Chapter 6

Erik was equally taken aback, a storm of emotions flickering in his eyes. Once the shock passed, a cold displeasure settled in. Someone had actually dared to embarrass him on his own turf.

With the auctioneer's repeated urging, Alison had no choice but to walk up on stage.

Inside the jewelry box, the flawless pearls glowed under the lights. Alison had never felt so dazed.

"Additionally, Mr. X has one more request." The auctioneer's voice rang out again. "He hopes Ms. Reese can put on this set of jewelry here on stage, so everyone can witness it."

Another wave of gasps swept through the room.

The lights suddenly dimmed. A single spotlight snapped on and locked onto Alison, making her slim figure look even more delicate.

A female attendant picked up the necklace, walked up behind her, and fastened the cold string of pearls around her neck, letting them rest against her collarbones.

Alison looked down toward the audience. Maybe it was the lighting, but she got the feeling that Erik's expression was rather stormy.

Reporters surged forward in a frenzy, camera flashes exploding into a sea of white light in front of her.

"Mrs. Hale, look over here!"

"Is Mr. X actually Mr. Hale?"

"When are you two planning to have kids?"

Suddenly, the crowd parted on its own, opening up a path. Erik walked through the reports toward Alison. He slid an arm around her waist and gave the reporters a nod. "Thank you for your concern, but the Hale family's private affairs aren't open for public discussion."

The pressure at Alison's waist increased, forcing her to lean into him.

The reporters still refused to disperse, so Erik kept an arm around her as he pushed through the crowd and led her out.

No one noticed that in the darkest corner of the hall, a man stood alone, blending into the shadows like part of the wall. He took out his phone and snapped a photo of Alison. It was one of the few things he'd done all evening.

His friend leaned in and lowered his voice. "Theo, you've been standing here like a shadow all night just for this moment, haven't you?"

Theodore didn't respond. He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Gabriel shook his head. "You dropped ten million dollars on that set, and everyone thinks Erik bought it. She definitely thinks so, too."

"I don't care what anyone else thinks. I only care about what she ends up with," Theodore said quietly.

Gabriel was suddenly amused by his own thoughts. "Did you see Erik's face? He looked like he just swallowed a fly. He's definitely going to dig into who really gave Alison the pearls."

"Let him. I'll be waiting," Theodore said as he smoothed his suit sleeve. "By the way, give me that Ford SUV of yours. I'll swap you my Bentley."

"What? Are you out of your mind?" Gabriel's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Last time, I used your car to pick her up and drop her off at home. I can't let her find out who I am just yet." Theodore stood up. "Let's go."

Gabriel hurried after him, still muttering in confusion. "What are you getting out of this? Are you having fun playing the fairy godmother? I seriously don't get you…"

…

Erik kept his arm around Alison's waist as they left the venue. His palm pressed against the velvet fabric of her gown. It was just a thin layer, with the curve of her waist beneath it.

They had just reached the doors when Timothy and Monique caught up to them. Monique glanced at Alison, hesitated, then said nothing.

Timothy, on the other hand, was perfectly blunt. He grinned and asked, "Erik, are you leaving already? Didn't we say we'd hit a second spot after this?"

Erik lowered his eyes to look at Alison. His gaze landed on the strand of pearls at her throat. The soft luster made her skin look even more flawless. His eyes darkened a shade.

"My wife is tired, so I'm taking her home. You guys go ahead," he said.

Timothy opened his mouth to persuade him again, but Monique tugged on his arm and offered a gentle smile. "Tim, what are you doing? Erik's usually so busy with work. Now that he finally has some time off, he should spend it with his wife."

Alison lowered her eyes to the floor. She understood what exactly Monique meant by saying that Erik should spend time with her. Coming from her, it made Alison sound like someone in need of charity, and Erik sounded like a man who only remembered to come home when someone else reminded him to.

But Alison didn't need another woman to "give" her own husband back to her, especially since she hadn't wanted this husband for a long time now.

Erik nodded, tightened his hold on Alison, and led her out. The parking garage was quiet, and their footsteps echoed through the empty underground space.

He had driven himself that night. Alison sat silently in the passenger seat. She stared out the window, but the glass only reflected the faint blur of the pearl necklace at her throat. It was a smudge of light and shadow, like another person entirely.

They sat in silence for a long while. Suddenly, Erik asked, "Do you like it?"

"…Huh?" Alison turned to him, her gaze a little dazed.

It reminded him of a small animal. He paused for a moment, then repeated, "This pearl set. Do you like it?"

Her fingertips brushed against the pearls at her neck. They felt cold. She lowered her eyes slightly and said, "It's pretty."

"Met any new friends lately?" he asked.

"No. Uncle Malcolm's been sick. How would I have time to socialize?"

"You're always running back and forth to the hospital. Didn't you run into anyone you know at Anwell Hospital? Like former classmates or med school buddies?"

"No. Not a single one."

Erik didn't press further. In his mind, Alison was a simple woman whose world revolved around her husband and her family, with no room or nerve for anything out of line.

The pearl set clearly hadn't been bought for her. Someone had deliberately tried to make a fool of him. He already had people investigating.

Alison asked, "How much did you spend on this set?"

"It didn't cost much," Erik replied.

She said dully, "The starting bid was 3.8 million dollars. You bought it outright, so it must have gone for at least ten million, right?"

Erik froze for a second. Ten million dollars. Who would blow that much money just to pull a prank?

A shadow passed through his eyes.

"I don't want this pearl set," Alison suddenly said.

She stared straight ahead, her voice soft but very serious. "I only want one thing from you. Help my uncle get that new drug. Just take it as the one and only favor I'll ever ask of you in this life."

Erik was taken aback. What was that supposed to mean?

"Didn't I already tell Nancy to handle it?" His tone went cold.

"She gave me a director's number. The director passed me to a manager. I got bounced around four or five times." When it came to something this important, Alison didn't mind tattling. Her voice was calm, but there was clearly an undertone of displeasure in it.

Erik's frown deepened. Nancy hadn't done her job properly, and Alison had gone and exposed it so bluntly. It was a slap in his face.

"So what? Are you hurt, Mrs. Hale?" he asked coolly. "Hale Corporation deals in tens or hundreds of millions in investments, but that's nothing compared to your family's little problems? Are all my employees supposed to orbit around you?"

Alison fell silent.

The air in the car felt like it had been sucked out. The two of them sat there without speaking, neither willing to break the silence.

The light turned red, and the car rolled to a stop.

Out of the corner of his eye, Erik glanced at Alison. She had turned her face to the side, and her lashes were lowered. The streetlights outside slid across her features in flashes—bright, then dark, then bright again.

He lifted a brow slightly. He supposed she was still presentable enough. At least Henrietta did put some thought into it when choosing her as his wife back then.

"Don't worry. I'll help you," he said plainly. "We're husband and wife."

The corner of Alison's lips moved just a little. A hint of a smile flickered there and vanished almost instantly.

Erik thought she was smiling, but she wasn't.