could tell.” Ava rifled through her memories. “The first time I saw her, the outfit she wore and the brooch she got Dan’s mom were also fakes. But Dan’s mom had no idea and thanked Naya for being kind and thoughtful.”
Ava smiled and sighed. “I just don’t understand what people like her are thinking. They’re the ones with the fakes, yet they still accuse others of doing the same. It’s not like she has no money to buy genuine products either. She’s from a rich family.”
Niamh did not understand either.
The world was filled with weird people. Nevaeh and Lana were both rare weirdos.
Yet they shared a similarity—their lack of a baseline. These two were the kind who would do anything to get what they wanted.
Niamh did not end up choosing a gift for Ryan in the end, although Ava did manage to find a set of couple loungewear for her and Daniel.
Staring at the lovey-dovey expression Ava was wearing, Niamh also felt the urge to buy couple clothes but stopped herself when she realized that she had already outgrown the age of being hopelessly in love.
Moreover, she could not seem to imagine how it would look to have an aloof man like Kendrick wearing such clothes with her.
Still, Niamh bought a set anyway in case there came a situation where Kendrick would wear it.
Returning to her and Kendrick’s new home, Niamh made sure to look around for paparazzi who had nothing better to do with their lives. Confirming that the coast was clear, Niamh alighted the car and entered the house.
Upon opening the door, Niamh was met with the sound of Kendrick coughing upstairs.
Her body grew cold at the sound, and the seemingly endless coughs made her temples throb like someone was playing the drums.
Niamh had not the courage to think deeper into it. Instead, she stood frozen by the entrance.
It was only when Kendrick’s coughs came to an end that she finally snapped back to reality.
Hearing Kendrick’s footsteps down the stairs, Niamh smiled and pretended to have just entered the doors.
Kendrick’s eyes fell on the shopping bag in her hands and he walked over with a smile. “Did you have fun shopping? What did you buy?”
Niamh walked toward him with a smile and urged him coquettishly. “I bought a set of clothes for us, Kendrick. Won’t you try and put them on?”
Unable to resist her crescent-eyed smile, Kendrick gathered her into his arms and placed a peck on her cheek before he went to try the clothes.
Seeing the man about to take his shirt off, Niamh walked toward the stairs. “I’m going to the room first, Kendrick.”
“Okay.”
The man did not suspect her as he tried the clothes on in the living room.
Niamh quickly made her way upstairs to the bedroom and checked the trash for the tissue. Coming up with nothing, she then went to the study where the computer was still opened up on the table. Niamh strode quickly to the trash can by the desk to check that instead.
Squatting down, Niamh reached her hand inside without thinking about how unsanitary it was and took out the used piece of tissue. Her fingers began to tremble inexplicably as her heart raced.
Niamh took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down as she unfurled the ball of tissue. The strength from her legs seemed to have vanished the moment she opened it and her knees fell to the floor in a kneel…
Dazed, Niamh stared at the dark red spots of blood on the tissue. Oxygen suddenly felt scarce, and her vision darkened. She could not see anything at all. Before her was endless darkness and she felt it slowly suffocating her, numbing her senses.
He had not recovered yet. There was still poison in his body.
He lied to her.
“Nia.”
Kendrick’s voice sounded from outside, snapping Niamh back to reality.
She stood up, her hands and feet feeling cold. She stuffed the tissue into her pocket. Wiping the tears off the corner of her eyes, she forced herself to smile and walk down the stairs.
Meeting her was Kendrick in the white T-shirt she had chosen for him. It fitted perfectly on the man’s body.
He walked toward her and curled the corner of his lips. “How is it? Do I look okay?”
Niamh stared deeply at the man in front of her. The faint smile he was wearing brought her back to years ago when they first knocked into each other on campus.
It had been years, yet hints of the man’s youth remained on his features.
The corners of Niamh’s eyes burned as she threw herself into Kendrick’s arms, hers looping around his waist.
Kendrick had no idea what prompted this but raised his arms to hold her back instinctively.
“What’s wrong, hmm?”
“Don’t leave me,” Niamh whispered, holding her emotions back by a single thread.
Kendrick was stunned for a moment as he felt the intensity of Niamh’s love and reluctance to leave him. The man smiled and raised his hand to caress the back of her head.
“I won’t leave you,” he promised, but his gaze grew lonely. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be with you.”
‘Even if my clock begins to tick, I will never let you go again.’
Kendrick kept the last sentence in his heart.
…
Niamh secretly went to a lab and looked for the chemist there.
Mr. Gordon could not help being curious upon seeing Niamh coming in with another ball of tissue to be tested when she had done the same half a year ago.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.