Chapter 19
Nina’s fingers clenched around the contract in her hand.
She bit down on her lip and leaned toward Lysander, whispering, “I’m not going.”
He gave her a look. “Alright.”
That gave her a brief wave of relief. If Lysander said no, then surely Julian couldn’t force it, right?
But the next moment, Lysander turned and said, “Fine. She’s yours.”
“What?” Nina’s eyes went wide. “You’re just handing me over like that?”
Lysander replied flatly, “Your wish likely has something to do with Julian Ford.”
б
Her breath caught. She looked down at the elegant watch on Julian’s wrist–the one hiding his old wound–and suddenly, her chest
tightened.
It wasn’t likely. It was certain.
She couldn’t remember what exactly she’d wished for, but deep down, she just knew—it had everything to do with Julian.
But still…
Her gaze lifted, landing on Samantha beside him, her perfect smile practically glowing.
Nina felt something ache in her chest.
Three years had passed, and Julian had made his choice. It was Samantha.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and tightened her grip.
Samantha seemed a bit surprised but recovered quickly, smiling brightly. “Alright then. I’ll have Ms. Monroe join our company before the showcase begins.”
After the dinner ended, Nina didn’t ride with Lysander. She got into Julian’s car instead.
The driver took the wheel, with Samantha seated up front in the passenger seat. Nina and Julian sat silently in the back.
She turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse of Julian’s profile–handsome and distant, as unreadable as ever. Her gaze dropped quickly, and her throat felt dry.
The silence in the car was suffocating.
Then, out of nowhere, Julian spoke.
“For this exhibit, we’ve arranged a private collection to be shown. Two blue diamond rings–one vivid, one light. Only one can be featured. Which would you choose?”
Nina blinked, confused at first. But the front seat stayed silent.
So he was talking to her.
She hesitated. “Is that something I’m even allowed to weigh in on?”
Blue diamonds were rare. If word leaked, another company could swoop in and steal the spotlight. That kind of exposure could be a PR nightmare
Julian rotated the bezel on his watch. “Answer.”
Well, if the CEO didn’t care about corporate secrets, she wasn’t going to babysit them for him.
“From a presentation perspective,” she said carefully, “light blue diamonds are visually closer to vivid blue in terms of brilliance. So they tend to perform better in public exhibits. But…”
She turned to the window.
“There’s something about a deep blue diamond. Under the lights, it’s like staring into the ocean at midnight. It pulls you in-
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mysterious, almost suffocating. No other gem can match that feeling.”
She paused, something stirring in her chest.
A memory.
Once, years ago, she and Julian had visited an underwater observatory. She remembered how, in that moment, his eyes shimmered like the very diamond she was describing–so deep and breathtaking that she finally understood why people called a lover’s eyes the Eighth
Sea.
In that moment, she’d believed it.
Nina shook herself from the memory and gave a small smile. “Anyway, just inherent value.”
She turned back–only to find Julian staring at her.
two cents. Ultimately, it depends on the piece’s
His eyes locked onto hers, dark and intense, as if he could see right through her past Hayden Monroe, past the lies, past everything— to the soul buried underneath.
Nina froze.
And then, suddenly, Julian grabbed her wrist.
“Say it again,” he said quietly, lips pressed tight.
She flinched. “I said… it depends on the value of the piece. You’re hurting me–let go.”
She yanked her arm back hard.
His watch flew off, landing on the seat.
She stared.
Underneath the cuff, his wrist was covered in scars.
Dozens of them.
As if he’d tried… over and over.
Like he hadn’t just done it once.
But countless times.
Chapter 19
