A Love Forgotten (Arianna and Elijah)

Chapter 77

That night, I slept peacefully-no dreams, just the comfort of a deep, restful sleep.

I wasn't sure if Logan would agree to be my date, but I had already passed the decision to him. Whatever his answer would be, I no longer had to worry about it. The burden of that choice was no longer mine.

The next morning, I woke up to the quiet light of dawn and instinctively reached for my phone. As I unlocked it, I saw a string of missed calls from an unknown number. Several messages on WhatsApp filled my screen as well. My expression darkened as I quickly blocked them all.

There was a good chance that these calls were from Elijah, trying to reach me again. But I had no desire to reconnect with him.

2 and

Every interaction with Elijah left me feeling minor as if I were beneath him, constantly reminded of ins arrogance and his belief that he was always in control. It was time to change my phone numb for all.

I got out of bed, freshened up, and went downstairs for breakfast. In the kitchen, Teri was already up. and he was chatting with Lora as she picked at her food.

When she saw me, her face lit up mischievously. "Ah, the illustrious Ms. York graces us with her presence! What's on the agenda today? Your loyal servant is ready for duty, 24/7!"

I couldn't help but laugh as I joined her, grabbing a sandwich from the table.

"I'm thinking of selling off more of my luxury items. This time, I'm getting rid of all that pretentious, overpriced jewelry," I said between bites.

Teri frowned. "But those second-hand shops barely give you anything for it! Jewelry worth 20 or 30 thousand dollars? You'll be lucky to get a fraction of that, maybe a couple thousand at best.

"Why not just keep it? You've saved up a bit of cash, so there's no rush to sell."

I shook my head, resolute. "No. I can't stand having them around,"

Teri sighed, clearly exasperated but unwilling to argue further. "Fine. If that's how you feel, we'll sell them." I nodded. But, suddenly, I had a thought and asked. "Teri, would you come with me to buy a new dress?" Teri narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Wait. You're going to that ridiculous welcome-home party, aren't you?"

1 hesitated but eventually nodded.

Teri groaned, already objecting. "Just wear one of those couture gowns you've barely touched. Do you think Jocelyn isn't going to show up dressed to steal the spotlight? She'll be dripping in designer clothes, trying to outshine everyone."

I nodded again, though this time more reluctantly.

However, Teri wasn't finished. "Honestly, though, why bother going? It's clearly a setup. A trap. You walk in there, and Jocelyn's just going to humiliate you. It's not worth it."

Her words hit home, and I couldn't help but reconsider, Maybe Teri was right. After breakfast, we packed up the jewelry I wanted to sell and headed to the same luxury resale store we'd visited last time.

This time, we felt more at ease: After all, it was no longer unfamiliar territory for us,

2/2

We were ushered into the VIP room again and treated with the same courtesy as before.

An older appraiser greeted us this time, his expression professional and thorough. He examined each piece of jewelry with meticulous care before nodding in approval.

"They appear to be authentic, but the more valuable ones will require further verification," he said, glancing up from his work.

I pulled out the receipts and certificates, sliding them across the table. "They're all genuine from the boutiques," I confirmed.

The appraiser glanced at the paperwork and nodded. "Yes, these are indeed authentic and from boutique stores. However, if I may ask, Ms. York, why are you selling this collection? The resale value is generally quite low, and these pieces are difficult to find again if you ever wish to repurchase them."

He sounded earnest, genuinely trying to offer advice. "If you're not under any immediate financial pressure, I'd suggest keeping a few for yourself," he added.

However, I was resolute. "No. I don't want them anymore," I said firmly.

The appraiser, seeing that I wouldn't be swayed, nodded and stopped pressing the matter,

Just then, the door swung open abruptly, and Evelyn's mocking voice echoed through the room.

"Of course, she's under financial pressure! Why else would she be selling off her precious jewelry?" frowned and looked up.