Winning Her Heart Back

 Anxious

Emmie's eyelashes fluttered. She said, despite gulping, "No."

After that, she quickly left.

Emelie took a sip of her tea. Charles' message was likely asking whether Emmie would still be willing to see him after he served his sentence and if they had a future together.

Emmie might have guessed that, and her refusal was an answer of "no" and "no future".

The one who harmed others would eventually get hurt in return. That was probably just how things were.

"Why do I always run into you right after your meal?" A cheerful male voice suddenly sounded above Emelie.

She turned around in surprise and smiled. "Mr. Swanson, what brings you here?"

She quickly signaled the waiter to clear the plates and bring a fresh pot of tea.

Samuel sat down and said with a smile, "Do you remember my little sister, Melanie Swanson?"

"Of course I do."

"She's getting married."

Emelie exclaimed, "That sudden?"

Samuel chuckled. "It's no sudden. It's just that you haven't heard from her in a while. She and her fiance have been together for two years, and they've been planning their wedding for over half a year. The wedding is set for after the New Year. I want to give her a set of gold jewelry as a wedding gift. Since I have some free time today, I came to the store to pick some out."

As he spoke, he opened a large jewelry box containing about thirteen pieces of jewelry. "Choose one." Emelie frowned. "Are you serious? It's your sister's wedding. Why am I the one choosing?"

Samuel looked a bit taken aback. "I have difficulty making decisions. I thought you could help me decide which piece would be best. Did you think I'm going to give you one? Ms. Pierce, you're wealthier than I am. You're the one who should be giving me something."

Oh.

It turned out Emelie misunderstood. She brushed her nose and carefully looked at the options before selecting a hairpin.

"This is a bat. In foreign cultures, bats symbolize vampires and have ominous meanings, but in Cedonia's ancient times, bats were considered symbols of blessings. I saw some of our artifacts in the Bredal museum, and the ancient noblewomen's hair accessories often featured bat designs."

Samuel examined the hairpin. Its craftsmanship was outstanding. Melanie had a vintage-style dress, and this hairpin would suit her well. "Then, I'll give her this one and use the rest as her dowry."

So, in the end, all this jewelry was going to be given to Melanie?

What was the point of her choosing then?

Emelie looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"I noticed you didn't seem very happy, so I thought I'd try to make you smile." Behind Samuel's glasses was a pair of gentle eyes. He then picked up the teapot.

Emelie couldn't say she was unhappy. She was just weighed down with many concerns. She suddenly said, "Help me choose something too."

"What is it?"Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

"Between a snake, leopard, and lion, which would you choose?"

"Snake." Samuel handed her a cup of tea. "I dislike the rest."

Jodie was waiting for Emelie in the car.

She recalled what Emelie had said at the detention center gate and, after some hesitation, decided that she should inform Wesley about it. She called Wesley, who was far away in Mercianna, and told him everything in detail.

Wesley's only question was, "Is her mood affected?"

"She seems a bit unhappy and hasn't said much."

Wesley's lips pressed into a thin line. "I understand. Take good care of her."

"I will."

Wesley hung up the phone. It was evening for Mercianna. He walked to the window. His brown eyes reflected the night outside, and his face carried a troubled, indecipherable expression.

He had been feeling anxious ever since Emelie went to Capebatt City.

Even though Emelie still strongly resented William and wasn't swayed by Charles' word, Wesley no longer

wanted to wait. Ten years had been long enough. He was tired of staying in the shadows.

Emelie was already his fiancee, and it was only natural for him to be by her side.

Wesley left the study to call Marcel.

"Make the arrangements. I'm going to Capebatt City."