Chapter 113: Why Are You Mad?

Alex was stunned for a few seconds, then boldly glanced at Nathael. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Nathael's eyes were dark and heavy, with a hint of dark red in the corners. One look sent shivers down Alex's spine. Having worked alongside Nathael for years, Alex rarely saw his boss's emotions displayed so openly; he was usually hard to read. The few times Nathael had shown emotion, it seemed related to Maggie.

"Can't you understand?" Nathael said coldly, his patience worn thin.

"Yes, Mr. Harris," Alex immediately responded, seeing his insistence. He picked up the box and left the office.

Standing in the corridor, Alex couldn't resist his curiosity and opened the box. Inside was a pair of blue cufflinks with a faint shimmer, reminiscent of starlight or the deep sea under a moonlit night. They were quite beautiful. Unfortunately, his boss wouldn't wear them.

Alex closed the box and tossed it in the trash without hesitation.

At that moment, Nathael leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and put it between his lips. The crimson glow of the ember flickered to life, and he smoked faster than usual. Smoke filled the air, clearly indicating his bad mood. His eyes were cold. He couldn't help but recall the excitement when she had messaged him. She had never given him a gift before; this was her first, but he hadn't accepted it.

Around ten o'clock that night, Nathael finished the last contract he was working on. He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking forlorn. After a while, he turned and called Alex into his office.

"Boss."

Nathael's lips were tightly pursed. After a while, he said gravely, "Bring it here."

Alex was stunned. Instinctively, he looked up at the man and asked, "What do you mean?"

Nathael's expression became even sterner, and he stared silently at him. Alex was sweating profusely; his legs felt weak.

"The gift she sent," Nathael said impatiently, clearly annoyed.

Alex wanted to cry. He felt this was the end. "I threw it away!" he exclaimed.

"Damn it!" Nathael's expression darkened immediately. His already grim eyes seemed ferocious, as if he wanted to devour Alex. "If you can't get it back, you'll spend your life as a garbage collector for me!"

Alex felt he couldn't do this job anymore. He almost wished he were dead.

Half an hour later, a Rolls-Royce pulled over on an empty lawn, a hundred meters from a garbage truck. The garbage was dumped on the ground. Alex opened a suitcase, his expressionless. It was filled with banknotes. The sight caught the garbage collectors' eyes, and they couldn't look away.

"Find me a dark blue velvet box, palm-sized. Whoever finds it gets to keep this money; the others get $3,000," Alex said calmly, his experienced demeanor betraying none of his previous frustration with Nathael. The workers were overjoyed. They had never encountered such luck before.

Nathael sat in the back of the Rolls-Royce, calmly holding a cigarette and watching.

An hour later, a man in his fifties with dark reddish skin exclaimed, "I found it! Found it!" He dashed towards Alex amidst the scattered trash.

Alex inspected the familiar box, relieved upon confirming its contents. Swiftly instructing his subordinates to distribute the money, he briskly carried the box back to Nathael. "Mr. Harris, we've found the item," he reported.

Nathael glanced at it briefly before accepting it. Alex couldn't help but sigh; only a few shredded documents and papers had been in the office bin, leaving the box clean. Otherwise, he feared he really would have broken down in tears.

Nathael held a cigarette in his mouth as his gaze rested on the box. Without ado, he flipped it open. It was a pair of beautiful cufflinks. "They caught her eye at first glance and seemed just right for him, she said."

Nathael stared at the cufflinks for a while before closing the box, gripping it firmly, and commanding, "Return to the office."

Alex exhaled deeply, feeling completely drained. A few more incidents like this, and he'd surely die ten years early.

After the quarrel with Nathael, Maggie was not in the best of spirits. However, the jewelry company's establishment continued, as did her plans against the Camerons. That day, Ericko discovered an opportunity for her to coincidentally meet Fiona at a beauty salon. Fiona was delighted and arranged a full set of treatments for Maggie, engaging in endless gossip. Afterward, Ericko accompanied Maggie shopping for clothes.

On the way home, Ericko turned to look at his sister, who kept gazing out the window in a daze. He asked softly, "What's wrong? Bad mood?"

"Not at all; I'm very happy today," Maggie smiled.

Ericko observed her with imperceptible scrutiny. She probably didn't realize she resembled a wilted flower, trying to stay blooming but clearly not enjoying it. "Did you argue with Nathael?" Ericko probed.

Maggie paused before asking, "Did he tell you about it?"

Ericko chuckled lightly. "Why would he discuss such things with me?"

"How did you know, then?" Maggie was curious. Had her behavior been so obvious? Or did she look like a teenager who'd just been dumped? She checked her reflection in her compact mirror. Still beautiful. How did her brother know?

As if seeing through her thoughts, Ericko chuckled again. His demeanor was warm and elegant; a breeze people couldn't take their eyes off of. "Mom also felt it when she left. She told me you didn't seem too happy and asked me to have a good talk with you. She even said, if that boyfriend of yours isn't working out, perhaps it's time to get a new one," Ericko said indulgently, pouring her a glass of warm water.

Maggie took the glass and muttered quietly, "I won't change."

"So fond of him?" Ericko asked.

"Not really. We've never been together," Maggie pouted, her cool eyes tinged with grievance, annoyance, and melancholy.

Ericko remained silent. Maggie sipped her water, fell quiet for a moment, and then asked softly, "Are you and Nathael good friends?"

"Yes," Ericko thought. Aside from the recent physical confrontation, they had indeed been on good terms before.

"That day at the hospital, I didn't leave with him, and now he's angry at me, but I don't even understand why he's so mad," Maggie said, looking to Ericko for an explanation.

Send Gifts (This appears to be a separate note, perhaps a chapter title or annotation.)