Semua Bab Save the Tears for Someone Who Cares: Bab 171 - Bab 180

As soon as Eugene finished speaking, the chandelier dimmed abruptly, plunging the entire hall into darkness."What's going on?" Jacklyn asked, her voice tight as she instinctively turned to Eugene.He reached for her hand, his fingers brushing over it in comfort. "Don't be afraid."But it wasn't the darkness that unsettled Jacklyn. It was Eugene's touch that made her want to pull away.A moment later, the lights flared back on, and the rich swell of an orchestra filled the hall. Dancers began filing onto the stage in succession. As the music flowed, they started their performance.Jacklyn seized the moment to pull her hand free and lazily propped her chin on her palm."So it's dancing," she said, unimpressed.Eugene leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a murmur. "The real surprise comes later."She wasn't interested. A dance performance wasn't going to blow her away. With a half-hearted nod, she humored him.But then her eyes drifted across the stage and stopped. Her brow

Eugene looked ready to explode. He'd already swallowed his pride, but Liam still had to humiliate him right before everyone.Just then, Jacklyn rose, trying to defuse the tension. "Gene, it's okay even if we didn't get the luminous gemstone. There'll be other chances."She genuinely didn't mind losing the bid. Honestly, seeing Liam win it made her just as happy.She reached out, trying to guide Eugene back to his seat. But he flung her hand aside, his eyes locked on Liam.He sneered and taunted, "Mr. Robertson, you kept insisting Jackie was your friend, and yet here you are, doing everything in your power to win the luminous gemstone. You know full well I'm trying to win it for her. And you still call yourself a friend?"No matter what Eugene said, Liam remained as composed and unruffled as ever. It was plain to anyone watching that he hadn't given Eugene's words so much as a second thought.After Eugene's angry outburst, he turned to see Jacklyn standing quietly, her lips presse

Jacklyn answered frankly, "Ms. Lopez, like you said, my background is in design. I've never done any antique restoration. I'm afraid I wouldn't be the right person for that."She wasn't keen on taking on projects she wasn't confident about, especially not when it involved someone like Emily. With her, it paid to be careful."If you're just worried about the restoration, don't be. What I need is your eye for design," Emily replied.She lifted her head slowly, her gaze flicking briefly to the side.The woman standing nearby caught the signal right away. Without a word, she turned and retrieved a bright yellow velvet box from the table. With careful hands, she brought out the antique vase.Jacklyn rose from her seat, circled the table, and stopped beside the vase.The woman pointed to a flaw. "Ms. Stinson, the crack is right here."Jacklyn leaned in to examine the spot. It took a moment, but then she saw a hairline crack near the mouth of the vase.At that moment, Emily, who had s

The next day, the distant crash of waves, paired with the throbbing in Eugene's head, slowly pulled him back to consciousness.He struggled to sit up, bracing himself with one arm on the bed, then abruptly turned his head. The moment he spotted Jacklyn, he shot to his feet.He rushed over to her, blurting, "I'm sorry, Jackie. We were all so excited to finally be together. I got carried away and drank too much. Did you even get any sleep last night?"Jacklyn sat before the mirror, absently patting her cheeks as she stared at her reflection."Yeah, I slept just fine," she said flatly.Her voice gave nothing away. The sheer indifference in it made Eugene's stomach sink.He looked down at himself, still in last night's clothes, reeking of smoke and booze so strongly that it made even his own stomach turn.Eugene's gaze dropped, a flicker of disappointment clouding his eyes. He remembered how Jackie used to stay by his side, quietly taking care of him whenever he drank too much. But

Penelope reluctantly got up and moved to the opposite seat, shooting Jacklyn a venomous glare before sinking into it.What was she so smug about anyway? No antique conservators could solve the problem. There was no way Jacklyn had some miracle solution hidden up her sleeve.Once Jacklyn embarrassed herself in front of Emily, Penelope would step in with the real fix. And by then, Emily's attention would be hers and hers alone.The thought loosened the knot of resentment tightening in Penelope's chest. She was dying to hear whatever brilliant idea Jacklyn thought she had."Ms. Lopez, based on the crack patterns and the vase's distinctive style, I'd recommend using gold detailing to cover the crack."Jacklyn sat and opened her tablet. She pulled up an image of the vase, zoomed in, and pointed directly at the crack."Alabaster vases have a unique quality to them," she explained. "If we were to use gemstones, they'd only overshadow the vase's natural elegance. Instead of enhancing the