My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1249

Sadie spent the whole day on edge because of the diamond earrings. Worth over a million dollars, they made her hyper aware of everyone around her and every little thing in her environment. She kept checking her bag, convinced that if she let the earrings out of her sight for even a second, they might disappear. The anxiety was obvious. Even her coworkers started giving her strange looks. She had to remind herself to act normal, but it was impossible to fully relax.

Her mood was a weird mix of excitement and nerves. As the day wound down, she just couldn’t help herself. While her coworkers were out of the office, she quietly fished the earrings out of a hidden pocket in her bag. Holding them up to the mirror, she tried them on for a moment, grinning at her own reflection. The earrings sparkled like nothing she’d ever owned. With a little sigh, she tucked them safely away again.

After work, Sadie left the building and put the earrings on, this time for real. She stood on the sidewalk, looking in her compact mirror, adjusting them until they sat just right. Satisfied, she snapped the case shut. She was meeting her best friend for dinner, and she couldn’t wait to show off just a little.

Her friend was already waiting by the car and waved at her. “Here. Hurry up.”

Sadie jogged over, backpack bouncing. The earrings caught the light, drawing her friend’s attention right away. “Whoa, when did you get those? They’re gorgeous.”

Sadie brushed it off with a wave, sliding into the passenger seat. “Oh, I just bought them online. They came today.”

Her friend leaned in, examining the earrings. “Seriously, they look amazing. Are they real? What did they cost?”

Sadie shrugged, playing it cool. “Of course they’re fake. Nine ninety-nine, free shipping. You know me. Do you think I’d spend real money on something like this?”

Her friend laughed. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

They’d picked a popular barbecue spot in a shopping mall downtown. By the time they arrived, the place was packed. People filled every table inside, and a crowd waited outside. They got in line and chatted to pass the time.

Watching Sadie scramble, her friend said, “Relax. Just pick it up. No one’s going to grab it.”

Sadie knelt and grabbed the earring, muttering, “If you knew how much this thing was worth, you wouldn’t say that.”

Her voice was so quiet her friend didn’t catch it. “What?”

Sadie clutched the earring tightly. “Nothing.”

Right then, two shiny leather shoes stopped in front of her. She looked up and found herself staring at a face so handsome it almost hurt to look at.