Chapter 27
โExcuse me, but this piece was custom-made for Mr. Lynn. Itโs not for sale,โ the clerk said with a polite smile.
The clerk hadnโt anticipated that they would choose something that wasnโt even on the market. It was a special order, and it wasnโt meant to be sold to anyone else.
โWhatever he paid, Iโll double it. I want this set. Tell him to place another order,โ Timothy said, his brow furrowing. His usually composed face showed a flicker of impatience.
He hadnโt been sleeping well lately, and the dark circles under his eyes were a testament to that. His calming tea was gone, and all he wanted was to get home, ask Lucy for more, and finally get a good nightโs sleep.
โSorry, sir, but this requires Mr. Lynnโs personal approval,โ the clerk replied, still smiling politely.
However, the clerk thought to herself, โAnother one of those over-the-top CEOs here, trying to throw money around and buy something someone else loves, all for the woman he adores.
โItโs like something straight out of a romance novel. Luxury jewelry stores really are the perfect stage for these kinds of scenes.
โBut these guys just donโt get it. This set is custom-made, and the decision to sell it is up to the person who ordered it. No amount of money can change that.
โWe pride ourselves on our integrity and wouldnโt risk offending one VIP client just to please another. Our reputation is too important to gamble with!โ
Timothy felt a pang of rejection. He didnโt want to stick around any longer, and his head was starting to throb. Besides, the color was too vibrant. Maelis always preferred more subdued shades of blue or green.
So he suggested, โBetty, how about checking out something else? There are loads of other pieces here. This light blue set is pretty nice too.
โIf you donโt find anything you like here, we can always hit another store. Plus, I think this set is a bit too pink. Mom isnโt really into that color.โ
โTimothy, let me handle this,โ Betty said with a bright smile.
โExcuse me, could we get the customizerโs contact details? We really love this set of jewelry, and Iโd like to speak to them directly. Maybe theyโd be willing to let it go?โ Betty said.
She was genuinely surprised when the clerk declined. Her expression stayed gentle, but inside, she was a bit thrown off.
Betty really liked this set. It was clearly designed for a younger crowdโMaelis would never go for something so flashy. So she was sure sheโd be told to keep it for herself. Her friends would be so jealous.
Betty wasnโt ready to give up and wanted to give it one more shot. The jewelry had a lovely name: โPrincessโs Treasure.โ It felt like it was made for her.
โIโm afraid we canโt give out our customerโs information,โ the clerk said with a polite smile.
But she thought, โWow, this girl has no clue about boundaries either. She just walks in and demands someoneโs contact info. Itโs like sheโs straight out of one of those romance novels where the main characters just bulldoze over everyone to get what they want.
โWeโre the ones who get stuck in the middle. Normal people would just ask us to contact the buyer on their behalf, but not her. She wants us to leak the buyerโs information directly. If something goes wrong, itโs us whoโll be in trouble.
โUgh, those romance novels are great for a quick read, but you canโt live by them. Theyโll drive you crazy!โ
โYouโฆโ Bettyโs smile wavered for a moment. Lately, everything seemed to be going wrong, and being turned down again and again was wearing her thin. But then she caught a glimpse of Timothy, and she forced herself to hold that smile in place.
She said, โWe really love this jewelry set. Is there any way you could help us out? Weโre from the Shaw family. Iโm a frequent shopper here and a Gold Member of your store.โ
Betty was determined to get that jewelry set and made a point of playing the Shaw family card. They were well-respected in Jinston, and people usually gave them the benefit of the doubt.
Betty had always had things her way. For over a decade, sheโd lived a life of privilege, getting almost everything she wanted.
Sheโd even managed to push Zinnia out of the picture, despite Zinnia being a blood relative. The whole family had always preferred her over Zinnia, no matter what.
But things started going downhill after Zinnia left the Shaw family. Sofia didnโt like Betty, Maelis seemed distracted, and Howard was keeping secrets from her. Betty had wanted Zinnia gone, but instead of feeling relieved, she felt like everything was slipping out of her control.
She thought, โBut Zinnia coming back is out of the question. My family belongs to me, and only me. If they took the wrong child back then, they should have just kept it that way. Why does Zinnia have to come back?โ
Betty seethed with anger at the person whoโd emailed the Shaw family and exposed the truth about the switched children.
The Shaw family actually had no idea about the switch until two months ago when they got that email. It said their real daughter was living in some tiny village and even included a DNA report.
They were totally confused and tried to figure out who sent it, but they couldnโt. Still, they went to find Zinnia and ran the test. Turned out, they really had the wrong kid all these years.
When Maelis saw Zinnia come back, she cried her eyes out. Watching from the side, Betty was so tense she almost broke her nails.
Over the next two months, Betty worked hard to make the Shaw family tired of Zinnia. It wasnโt easy, but eventually, they pushed her out. And there was no way Betty was going to let Zinnia come back.
โAs for Mom, if I stay close to her, sheโll forget about Zinnia. This family can only have one daughter, and thatโs me,โ Betty kept telling herself.
โUh, sorry about this, missโฆโ The clerk was about to turn Betty down when she saw Zinnia and Jackson walk in. Her face lit up with relief, and she practically beamed. โOh, Mr. Lynn, youโre here.โ
โThank goodness. With Mr. Lynn here, I donโt have to deal with this awkward situation myself,โ she thought.
Bettyโs smile was automatic as soon as she heard Jacksonโs name. โHey, Mr. Lynn, this jewelry set, Princessโs Treasureโdid you have it custom-made? Would you mind letting it go? Weโre willing to pay doubleโฆโ
Her voice cut off abruptly as she caught sight of who walked in. For once, her usually polished smile showed a flicker of unease.
โJackson, Zinniaโฆโ She bit her lip, swallowed the jealousy that bubbled up inside her, and forced herself to speak softly.
โDonโt call me with that tone. Weโre not family, not even close,โ Jackson said, his voice cold and his brow furrowed.