Celine quickly ran to the trash bin and carefully retrieved the expensive handbag. Thankfully, it was unharmed; otherwise, it would have been a waste.

Back in the girls' dorm, Celine sat at her vanity. She opened the delicate box, and the red agate necklace sparkled under the light. Its beauty took her breath away. Adam’s taste had always been impeccable. As the heir to a wealthy family, he was raised with an eye for elegance, and his sense of style was always on point. Anything he selected was bound to be extraordinary.

Although Celine was wealthy, she rarely indulged in luxuries. This was the first gift Adam had ever given her. She lifted the red agate necklace and draped it around her neck. The necklace accentuated her graceful neck and delicate collarbone, enhancing her natural elegance. Celine snapped a quick photo with her phone and sent it to her close friend, Robin.

Robin quickly replied on WhatsApp: “It’s stunning! I absolutely love it!” Celine messaged back: “It’s from Adam.”

Robin’s tone changed. “That bastard sent it? Celine, you really have him wrapped around your finger, don’t you? He just casually rewards you with a necklace like that to show affection?”

A faint blush spread across Celine’s face. She had long suspected the necklace was a kind of reward. He truly knew how to… show affection.

Celine hesitated, asking, “Should I just throw it back in the trash?”

Robin responded teasingly, “Would you be able to?”

Celine sighed. “I can’t.” It was far too expensive to toss aside.

“Then keep it,” Robin urged.

“Keep it?” Celine asked.

“Do you like it or not?” Robin replied.

Celine glanced at herself in the mirror. The necklace suited her perfectly. “I do.”

Robin smiled. “Then just keep it. Are you really going to refuse a gift from him?”

Celine thought for a moment, then conceded. “Fine. He’ll think the necklace is in the trash. He won’t know I picked it up and wore it.”

She tried to put her phone down, but it slipped from her hands and nearly hit the floor. In her scramble to catch it, she accidentally took a screenshot, which ended up being sent to Adam.

Panic set in. Celine quickly retracted the message, telling herself that he probably hadn’t seen it.

Back at Alvarez Group, Adam sat in his CEO chair, his expression unreadable as he reviewed documents. However, his mood soured as he thought about how unappreciative Celine had been. During his business trip, he had spotted the red agate necklace in a magazine and immediately thought it would be perfect for her. He had instructed Leo to place the order right away. The moment he returned, he personally delivered it to her. Not only had she rejected it, but she had also told him not to approach her again.

His face darkened as he stared at his phone screen. Just then, a WhatsApp notification pinged. He opened the message to see the screenshot from Celine. A few of her messages caught his eye:

“I can’t,” she replied to Robin when asked if she could throw it away. “I do,” she responded when Robin asked if she liked it. “Fine. He’ll think the necklace is in the trash. He won’t know I picked it up and wore it,” she said when she finally gave in.

Just as he finished reading, the screenshot was deleted. Adam chuckled to himself, finding the situation amusing. He sent an emoji in reply.

Meanwhile, Celine was still trying to convince herself that he wouldn’t notice. The busy Adam couldn’t possibly check his WhatsApp right away. She could pretend nothing had happened.

Just then, a message from him appeared.