Chapter 135

My eyes flickered. No way, it couldn’t be that much of a coincidence, right? What if Jonathan and I ended up giving Alicia the same gift? But if he did give her a pink diamond, I honestly didn’t understand why he hadn’t divorced me yet. He should have known the implications of giving another woman a ring.

Finally, it was time for Jonathan to present his gift. Everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to the stage.

“Jonathan, no matter what you give me, I’ll be really happy…” Alicia looked at him with anticipation and a hint of nervousness. It was obvious she hoped for a diamond ring.

Jonathan nodded slightly, and a staff member brought his gift forward. It looked light. The tray was covered with a cloth, but from the shape, it did look like a ring box.

I noticed Alicia growing increasingly tense, barely breathing. Everyone’s eyes were on the tray. When the cloth was finally lifted, they all saw what was inside: a contract.

Alicia’s face fell. Her hopeful expression shifted from tense anticipation to crushing disappointment. Still, she forced a smile. “Jonathan, why did you give me this?”

“It’s a contract,” he said calmly. “An overseas joint project. I’m handing it over to the Zimmer family.”

The room erupted. The Brindlewest project was already a hundred-billion-dollar deal, but this international collaboration was an even bigger goldmine. No wonder everyone was so shocked.

Jonathan had already given a multi-billion-dollar project to the Guzmans, and now another lucrative deal landed in the Zimmer family’s lap. But given his obvious favoritism toward Alicia, no one found it surprising. Everyone stared at her with envy, but then Jonathan looked down at me.

“This gift is from both me and my wife, Elise.”

I froze. Alicia’s face went completely pale. She clenched her fists, taking several deep breaths to maintain composure.

I was surprised, too. Didn’t he say he hadn’t prepared anything for me? Now that he’d mentioned both our names, the gift was from both of us. I didn’t even need to prepare anything at all. I was confused and a little irritated.

If this was his plan all along, why did he act like he didn’t care earlier? And now this?

Everyone instinctively glanced at me, whispering. No one expected him to publicly announce my status like that. It was the first time he’d ever done it. The rumors about us divorcing suddenly seemed unconvincing.

People were left guessing his intentions. And honestly, I didn’t know what was on his mind either. It was already something that he brought me out in public like this, but to actually give a gift to Alicia in both our names? That was next level. What was he trying to say?

Frederick gave me a long look, said nothing, and took a sip of his drink.

Meanwhile, the Zimmer family buzzed with excitement. This was a huge win for them. Alicia’s parents were practically bouncing with joy, trembling from happiness, their eyes wide with disbelief. But Alicia didn’t look nearly as thrilled. She forced a smile, but her eyes were full of disappointment.

All the women there saw exactly why she was upset.

“The gift was for the Zimmer family, not for her personally.”