Chapter 21

Elysia nodded, and Alice jumped up in delight. A familiar voice called out from behind. Elysia turned to see Elena approaching.

“Who is she?” Alice asked, peering up at Elysia.

“A friend of mine,” Elysia replied, turning to Elena with a smile. “I thought you had already left.”

As they talked, Elena noticed Alice and asked, “When did you pick up a little one?”

Alice frowned. “I’m not a kid!”

“Quite the little firecracker, huh?” Elena teased with a grin.

“Hmph!” Alice turned her head away defiantly.

“Alright, stop teasing her. I met this young lady just now,” Elysia said.

Elena nodded, her expression turning serious. “I have a gift for you.”

Elena didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Alice, her tone surprisingly gentle. “Kid, can you give us a moment? I need to talk with Elysia.”

Alice glanced at Elysia, who nodded. Reluctantly, Alice said, “Okay.” She moved a few steps away, still keeping an eye on them.

Elena handed Elysia a phone. “Here you go.”

Elysia took it, puzzled. “What’s this?”

“A gift.” The phone was playing a video featuring Emma and the waiter who had bumped into Elysia. Emma looked furious. The video showed Emma saying, “If you hadn’t messed up and let her notice, I wouldn’t be in this awkward situation. How dare you still ask me for the rest of the payment?”

The waiter retorted, “I was careful, I swear! Maybe she just figured it out by accident. It’s really not my fault. I did what you asked, and I really need this money. My mom needs it to save her life.”

Emma scoffed, “Why should I care if your mom’s life depends on this money? Since you didn’t get the job done, you have no right to talk to me about cash.”

The waiter tried to say more. “Ms. Rosewood—”

Unfortunately, Emma cut him off, turning sharply and walking away.

“This video…” Elysia began, confused.

Elena explained, “I happened to pass by the restroom and grabbed a quick shot of the scene. So, do you like this gift?”

Elysia raised an eyebrow. “Why are you helping me?”

“No real reason,” Elena replied, pulling a USB stick from her pocket and handing it to Elysia. “It’s a backup of the video. You might find it useful. And I think you can give my phone back to me now.”

Elysia handed the phone to Elena but showed no interest in the USB stick. “I don’t take favors without a reason.”

Elena froze for a moment, her hand still outstretched, but she didn’t pull it back. “Just take it. You’re going to need it.”

As Elysia still didn’t take it, Elena pushed it into her hand. “If we meet again, and I’m in a good mood, maybe I’ll tell you why I’m helping you.” With that, she turned and walked away.

Alice watched Elena leave and then ran over. “Elysia.”

Elysia looked at her and smiled. “Do you need a ride home?”

Alice shook her head. “Thanks, but I know the way. Elysia, maybe you should give me your contact info, so I can find you if I want to see you again.”

Elysia took a pen and paper from Alice, wrote down her number, and handed it back. “Don’t lose it this time.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it safe,” Alice promised.

After Alice was out of sight, Yuna stepped out from behind and said, “Ms. Rosewood.”

Elysia nodded and handed her the necklace, her voice calm. “Make sure to give Lucas a heads-up.”

“Yes, Ms. Rosewood.”

When Yuna and her team arrived at the Hayes residence, Lucas was truly surprised. It was his first time being visited by Arcanum House, and he felt unexpectedly honored.

“I apologize for not giving you a proper welcome. Please forgive me,” Lucas greeted Yuna with a big, hearty laugh and a polite nod.

Yuna raised her hand, her voice cold. “Mr. Hayes, no need for formalities. We’re here today to discuss a deal with you.”

Lucas was intrigued. “What kind of deal could Arcanum House offer me? Could it be about medicine? If so, I’d be hitting the jackpot! Everybody knows Arcanum House doesn’t deal with just anyone. No matter how high one’s status, if the owner of Arcanum House doesn’t like him, he’s out of luck when it comes to their medicine. If Arcanum House wants to talk business about medicine, that could bring me fame and fortune. But what have we done to deserve such a golden opportunity?”

“What kind of deal is it?” Lucas asked cautiously.

Yuna took a wood-colored box from her assistant and handed it to Lucas. “Check and name your price.”

Lucas accepted the box and was surprised to see the Azure Ocean necklace inside. “Is this the birthday gift I gave to Selena? It’s a unique piece; how did Arcanum House have an identical one?”

He pulled out the necklace, and sure enough, there were the tiny letters “SW” engraved on the clasp—it was definitely the one he’d given to Selena. But he couldn’t figure out how it ended up in the hands of Arcanum House.

“Mr. Hayes, can you tell me the price?” Yuna asked again.

“Ms. Ward, may I ask where this necklace came from?”

“A young lady offended my boss, and this necklace is her way of making amends.”

Lucas didn’t need to think long to figure out who Yuna’s boss was—the owner of Arcanum House. ‘But how could Selena have offended her? Rumor has it she always wore a mask, so how could Selena have crossed her?’ he wondered.

“Ms. Ward, is there some sort of misunderstanding here?” Lucas asked, uncertain.

“Are you suggesting my boss shouldn’t accept this compensation?” Yuna shot him a cold glance.

Lucas broke into a cold sweat. “No, it definitely should be accepted.”

“Then can you give me your price now?”

Lucas looked at the Azure Ocean in his hand, wiped his forehead, and realized Yuna was here for an explanation. Earlier, he had been daydreaming, thinking they were here to talk business.

“Ms. Ward, I… I’ll offer 300 thousand dollars. How does that sound?” he said tentatively.

Yuna frowned, not saying a word.

“How about 500 thousand?”

As Yuna remained silent, Lucas had no choice but to keep raising his offer. “800 thousand!”

“That’s an insult.”

Lucas trembled in fear. “I was just being foolish. Please, Ms. Ward, tell me your price.”

“3 million dollars.”

“What? The Hayes family can’t come up with just 3 million?”

“We can manage it.”

“Good. Just make sure to transfer the money to this account within a day.” Yuna wrote down the account details and handed them to Lucas.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Ward. I’ll make sure it happens.” Lucas took the paper with shaky hands. Today was indeed a huge financial blow. The Azure Ocean, which was originally custom-made for 800 thousand dollars, sold for a staggering 3 million today.

Lucas sighed deeply. He knew that upsetting Arcanum House was an unforgivable mistake; after all, everyone relied on Arcanum House for medicine or treatment. They would have to rely on Arcanum House in the future. Upsetting Arcanum House, especially in Lucas's situation, was not something people like him could easily challenge. If it were for that, he probably would have handed over 8 million sooner.

At this point, Yuna stood up and got ready to leave. Lucas quickly rose to see her off. But she waved her hand. “No need to see me out.”

Then she added with a hint of warning, “Take good care of that necklace. Don’t let it fall back into our hands. And if you can’t manage your granddaughter’s behavior, we’d be happy to help.” With that, she walked out without a second glance. Lucas stood there, looking puzzled. ‘Is Ms. Ward warning me that if this happens again, it won’t be so easy next time?’