Chapter 157



“This one.” Kevin glanced around and pointed to the largest piece in the center, “I’ll take that one.”

From the expression on the store workers’ faces, you could tell the piece was expensive. The store owner, sophisticated enough to keep his cool, asked, “Do you have any specific questions? Or can you give us your own design, if you have one.”

“Not much, just one thing. It has to be special and fit the environment.”

“What kind of personality does it have?” A worker asked cautiously.

Closing his eyes, Kevin pondered for a while and said, “Spicy and fiery.”

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The worker twitched the corner of her lips and looked at Joseph as if asking for help.

Frowning, Joseph stepped aside and made an aloof face. “I don’t know him.”

Kevin pretended not to hear that and spoke to the store owner, “I can give you a couple of pictures of her and you can ask her designer to create something based on what he perceives of her. Just show me the designs until you’re satisfied.”

“Okay.” The store owner breathed a sigh of relief.

It was fine, as long as they had a reference photo. His worst nightmare was when the customer gave ambiguous specifications that they didn’t know how to describe to the designers.

“Anything else from you two gentlemen?”

Kevin looked at Joseph, “I’m done, didn’t you have something to ask?”

“Yes.” Joseph passed a photo to the store owner, “Can you make a necklace from this design?”

It was a silver lined necklace with a fine emerald installed. It looked stunning.

“This design?” The store owner was stunned.

“Isn’t that the necklace you gave Addison six years ago?”. Kevin glanced at the photo and was stunned, “Wasn’t it lost? You want to make another one? For who?”

Joseph gave him a long look.

Kevin closed his mouth and uttered, “Okay, sorry.”

Everyone knew Joseph and Hayden spent a lot of time together now. Who else could the necklace be for?

“Joseph, this doesn’t feel right.” Kevin couldn’t help but ask again, “Giving the same necklace to two different girls. Even though you didn’t manage to give it to them then, this doesn’t seem right.”

The store owner spoke up before Joseph could answer him. “I’ve seen this necklace before.”

Joseph raised his head, “This necklace was made in this store six years ago. It’s no surprise that I’ve seen it.”

“It wasn’t six years ago.” The store owner put on a confused expression, “A woman came in here two months ago asking if we can find out who made the necklace.”

Joseph frowned and asked, “Can you still track her down?”

This necklace disappeared six years ago and hadn’t been found since. It looked like someone had taken it.

The store owner realized the necklace was important when she saw Joseph’s reaction. She was quick to say, “He left his contact card. I’ll go get it now.”

Looking at the store owner, Kevin looked at Joseph with bewilderment, “Why is that necklace so important to you?”.

Joseph looked at him expressionlessly, “My grandmother left me that necklace.”

“You keep saying this even when no one else is here.” Kevin put one of his legs over the other and said confidently, “It’s true that your grandmother left you that necklace, but you were planning to make it into a necklace and give it to Addison. After all, you still can’t let her go, huh?”.

Joseph wasn’t paying attention and just replied perfunctorily, “Say what you want.”

Kevin continued, “Addison called me last month, saying that she was almost done with the divorce proceedings, and that she should be back this month. Apparently, the last few years had been hard on her. If you still think about her, here’s your chance.”

“I don’t live in the past like you do.”

“Right.” Feeling annoyed, Kevin leaned back on the couch and said nonchalantly, “I suggest you tell Hayden about this, I mean there’s no way you won’t run into Addison after she gets back, right? Based on my own experience, it’s better that you tell her than that she finds out on her own.”

“That’s not necessary.”

Joseph replied in an extremely cold tone that made Kevin choke. “It’s so nice to have a good-natured girlfriend. What did I do to fall in love with this spicy Alayna.”

“The ghost chili.” Joseph corrected him deadpan.

As they talked, the store owner returned with the contact card.

“It’s a local number.” Kevin glanced over, “That’s nice. Just contact the phone distributor to trace the number once the call is connected.”

That said, he placed a call immediately before Joseph could stop him.

“I’m sorry, the number you are calling…”. A robotic female voice came from the other end of the phone.

Kevin felt uncomfortable.

Joseph was still expressionless. Suddenly, his phone rang. She looked at the screen and answered it in front of Kevin.

“…”.

“I’m at the mall with Kevin.”

“…”.

“…”.

“…”.

Hanging up the phone, Joseph put it away and ordered the store owner, “Contact my manager if the person who asked about the necklace shows up again.”

The store owner nodded hurriedly.

That said, he got up and said to Kevin, “I have to go now.”

“Hey, wait.” Kevin followed him out of the store and tugged on his arm, “Where are you going?”

Joseph looked down. Kevin was quick to release him and sketched a smile, “I just heard you. Hayden asked you to go to his house for lunch and asked you to take me with you.”

“He didn’t ask me to take you. Probably because Alayna doesn’t want to see you.”

“Why wouldn’t my fiancée want to see me?” Kevin frowned, “Are you kidding me? I just want to carpool with you – are you taking me with you or not?”

“No.”

“Fine, I’ll call Hayden and tell him about Addison right now.”

Joseph’s face darkened at that. “Kevin.”

Kevin’s face paled at his ice cold voice.

“I…I was just kidding. I won’t say anything.”

Turning expressionless again, Joseph turned and walked toward the mall exit. “Watch your mouth when you get there.”

Realizing what he meant, Kevin caught up with him and promised, “I won’t say anything, I don’t know anything. Are we going to Hayden’s? What are we going to eat?”

“Stew.”

“In this scorching weather?”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“Stew is good, it helps our transpiratory system work better. Joseph, should we buy some food on the way?”.

“Do you think you can stay there longer if you provide something?”.

“Don’t expose me, we’ve known each other for a long time. Save me some pride.”

“We’ll see when you lose your pride.”

Joseph said this with some implication, but Kevin totally overlooked it. He thought it was just one of the dumb comments they make all the time, and he was in his own world thinking about his plan to give Alayna a big marriage proposal. He couldn’t see that he wasn’t in a situation where everything was going to be okay.

Until they got to Hayden’s house and saw a familiar figure as they opened the door.

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