NovelEnglish
Chapter 272 Flattery
The heat began to set in as the sun crawled higher. The crowd in the park gradually thinned out.
Serena, who felt bad for her friend, had Leah come with her for a bite.
Leah had no choice but to agree. Serena would be all up in her face if she rejected her offer.
She put the easel into the trunk of the car, and the duo drove to a nearby mall together.
"It's my treat today. Just take it as thank you for helping me sell the design draft. Don't fight me for this
one."
Leah remembered that she still owed Serena a favor for the design draft. Serena was also the one who
kept reaching out to her to help. It felt right for her to do this.
Serena's eyes fell on an inconspicuous restaurant tucked in a corner. "Alright. How about this one?"
Despite the establishment being so tucked out of sight, there was still a crowd. The food here must be
good.
Leah followed her gaze. "Are you sure?"
It didn't look like much of an upscale restaurant and Serena was particularly demanding when it came
to her food.
"Of course."
She barely waited for Leah's response before she was dragging her to the entrance.
The waiter was all smiles as they warmly greeted the two. "Hello, how many people?"
"Two. We'd like a private room as well."
"This way please."
The waiter led them to the room.
Leah tossed Serena the menu. "Go ahead and order. I need to give Han a call."
She had been out all morning with no time to give him a call. "Had he eaten?" She wondered.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe called him.
She asked tentatively, "Are you busy, Han?"
Han was currently in the middle of a video conference and gestured to have the meeting paused before
setting aside his notebook.
"No."
"How are you doing? Are you tired? Come home if you feel tired."
He wanted so badly to tell her that she didn't have to work this hard.
"I'm fine. Being able to do something I like makes me happy."
Her easy-going tone eased his icy expression. Even he hadn't noticed the change in his countenance.
"Good."
"Remember to eat. Take your meds after. I'm with Serena right now."
She hung up the phone after a few words of advice when she perceived an amused look being shot her
way.
It put her on the spot. "This is the first time I left him by himself for so long. I'm worried."
Serena shrugged and gave her the menu.
"You're like a mother who's in charge of everything from housing him to feeding him now."
Leah had become cautious ever since the accident with Han and had long since dropped her arrogant
persona.
She scanned the menu and rang the service bell. "It's not that bad."
The waiter was back to take their orders.
After the two finished their meal, Serena dragged her to the jewelry store on the third floor before the
poor girl could even bring up wanting to get back to her hustling.
"Don't you wanna see what the other designers' bestsellers are?"
That got Leah interested.
Being a designer wasn't all talent. There was also hard work in the mix.
She would lose her touch if she stayed away from the circle for too long.
With that, the duo stepped through the doors of ME Jewelry Boutique.
Serena was already demanding to see the latest styles of jewelry the moment she set foot inside.
"Show me the latest."
The clerk could tell the clothes and accessories she wore were finely made and made an educated
guess that she was an affluent individual. She approached Serena with a flattering smile.
"Certainly, Miss."
She then turned to the clerk behind her. "Hurry up and get the new ones."
The new collection was neatly placed in a brocade box and brought to the duo.
The woman began to introduce each piece and gestured to a blue necklace.
"This is the 'Beating Heart', inlaid with cut sapphires. The gem sways with every movement and
resembles a beating heart, hence its name."
Leah was intrigued by the presentation and took a closer look.
"This isn't it."
Serena couldn't help but click her tongue. "There's nothing special about this piece aside from its
name."
The clerk looked embarrassed and hurried to introduce the next piece.
"What about this piece? The pendant charm on this necklace is shaped to look like a lock. The edge of
it is outlined with the thinnest gold thread while the inside is hollowed out. It refracts different colors
when placed in direct sunlight."
Leah recalled seeing similar pieces in magazines while she was abroad years prior.
This one looked more like a plagiarized piece.
"This was the in thing years ago but it's kind of dated now."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIt was only then that the clerk realized they weren't here to interest themselves with the pieces. They
were here to pick a fight.
She handed the box back to her colleague with a condescending expression.
"Leave if you're too poor to buy anything. What's with all the opinions? Look in the mirror. You walked
into an ME boutique dressed like a beggar."
Anger flared in Serena's blue eyes. "What did you just say?"
This was the first time she was described as poor.
Leah immediately held her friend back. "That wasn't what we meant."
The clerk's contemptuous gaze fell on the duo. She snorted, "Poor people like you aren't welcome in
our store. Leave."
"What's going on?"
An icy voice rang out.
Leah froze in place. Her instincts told her to run but her feet were firmly planted on the ground.
She wasn't expecting to meet Shawn in a jewelry store of all places.
The clerk's arrogance vanished. "Mr. Ford."
"Is that how you treat your customers? Apologize to them this instant."
Serena was about to say no when Leah tugged on her coat, signaling her not to speak.
Shawn was surprised to see Leah in the store.
"Is designer Cindy here to sell her work to my ME?"
ME Jewelry belonged to Shawn but reception to it had always been lukewarm due to a lack of good
designers. He happened to drop by today for an inspection only to run into Leah.
Leah's complexion was ping-ponging between green and red until she squeezed her palm to calm
herself down.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She then took Serena by the end to go around him.
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
