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Quinn carefully set me down in the passenger seat.
I glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Fabian brush Julie’s hand off his arm.
Finally, he was hidden behind a row of retreating trees along the roadside.
I turned my head to look at Quinn’s handsome profile.
“How did you suddenly show up?” I asked.
Quinn took a deep breath, his knuckles white against the steering wheel.
“I didn’t know things had gotten this bad for you.”
After he spoke, I lowered my head.
I knew how Quinn felt about me, but when I first married Fabian, it was because I had no
choice. My family’s business was at stake.
you.”
The day I sent Quinn off, he said that if I was ever unhappy, he’d come back.
And just as promised, he returned when he saw how unhappy I was.
But I didn’t have the courage to love someone else again.
Before I knew it, the car had stopped in front of my house.
I got out of the car, and Quinn lowered the window, speaking gently, “Palma, I’ll be waiting for
For some reason, the lock in my heart seemed to loosen.
A week later, I found myself at an auction house.
Quinn had said he was busy with work, but this pink diamond meant a great deal to him, and
he was willing to spare no expense to get it.
I held the phone with trembling hands.
When hosting the auction, I never thought I’d feel this nervous sitting in the audience.
Soon, the pink diamond was brought to the stage.
Its unique cut resembled a blooming rose.
The starting bid was three million dollars, and I carefully added half a million dollars.
Quinn’s voice came through the phone, chuckling, “Palma, don’t worry. I can afford it.”
I froze for a moment.
Then a familiar voice echoed through the hall. “Five million dollars.”
It was Fabian.
08:35 on, 10 Feb M BB.
Julie was still sitting next to him.
As expected, our eyes met across the room.
Julie shot me a glare, then clung to Fabian’s arm, acting coy.
“Fabian, I really like it.”
I turned my attention back to the pink diamond.
“Eight million dollars.”
Quinn’s voice was calm, and without thinking, I raised my hand to bid.
The crowd gasped.
Julie’s face turned pale.
“Palma, are you trying to steal this from me?”
༥ ཊཱི 46%–
With a smile, Fabian narrowed his eyes at me, then quickly called out, “Ten million dollars.”
Whispers filled the room.
“Are these two getting divorced?”
“Didn’t you hear? They’re getting divorced, and he’s marrying the one next to him.”
“No wonder they’re fighting over this.”
I cleared my throat. “15 million dollars.”
Fabian was stunned, his gaze on me full of confusion.
Julie, however, clung tighter to his arm.
“Fabian, I…”
“Twenty million dollars.”
Before Julie could finish, Fabian raised his bid.
The auctioneer’s voice was hurried.
“Twenty million dollars! The price is now twenty million dollars. Ms. Barrison, will you raise the
bid?”
Julie wore a smug expression, straightening her back.
“Thirty million dollars,” I called out.
The room erupted.
The auctioneer repeated three times, but Fabian didn’t make another bid.
As the hammer fell, Quinn appeared, walking slowly up to the stage to collect the pink diamond. “Thank you, Mr. Lyon, for your generosity.”
He held up the diamond, then made his way toward me, offering it with a smile. “Here, for you.”
For a moment, it felt like time had stopped.
I could hear the steady beat of my heart in the silence.
Quinn extended the pink diamond toward me again, and I raised my hand to take it.
A round of applause erupted, and the flashes of cameras made my eyes squint. Quinn
shielded me as we made our way out of the venue.
I glanced back and saw Fabian leaving, his face dark, while Julie trotted after him.
“Palma, cheer up,” Quinn said as we sat in the car.
08:35 Mon, 10 Feb 04 BB.
He handed me a cup of coffee.
” spent all that money just to see you smile.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his words.
f
Quinn took me back home, and my parents smiled warmly when they saw him.
“Quinn, it was all my fault…”
“Don’t say that. It’s all in the past.”
Quinn helped my father to the sofa, and they sat down to talk for a long while.
I looked at the pink diamond in my hand, turning it this way and that.
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Under the sunlight, it shimmered brightly as though it was heralding the future ahead of me.
A week later, Fabian and I were in court.
