Chapter 5 That’s Stealing
Logan hesitated, then agreed. ‘Good. This will teach Eliana a lesson. If she keeps acting like this, everything that’s hers will end up with someone else.‘ With that, he told a servant to bring the emerald bracelet.
Isabella took it and put it on her wrist right away. Only after putting it on did she realize how eager she must have looked. She lowered her head for a moment to collect herself. When she looked up again, her eyes were shining with tears.
She slowly held out her wrist to Logan, her voice choked up. “It’s perfect, Logan. Thank you for letting me have this. Thank you for granting my wish.”
Samuel had just finished his cotton candy. Looking at Isabella’s tearful face, he said seriously, “Isabella, I wish you were my mom. If you were, all my mom’s bracelets would be yours. Her necklaces too. They’d all be yours. She never wears them anyway.”
Even Sophie, standing nearby, felt sorry for Eliana when she heard that. Ever since Samuel was born, Eliana had stopped wearing nice things, finding them too much trouble with a child to care for.
Eliana was once always well–dressed and bright, but she only wore simple, easy clothes now. However, no one seemed to notice or care about what she had given up, not even her own son.
Sophie sighed quietly and went back to her work without a word. For the first time, she truly understood why Eliana was so set on not coming back this time.
As for Isabella, her eyes shone with a hidden delight at Samuel’s words. But she quickly put on a gentle scolding look and patted the boy’s head. “Samuel, you mustn’t say that. Your mother would be so hurt if she heard you.”
“No matter how many mistakes she has made, she’s still the one who gave birth to you. That will never change, do you understand?” Isabella spoke earnestly, but her words only pointed out how often Eliana made mistakes.
She had stirred up exactly what she wanted. Samuel let out a huff, his voice full of childlike anger. “I don’t want a mean mom like her. I almost died yesterday, and she didn’t even care. Isabella, I want you to be my mom.”
Isabella opened her mouth to speak, but Logan spoke first. His tone was cool as he glanced at Isabella. “Children say whatever comes to mind. Don’t take it to heart.”
Isabella closed her mouth, whatever she was about to say left unspoken. But she quickly recovered, nodding with a calm smile. “We’ll take our time. Samuel will grow to understand things better.”
Then she went on, her voice softening into a sweet tone. “You said you weren’t busy today? How about we take Samuel out shopping? What do you think?”
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Samuel’s face immediately brightened, and he bounced with excitement. “Daddy, I want to go shopping with Isabella.” Logan gave his son a slightly worried look, but seeing the boy’s hopeful eyes, he finally nodded.
Eliana felt refreshed by a full night’s sleep. After breakfast with her parents, her best friend Irene Perry called to ask her to go shopping. Irene’s cheerful voice brought back a wave of distant memories.
‘In my past life, after Isabella came back, my world became just Logan and Samuel, she thought. ‘Every day was the same. Taking care of them, explaining that I didn’t cause trouble for Isabella, or begging them to come home.‘
‘I don’t know how I got through those three years. It was madness. Thank goodness I‘ ve got a second chance and come back again. Without a second thought, Eliana agreed to go out.
Eliana and Irene went shopping. In the afternoon, arms full of bags, they stopped at a café for some rest. They had just sat down when a familiar voice reached them from a nearby table.
“This emerald bracelet? Oh, Logan gave it to me.” Isabella’s voice was full of obvious pride.
“Wait, isn’t that the bracelet Eliana wore at her wedding?” one of Isabella’s friends said. “They say it’s worth a fortune, and he just gave it to you? Just like that? Does he still have feelings for you?”
Isabella immediately pretended to be offended. “What are you talking about? If that were true, what kind of person would I be?
“Logan said we missed our chance back then. And he married Eliana because his grandpa made him. We both have regrets. Giving me this bracelet is just his way of making up for the lost time, nothing more. Please don’t make up stories. It would be terrible if word got out.”
But her friends‘ chatter only grew louder. “Isabella, what are you worried about? Eliana was the one who came between you and Logan, wasn’t she? She was the one who broke you two up.
“And anyway, it’s clear Logan still loves you. Why else would he give you a bracelet this valuable? This must have been the love token, right? It’s only right that it’s back with you now. Eliana never deserved it in the first place.”
The comments kept coming. Eliana turned her head and her eyes landed on the bracelet on Isabella’s wrist. Her brows drew tight. She had never imagined Logan would dare to give this bracelet to Isabella.
Clenching her hands, Eliana stood up and walked straight over to their table. Her voice
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was cold and clear as she spoke directly to Isabella. “Ms. Hewitt, my grandmother left the bracelet to me. I want it back now. If you don’t give it to me, I’ll call the police.”
Irene quickly followed, raising her voice so everyone nearby could hear. “That bracelet is Eliana’s. Her grandfather bought it for her grandmother at an auction.
It cost over a hundred million. When Eliana got married, her grandmother gave it to her as a wedding gift. How dare you take it? Isabella, are you so hard up for money?”
“Is that true?” someone from a nearby table spoke up, having heard the whole thing. “I thought Eliot gave it to you. Isn’t it a bit much to take something that’s not yours, Isabella?”
Whispers and murmurs of disapproval spread around them. Feeling the pressure, Isabella said quickly in her own defense, “Logan gave it to me. I don’t know anything
else.”
That was exactly the reply Eliana had been waiting for. She let out a cold laugh, her words sharp. “Logan is always talking about boundaries. He always makes a big deal about what’s his and what’s mine.
“This bracelet is my own. If he took it without asking, that’s stealing. Are you saying Logan has now fallen so low that he steals bracelets to give away?”
Just as Eliana finished speaking, the café door opened. Logan walked in holding
Samuel’s hand, and he heard every word clearly.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
