Chapter 400

Chapter 400:

Hadley furrowed her eyebrows.

“Why not? What’s wrong with this hair tie?”

Elissa tilted her head, still studying the hair tie.

“There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just…”

She trailed off before shrugging.

“You’re usually careful with money.”

It was an observation, not a judgment—Hadley’s frugality showed in everything, from the way she dressed to the simple meals she chose. That was why this felt… different.

Realizing how it might sound, Elissa quickly added,

“Not that there’s anything wrong with treating yourself now and then.”

“Wait…”

Hadley, however, was already frowning as she ran her fingers over the hair tie.

“Are you saying this is actually expensive?”

Elissa gave her a knowing look.

“Yeah! You didn’t know?”

“How was I supposed to know?”

Hadley turned the hair tie over in her hands, studying it closely. It wasn’t hers—but it looked nearly identical. The same delicate design, the same small white beads embedded along the band.

Wait, white beads…

Every story unfolds at gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s．𝓬𝗈𝗺

A sudden thought struck her.

“Wait…”

She lifted her gaze, a flicker of disbelief in her eyes.

“Are they real pearls?”

Elissa nodded without hesitation.

“Absolutely. The real deal. The finest ones actually.”

She crossed her arms, her expression firm.

“Come on, Hadley, what do I do for a living? You think I’d get this wrong?”

Elissa was a fashion designer, well-versed in materials and craftsmanship. Spotting the difference between cheap knock-offs and genuine pearls was second nature to her.

Elissa pointed at the pearls adorning the hair tie.

“These pearls are of quite high quality, but for a hair tie, it’s a little on the small side.”

“How much do you think this would cost?” Hadley asked.

“Well…”

Elissa did a quick estimate.

“For these few, the market price would easily be over a thousand, at the very least.”

Catching the shift in Hadley’s expression, she tilted her head in curiosity.

“Wait—you didn’t buy this hair tie yourself?”

Hadley shook her head.

.

.

.