Chapter 48

Cynthia was a little surprised. Her birthday was two days away. Suddenly, Jonathan pulled out a gift bag. "Here's your birthday gift. See if you like it."

Cynthia accepted the bag and pulled out an exquisite red velvet gift box. Opening it, she found a diamond necklace inside. The design was unique, with black diamonds encircling a radiant yellow diamond. The contrast between the solemn black and dazzling yellow, combined with the intricate design, created a stunning visual impact. However, what struck her most was the centerpiece—a five-carat yellow diamond. It was rare and incredibly valuable.

Cynthia was dumbfounded. It wasn't just because the gift was expensive; it was because the necklace was designed by her.

From the front seat, Claude continued his duties. "During our trip, we made time to visit the Kastron International Jewelry Exhibition to pick this gift for you, Ms. Jones."

"Stop talking so much!" Jonathan interrupted.

Claude was speechless.

Jonathan then asked, "How is it? Do you like it?"

Cynthia's emotions were complex. This was one of her recent designs, which she had submitted to Simon not long ago. She hadn't expected it to be completed so soon, and it was even bought by Jonathan. Just a few days ago, Simon had called to tell her the piece was priced at $16 million.

Closing the box, she handed it back to Jonathan. "It's too expensive. I can't accept it."

Jonathan replied, "Can it be more expensive than my feelings?"

He took the necklace out of the box and continued, "For some reason, I thought of you when I saw this necklace. I had a feeling you'd like it."

Cynthia laughed. Of course, it was her creation. She had designed so many pieces for Queen Jewelry, yet she never owned one herself. The feeling of seeing her work come to life was different from designing it; it was touching.

Jonathan added, "What I also love is its name. It's called 'Turning Darkness Into Light.'"

Cynthia almost burst into laughter. She had named it that. The inspiration for the design had come to her on the night she moved out from the Yates residence, where Jonathan had said to her, "Celebrate your turning from darkness to light."

She wondered if Jonathan would be shocked if he knew the piece of jewelry was designed for him. At that moment, it felt like the necklace had formed a closed loop with their fate, creating a remarkable coincidence.

"The name's interesting, but this is too expensive. I really can't accept it," Cynthia insisted. The price of $16 million was not a small amount.

Jonathan spoke casually, "If you don't like it, I'll just throw it away." Then he pretended to roll down the car window.

Cynthia panicked. She hurriedly reached out to stop him and snatched the box back. Although she knew it was on purpose, she still couldn't help but marvel at Jonathan's audacity.

Chapter 48 (continued)

If she hadn't stopped him, there was a real chance he might have thrown it out. There was no way she would let such an expensive piece of jewelry be thrown away, let alone allow her creation to end up on the street.

"I like it. Thank you," said Cynthia.

In the back of her mind, she thought she could return the favor by gifting him something of equal value for his birthday. Though she had money, sending a $16 million gift still made her heart ache a little.

Seeing Cynthia accept the gift, Jonathan smiled. "How do you want to spend your birthday?"

Cynthia was caught off guard by how much he cared. She never told him the date of her birthday.

"I'm going back to the Jones residence to spend it with Shirley," she said.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Jonathan's face. "Since when did you become so close with her?"

Cynthia chuckled. "I have no choice. I gave her my word." She held Jonathan's hand soothingly and continued, "But I'll try to come back early, and we can have cake together."

Jonathan didn't say anything more. He knew about the awkward situation between Cynthia and the Jones family and that she had her obligations.

That night, Cynthia truly experienced the meaning of "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Exhausted, the two fell asleep in each other's arms. Cynthia suddenly realized that Jonathan's faint, cool scent had a calming, almost sleep-inducing effect. That night, she slept better than she had in a long time.

However, when she woke up in the morning, Jonathan had already gone to work. The Paradise Resort project had officially begun, and the results of the bidding were expected soon. The bidding process was being conducted publicly by the government, which would shortlist three construction companies. Jonathan would then choose one from those finalists. Ultimately, the final decision lay in Jonathan's hands. Cynthia didn't know whether Yates Construction had made it to the top three.

Meanwhile, at BJ Building, Claude placed three folders on Jonathan's table. "Mr. Bennett, these are the construction companies selected by the government. Please have a look."

Jonathan opened the files. "Evergreen Construction, Sterling Construction, and Yates Construction…" His fingers paused at Yates Construction's file. "Let's go with Yates Construction. We'll announce it in three days."

Claude said, "Yates Construction's bid wasn't the lowest. In terms of reputation and strength, they can't be compared to Evergreen Construction from Betrico. In terms of cost-effectiveness, Sterling Construction is better. Are you sure about that?"

"From what I know, the projects undertaken by Yates Construction are of good quality. Otherwise, they wouldn't have lost money," Jonathan replied.

Claude nodded. "Yates Construction is indeed known for its commitment to quality, but that was under the leadership of Mr. Henry Yates. Now that he has stepped back, and although he still holds the title as the company's chairman, all the operations are handled by his son, Filip. We don't know how Mr. Filip Yates manages things."

Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "That would be even more interesting."

Understanding that Jonathan had made up his mind, Claude didn't push further. "All right. I'll arrange a press conference in three days."

Chapter 48 (continued)

While they were talking, a sudden knock interrupted them. Jonathan valued quiet and rarely had anyone knock on his office door unannounced. Generally, only Claude was allowed to enter and exit the CEO's office as he pleased.

Claude went to open the door and found Shirley standing outside. Frowning, he asked, "Ms. Jones, do you need something?"

Shirley was a little disappointed when she saw Claude. "Mr. Gaston, I'm not here for you. I'm looking for Mr. Bennett."

Claude's frown deepened. He didn't know who had recruited Shirley into the secretarial department. She was not proactive in her work and often botched simple tasks. She even tried to look for Jonathan a few times but was always stopped by Claude. He was seriously considering firing her.

However, Shirley didn't know what Claude was thinking. She spent a lot of… (the passage cuts off here)