Chapter 121: Public Display of Affection All The Way

Upon hearing her words, Sebastian gave her a casual glance, paying no mind to her. He had thought that it would be only him and Madelyn. Who would have thought that Janessa would be present as well? Sebastian felt uneasy about her presence.

At that moment, Madelyn had clearly noticed Sebastian's displeasure. With a bright smile, she immediately latched onto Sebastian's arm and cheerfully said, "All right then, now that everyone's here, let's get going!" As she spoke, she took Sebastian's hand and led him forward.

Upon witnessing the scene, Janessa's face froze. She had initially thought that by dressing up, she could at least draw some attention from Sebastian. Yet, Sebastian didn't even look her way. Janessa couldn't help but stamp her foot, feeling somewhat disheartened.

Meanwhile, Madelyn was whispering sweet nothings and apologies into Sebastian's ear, managing to finally lift his spirits. He asked coldly, "Why did you bring her here?" Having a third wheel around was irksome no matter how one looked at it.

Madelyn could only offer an awkward smile. "I forgot. But, if you don't like her, just pretend she doesn't exist." As she spoke, she moved a bit closer to him. They looked exactly like a pair of young lovers deeply in love.

Behind them, Janessa watched their public display of affection as she seethed with jealousy.

Following that, they began to stroll around the mall, selecting gifts. Madelyn figured that the gift couldn't be too frivolous since it was Agnes' seventieth birthday. Hence, she browsed through some antique stores that featured emerald sculptures and renowned paintings.

The group first arrived at an emerald sculpture store. Upon entering, it was clear why this store was rated as the top emerald dealer–it had something truly remarkable to offer. At the very least, the emerald sculptures appeared to be of substantial quality. As Madelyn touched it, the emerald felt pleasantly cool, exuding an aura of genuine value.

At that moment, a salesperson approached them. "Welcome to the largest emerald store in the city. How may I assist you?"

Madelyn cheerfully asked, "Where is the finest emerald in your shop? May I take a look?"

The sales clerk nodded, then led them to the farthest end of the store. "Everything here," he said, "is our shop's finest emerald sculptures. Feel free to browse and choose at your leisure. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

With that, the sales clerk walked away. The three of them then began to make their selections separately. In no time, Madelyn had taken a liking to an emerald pendant. She couldn't help but share her find with Sebastian.

"Sebastian, look at this pendant," Madelyn said with a smile. "It's lustrous, delicate, and the craftsmanship is exquisite. Do you think Grandma will like it?"

Sebastian casually picked up the pendant and gave it a once-over. He then casually handed it back to her. "The quality of this pendant is indeed good, but Grandma already has many emerald pendants."

"Ah, I see…" Madelyn sounded somewhat disappointed. However, she quickly regained her spirit, "All right, then I'll choose another one." She returned the emerald pendant to its original place and continued browsing.

Meanwhile, Janessa had her eye on a piece of raw emerald nearby. Just as she was about to look for Sebastian, she saw Madelyn rushing over to him. The two of them were extremely intimate, causing anger to surge within her.

So, as soon as Madelyn left, she quickly seized the opportunity and approached Sebastian. "Sebastian, could you help me take a look at this?" As she spoke, Janessa presented a piece of raw emerald.

Initially, Sebastian had no desire to engage with her. However, out of courtesy, he gave the emerald a cursory glance. Without giving it a thorough look, he simply said, "I'm sorry, I don't know emeralds."

"What?" Janessa was taken aback, utterly embarrassed.

At that moment, Madelyn approached with curiosity. After examining the piece, she commented, "Hmm, this piece of emerald has a nice quality, but it seems a bit dry, as if it lacks luster. Perhaps you should consider choosing another piece. After all, it's grandma's seventieth birthday, and if we're going to choose, we should select the very best." She then turned to Sebastian. "Sebastian, am I right?"

Sebastian gave a faint smile, lightly nodding "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Janessa's face paled. What are these two up to? Displaying their marital harmony? How infuriating!

Following that, the group strolled through a few more shops, including those selling calligraphy and paintings, as well as antique stores. Halfway through, Madelyn became unbearably thirsty.

She intimately took Sebastian's hand and said, "Sebastian, shall we go buy some drinks together?"

Sebastian didn't refuse. And so, the two of them left Janessa behind.

When they returned, Sebastian was holding a cup of coffee, while Madelyn was sipping on some juice. Halfway through her drink, Madelyn suddenly, in a playful manner, snatched Sebastian's coffee and took a sip.

The result was so bitter that it contorted her face. Madelyn cried out, "Oh my, this coffee is way too bitter! Did you forget to add sugar?"

Sebastian originally had a habit of not adding sugar, so he just gently nodded in response. Seeing her furrowed brows from distress and her icy countenance, he surprisingly cracked a rare smile.

At that moment, Madelyn smiled playfully and said, "Even though coffee is bitter, it makes the heart feel sweet." With that, she subtly snuggled into Sebastian's arms.

Sebastian stiffened, yet he still gently held her close. For a moment, the scene appeared exceptionally heartwarming. People passing by couldn't help but reveal looks of deep admiration.

Only Janessa, standing not far away, witnessed this scene and was so furious she nearly coughed up blood. She had originally planned to dress up specially for today, hoping to seize the opportunity to get closer to Sebastian. In the end, she never expected to see the both of them flaunt their affection for each other all the way!

Annoyed, she couldn't help but think, "Enough is enough! What on earth is going on with Madelyn? Hasn't she always despised Sebastian?" But today, seeing her face brimming with happiness and a touch of shyness, it didn't seem like she was pretending at all!

With that thought, Janessa suddenly widened her eyes in realization. Heavens! Could it be that Madelyn had discovered all those things she had done behind her back in the past? Why else had she been so distant toward her lately, as if she had completely transformed into a different person?

Upon further thought, Janessa felt that something was amiss. If everything she'd done had been discovered, given Madelyn's fiery temper, she would've had a major fallout with her by now and would certainly have cut off all ties.

Yet, she didn't end up doing that. Could she be overthinking it? Janessa was utterly perplexed.

At that moment, Madelyn was comfortably nestled next to Sebastian, intimately selecting gifts together. She would point at certain items from time to time, saying "This one's not bad." Then, she would look at it again and shake her head. "No. Grandma definitely wouldn't like it."

The two of them, hand in hand, were incredibly intimate as they conversed. No, it could even be said that Madelyn was making an effort to get closer to him that day! How could Sebastian not have noticed? Madelyn had been clinging to him relentlessly, even stickier than a piece of gum.