My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1247

Emily knew exactly what Andrew was doing. He hadn’t told her about the gift himself because he knew she’d say no, so he used the front desk as his middleman. Emily saw right through it, but the receptionist was just an innocent bystander, caught up in Andrew’s little scheme.

The gift bag sat on her desk, radiating awkwardness. She felt her patience slipping. “Andrew Lane isn’t a client here,” she said, her voice flat. “No need to be so anxious around him.”

The receptionist glanced at her, reading the irritation on Emily’s face. “Of course, Ms. Blair,” she said softly, and left the room.

Emily stared at the bag, her head starting to throb. If she told the receptionist to return it, Andrew would just refuse. There was no easy way out. She waved the receptionist away and, once the door closed, swept the gift bag off her desk. It landed with a soft thud on the carpet.

Out of sight, out of mind, she thought. With the bag gone, her mood lightened and she threw herself into work, eventually forgetting all about Andrew’s little present. That lasted until she got up to leave and her heel crunched down on something soft.

She stopped and looked down. The bag was right under her foot, and she frowned, wondering if she’d ruined whatever was inside. It couldn’t be that fragile, right? Surely a diamond ring could survive a little stomp.

Still, curiosity got the better of her. Emily bent down, picked up the bag, and pulled out a small, slightly squashed box. She could feel the cardboard had given way under her weight, but who knew about the gift inside?

She was almost certain Andrew had bought her a diamond ring, stubborn as ever. The very idea heated her blood. She called him every name she could think of in her mind, annoyed at his persistence and his sudden concern when it was already too late.

Emily hesitated, then popped the lid open.

She froze. It wasn’t a ring at all. It was a pair of diamond earrings, sparkling up at her from the box.

Seriously? Not a ring?

Emily stared at the screen, confused by how nonchalant he was being. Then another message popped up.

Andrew: Really, it’s no big deal. Just a pair of diamond earrings worth over two million. Go ahead and get rid of them.

Emily rolled her eyes. Typical Andrew.

She’d grown up with Emma George, and later ended up at the Lane family’s estate. As the daughter of a maid and a driver, she was used to getting cold looks from people who thought they were better than her.

She understood what money meant. Most of the time, money was status. Back in those days at the Lane house, being poor had made her feel invisible. That was why she valued money so much now. Even after she made it big and built her own success, she never liked to spend recklessly. She preferred to save every penny.