Chapter 28
Justin shot a cold look at the saleswoman who’d just hesitated moments before. “Well? What are you waiting for? Pass me a notepad.”
Her mind went blank, but her hands moved on instinct. She handed him the notepad without a word.
Justin picked up the fountain pen from the counter. His handwriting was sharp and elegant; in less than five seconds, he’d scrawled an address.
The store manager went pale, staring in disbelief at the note. “Sir, how would you like to pay?”
Justin withdrew a card that gleamed with a faint golden sheen. “Credit card.”
Even then, the manager could hardly believe it. The sheer value of Justin’s purchase had just met the entire store’s monthly sales target.
No one was more stunned than the saleswoman herself. She was in complete shock. Just a moment ago, she’d been convinced he couldn’t afford a thing–yet now he was buying out half the store?
Edith watched the whole scene unfold, utterly bewildered. What confused her most was that this was a jewelry boutique for women–why on earth was Justin buying so much?
Then she caught sight of the address on the note.
It was an address she knew by heart: The Sumner Family Estate.
She looked at Justin, surprised and uncertain. “Mr. Hawksley, did you write the wrong address?”
Justin paused, then asked, “Has The Sumner Family moved? Forgive me, I didn’t know. I’ll have the manager change it–just write down the new address for me.”
Edith waved her hands quickly. “No, no, we haven’t moved. It’s just… are all these for me?”
Justin’s frown softened. “Who else do you think I’d buy them for? Do you really picture me wearing any of that?”
The display cases were lined with ladies‘ jewelry–none of it suited Justin in the slightest.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was that Edith had done nothing to deserve
1/3
15.09
such extravagant gifts, and it unsettled her.
Jayne and Edith grew flustered. Jayne handled the manager. “You can’t deliver these to that address…”
Meanwhile, Edith tried to reason with Justin. “Mr. Hawksley, I can’t accept any of
this.”
Justin’s brows knitted as he signaled the manager to proceed with the payment. He turned to Edith. “There’s no such thing as ‘can’t accept. We’re getting married soon. These are simply wedding gifts.”
Edith opened her mouth to protest, but couldn’t find a better argument.
Once the staff finished processing the purchase, Justin glanced at his watch.
Edith’s eyes drifted, almost unconsciously, to his wrist. There it was again–that same undeniable tension she’d noticed before.
“I have work to finish today,” Justin said.
Edith understood immediately. “It’s fine, Mr. Hawksley. If you have business, go ahead. Really, it’s no problem.”
Justin’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. It wasn’t that he minded leaving–it was just that hearing her call him “Mr. Hawksley” felt oddly distant.
He hesitated, then nodded to Jayne before leaving the store.
The manager dragged the saleswoman over to Edith and Jayne, bowing with apologies.
Edith waved him off. “There’s no need to apologize. That’s not what we care about.”
She knew full well that their apologies were just a matter of keeping the money flowing–no real remorse in sight.
Still, the manager flashed a sycophantic smile and offered his business card. “Mrs. Hawksley, if you ever need anything, please contact me directly. I can assure you, that sales associate won’t ever serve you again.”
Edith politely declined the card. “That won’t be necessary. I was never particularly fond of this place anyway.”
Once they had left, the manager’s polite mask dropped. He glared at the saleswoman. “Back to two more months of training for you! How could you be so blind? That was Mr. Hawksley you brushed off–and the woman you offended is about to be Mrs. Hawksley! Of all the people to disrespect, you pick the one we can
213
Chapter 28
least afford to cross!”
