I knew that Michael was making things difficult for me on purpose. As such, I continued hanging my head low and did not reply.
“Since you don’t want it, I’ll just throw it away.”
Noticing my silence, Michael frowned and rolled down the car window.
Just when he was about to throw the necklace out of the window, I yelled, “Wait!”
Given his character, I knew that he meant his words. But how could he throw away something so valuable?
Michael halted his actions and tossed the necklace to me instead.
“From now onward, you are not allowed to reject any presents from me.”
Michael did not look at me when he said that.
I bet he was the only person in the world who would force another person to accept his gifts without considering their feelings. What an egomaniac!
“Thank you.”
I was actually grateful that the man had remembered to bring me a gift. However, I felt a tad guilty for accepting it.
Michael slammed the breaks at the next red light and turned to face me.
He took out the diamond necklace and put it around my neck.
It was such an intimate action that sent my heart racing and gave me a blissful feeling.
“Not bad. It suits you.”
Michael had a look of satisfaction as he admired the necklace on my neck. I couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was when he smiled.
That reminded me of our intimate moment earlier on and my heart skipped a beat. I knew I had fallen for him. But, how long could we last?
Michael did not notice anything amiss about me and started the engine again. However, deep down I was feeling uneasy. I realized that I was falling deeper for Michael and was worried that I would not be able to control my feelings.
As usual, Michael drove to the underground parking and I got out of the car when no one else was around.
I did not like the feeling of having to sneak around every time. However, I understood Michael’s thoughts and knew that it was not possible for the both of us to be an official couple. I was aware that he was doing that to protect my reputation but that did not stop me from feeling uncomfortable.
Even though work kept me busy the entire morning, I could not help but look towards the office intermittently as I thought about the scene in the car earlier on. The moment Michael put on the necklace for me, I felt a sense of bliss that I had never experienced before.
“Anna, your necklace is so gorgeous. I remember seeing it in a fashion magazine. It’s newly launched and costs a few hundred thousand,” Millie said excitedly as she approached me.
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
My heart did a double somersault when I heard what Millie said. However, I responded with a faint smile.
I did not expect the necklace to cost a few hundred thousand! Wasn’t that too much money for a random gift? How could I ever accept it!
“Anna, is it a gift from your boyfriend? Your boyfriend is so generous to give you such an expensive present.”
Millie’s envious gaze was fixated on my necklace.
I knew that Millie was referring to Yuval but, I merely smiled without replying. Even though we had already broken up, I did not feel like publicizing my relationship status.
Yuval was decent enough to not bother me after we broke up. He had simply disappeared from my life.
I could tell that Millie really liked my necklace from the way she stared at it and I shook my head helplessly. It seemed like she was really into luxury goods.
Just when I was about to speak, my phone rang. I frowned, seeing that it was an unknown number.
“Hello,” I said as I answered the call.
“Hi, Ms. Garcia. I’m Emma. Do you remember me?” Emma’s impassive voice sounded over the phone.
My heart skipped a beat when I heard the name “Emma.” After shooting a glance at Millie, I stood up and walked away to speak to Emma.
The woman must have gotten my number from Michael. An uncomfortable feeling arose in my heart as I recalled that it was Emma who picked up the phone the last time I called Michael.
“Hello, Ms. Jones. What can I help you with?” I asked Anna calmly after walking to the lounge and closing the door.
“Ms. Garcia, I said that I would find you for a chat when you called Michael a few days ago. I’m sure you didn’t forget that, did you?”
Even though Emma sounded quite casual, my instinct told me that it couldn’t be something good that she called and that I should not meet her.
“Sorry, I’m currently at work. Besides, I don’t think we have anything to say to each other since we are not that well acquainted anyway,” I replied in an indifferent tone and rejected the woman directly, intending to hang up after that.
My mood was actually rather good that day. However, Emma’s call ruined it.
“Ms. Garcia, could it be that you dare not meet me?” Emma replied in a much colder tone.
Looks like she doesn’t not intend to give up.
“Ms. Jones, you’re overthinking. Why would I not dare to meet you? I just thought that there’s no need for that since you and I are not even friends.”
It was clear that Emma was trying to stir up trouble. I would never go easy on anyone who bothered me, regardless of who the other party was. So what if she was Michael’s girlfriend? She was the one who started it first.
“Well, I think we definitely need to meet. We should have a talk about Michael. I’ll send you the address and I hope you’ll show up,” Anna said coldly and ended the call, without giving me a chance to reply.
I felt a flicker of irritation when she hung up on me. But, at the same time, anxiety rose within me. After all, she was Michael’s girlfriend.
I took a while to regain my composure before walking out of the lounge.
After receiving Emma’s call, I did not feel like working anymore. I could guess the reason for her call. That was also why I was feeling uneasy.
I looked towards Michael’s office and could not help but wonder how he would feel if he knew about it.
Shortly after, I received a text on my phone. The address was at a café near the office.
