Chapter 14: Chapter 14

1,003 words

<html><head></head><body>Pearl walked out, feeling all eyes on her like she was the main act. She was way too embarrassed to stick around in the jewelry store. Amelia and Isabella were both grinning ear to ear. "Today was awesome, right? While you were gone, Pearl was trash-talking you everywhere. Let's see if she dares to open her mouth now," Amelia said, pumping her fist in excitement. Isabella nodded, but her eyes were fixed on the bracelet on her wrist, looking puzzled. "My husband doesn't seem like he's loaded. How did he get this bracelet?" Isabella wondered out loud. Amelia grabbed Isabella's arm, gently stroking the emerald bracelet. "Maybe your husband's secretly rich and just pretending to be a regular guy to live a normal life." Isabella rolled her eyes. "Have you been binge-watching too many TV dramas? Stuff like that only happens in novels." Amelia, dead serious, replied, "Art imitates life. If it didn't happen in real life, why would it be in TV shows? Or you could just call and ask him." "Why don't you say I found an injured old man on the road, took him to the hospital, and he turned out to be a hidden billionaire? And since he has no kids, he decided to leave all his money to me because I saved him?" Isabella laughed. If such a chance existed, she might as well buy a lottery ticket; at least her odds of winning would be better. "Just call him and find out. Why are you stalling?" Amelia pushed Isabella to make the call. Isabella, feeling cornered, finally dialed Michael's number. Michael was in a meeting when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Everyone in the room looked surprised. What shocked them even more was when Michael saw who was calling, he smiled and stepped out to take the call. "What's going on? Mr. Williams usually hates answering calls during work," someone whispered. "I heard Mr. Williams got married. Maybe it's his wife?" another person guessed, hitting close to the truth. "When did that happen? Spill the details," someone else chimed in, and soon the whole room was buzzing with gossip. Michael stepped out to answer the call, and to his surprise, Isabella asked if he was secretly a millionaire. Michael didn't answer right away. Instead, he asked why she thought that. "I took the bracelet you gave me to a jewelry appraiser today," Isabella paused, worried Michael might get the wrong idea. "I wanted to know its value so I could get you a gift of equal worth, but the appraiser said it's worth 40 million dollars. You know I don't have that kind of money," Isabella finished, sounding helpless. When Michael heard she had the bracelet appraised, he felt a bit annoyed, thinking she doubted him. But when he realized she wanted to buy him a gift of equal value, he couldn't help but laugh. "Did the appraiser tell you it's worth 40 million dollars and is an antique over a hundred years old?" Isabella was taken aback. "How did you know? Is this bracelet real?" Michael chuckled and shook his head. "I have a buddy who makes top-notch fake jewelry. Even the experts at big auction houses can't tell the difference. I had him whip up that gem, and the whole thing, including the custom fee, only cost me 4,000 bucks." The massive price difference left Isabella intrigued about Michael's friend. "Is your friend really that good? What other fakes has he made?" Isabella asked, genuinely curious. Michael scratched his head. He'd spun a lie, and now he had to keep it going. He didn't actually have such a friend. "I can't really get into that. Some of it's kinda illegal, and I don't want to risk losing my friend. So, did you call just to chat about this?" Michael quickly changed the subject. Isabella picked up on his cue and switched gears. "Your bracelet really helped me out today, and I wanted to thank you. How about coming over to my place? I'll cook for you. Anything you want to eat?" Michael was surprised by the invite. Even though they were married, they still lived separately and hadn't spent much time together. "I'm not picky. As long as it's not terrible, I'll eat anything. Just make something you like," Michael said with a smile. Michael's words left Isabella a bit stunned. She'd put so much effort into pleasing John, but he'd never asked her what she liked to eat. "Okay, got it. I'll go grab the ingredients now," Isabella said, smiling, and hung up the phone. "Amelia, come over for dinner tonight," Isabella said, looking at Amelia. Amelia immediately shook her head. "You and your husband need some alone time; don't drag me into it! And keep it down tonight. If you don't want kids, remember to take precautions." Amelia's words made Isabella's face turn bright red. That evening, Isabella prepared a feast. As she brought the last dish to the table, there was a knock at the door, and Michael's voice called out. "Here I am." Isabella opened the door to find Michael standing there. Michael was holding a bottle of red wine. He brought it to the table, opened it, and the aroma filled the dining room. Isabella didn't recognize the wine brand and assumed Michael had picked it up at the supermarket on his way over. "This is amazing; I didn't know you could cook this well," Michael praised after taking a bite. Isabella tasted the wine. It was excellent but also strong, making her cheeks flush. "I heard you want to give me a gift of equal value. Have you picked one yet?" Michael teased, looking at Isabella. Isabella shook her head. "I haven't decided what to give you yet." "But I already know what I want," Michael said, suddenly standing up and walking over to her. "What do you want me to give you?" Just as Isabella finished speaking, Michael suddenly bent down and kissed her on the lips. </body></html>

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

1,003 words