Chapter 5 Diamonds #3
Hannah froze.
She just stared at Emma in shock.
“I’m sorry… what did you say?” she asked, clearly confused. “Can you say that again? I think I misheard you.”
Emma didn’t hesitate.
“Can I date Harold?” she asked again. “Do you mind if I do?”
For a second Hannah looked like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Of course! I would be more than happy if you dated him!” Hannah said excitedly.
Hannah looked so excited that she almost seemed afraid to blink, as if the moment might disappear if she did.
Her face lit up with pure delight as she grabbed Emma’s hand with both of hers.
Without waiting another second, she grabbed Emma’s hand.
“Come on,” she said eagerly. “Let’s go. I’ll introduce you to him right now.”
Without waiting for Emma to answer, Hannah pulled her along toward the table where Harold was sitting.
But just as they were approaching—
The woman sitting across from Harold suddenly pushed her chair back loudly and shot to her feet.
Her face was flushed with anger.
“If you didn’t want to date me, all you had to do was not show up to this blind date!” she snapped furiously.
Harold didn’t even move.
The woman glared at him for a second longer before flipping her hair in irritation.
Then she grabbed her purse and stormed out of the restaurant through the opposite door without another word.
Harold remained seated on the couch, completely unfazed.
He leaned back lazily against the seat, one arm stretched along the back of the couch behind him. His leg was crossed over the other as he sat there with a bored, arrogant expression on his face.
He didn’t even bother reacting to the woman’s outburst.
He simply watched her walk out of the restaurant with the same indifferent look.
Just then, Hannah and Emma reached the table.
Harold’s eyes slowly shifted away from the door where the woman had left.
His gaze moved to Hannah first.
Then it moved to the woman standing beside her.
The moment his eyes fell on Emma—
He froze.
His relaxed expression vanished instantly.
A look of shock appeared on his face as their eyes met.
For a second, he looked completely stunned, as if someone had suddenly turned him into stone.
His body didn’t move.
Even if he wanted to move, it looked like his limbs had forgotten how.
“Harold, this is Emma!” Hannah said excitedly.
She pointed toward Emma, her eyes shining with excitement as if she were presenting the most wonderful surprise.
Harold slowly lowered his arm from the back of the couch.
His leg dropped back to the floor as he sat up properly.
His leg dropped back to the floor as he straightened in his seat and stood up.
He looked between Hannah and Emma with clear confusion on his face.
Before he could even ask a question, Hannah spoke again, her excitement only growing.
“I want you to go on a date with her!”
Harold stared at his mother as if he had just seen a ghost.
But the moment he fully processed her words, he turned toward his mother and then back to Emma.
He lifted a finger and pointed at Emma with a stunned expression.
“She’s like five years older than me!” he blurted out in a shocked voice.
Emma continued looking at him calmly, her expression soft and composed.
“Three years,” she corrected gently.
The moment she spoke, Harold’s eyes snapped back to Emma.
Their eyes met.
For a moment Harold looked like he wished the ground would open beneath his feet so he could disappear into it.
All the arrogance and composure he usually carried seemed to crumble the moment his gaze met Emma’s gentle one.
He looked at Hannah.
Then at Emma.
Then back at Hannah again.
And then suddenly—
Without saying another word, he grabbed his jacket from the table.
Before either of them could react, he turned and walked away quickly.
Within seconds, he was already heading toward the restaurant exit with hurried steps, almost as if he were running away.
“Harold!” Hannah shouted after him, her voice filled with anger and embarrassment.
But Harold didn’t stop.
He walked straight out of the restaurant without even looking back.
Hannah stood there awkwardly for a moment before turning toward Emma with an apologetic expression.
“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “He’s not like that. I guess he was just… nervous.”
“It’s okay, Mrs. Graves. Please don’t worry,” Emma answered quietly.
She folded her hands in front of her, her purse resting lightly between them as she gave Hannah a polite smile.
“You can ask Harold if he’d like to meet me here next week,” Emma continued softly. “Same restaurant, same place. Five in the evening. If he’s ready to go on a date with me… we can meet again.”
Hannah blinked for a second before relief flooded her face.
“Of course! Yes, that sounds wonderful,” she said eagerly.
She let out a long breath of relief that escaped her chest almost uncontrollably.
“Thank you,” she added gratefully. “I’ll tell him.”
Emma gave a small nod.
“Alright, I should leave now,” she said politely.
She nodded once to Hannah before turning around and walking toward the restaurant exit.
After stepping outside, Emma got into her car. She pulled out of the parking space and slowly drove toward the exit.
Just then, she noticed another car approaching from the opposite direction.
It was a sleek black Lamborghini, its convertible top folded down, leaving the interior open to the warm air.
As the car came closer, it slowed slightly as it passed her.
For a brief moment, their cars moved side by side.
Emma turned her head slightly.
Inside the Lamborghini, Harold sat behind the wheel.
There was an arrogant, stubborn look on his face as his eyes met hers.
As their cars crossed paths, Emma slowed her car until it was almost at a stop beside his.
Her window aligned with his.
For a second, they were directly facing each other.
Emma turned her head and looked straight at him.
Harold met her gaze—
Harold’s confident expression immediately faltered.
He suddenly looked flustered. Almost embarrassed.
His eyes dropped first.
He quickly tightened his grip on the steering wheel, keeping his eyes forward and avoiding her gaze. Without looking at her again, he pressed the accelerator and sped away.
Emma watched the car disappear, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of her mouth before she calmly started her own car and drove away.
The next day, Emma was working in her office when her phone dinged on the table.
She reached over and picked it up.
A text message flashed on the screen.
Hello Emma, this is Hannah. Harold has agreed to meet you. :)
Emma’s heart jumped with excitement.
A small smile slowly appeared on her lips.
Then she set the phone back down on the table.
***
Magnus stepped out of a Mercedes, a tablet and file in his hand.
His full attention was on the documents displayed on the screen as he carefully reviewed the details.
Brent stepped out of the car as well and quickly walked around to stand beside him.
Magnus glanced at him briefly.
“How many rough diamonds are we expecting to acquire from this auction?” he asked while continuing to read.
“We’ve already assigned our experts to the evaluation, Mr. Graves,” Brent replied professionally. “They’re reviewing all the details and completing the final checks. We should receive the numbers before the bidding process begins.”
Magnus nodded slightly, a faint frown forming on his forehead as he continued reading the file.
The two of them began walking toward the entrance of the building.
They had only taken a few steps when suddenly—
A girl came running toward them from the side.
Before Magnus could react, she crashed straight into him.
Her hand instinctively grabbed onto his arm to steady herself.
Magnus looked up in surprise.
“Isabel? What are you doing here?” Magnus asked, a frown forming on his face as he looked at the woman standing in front of him.
Isabel was dressed in a sleek black dress that fell just past her knees. Her shoulders were bare, with only thin straps holding the dress in place, and her hair was neatly tied into a bun.
She gave Magnus a bright, cheerful smile.
“I came here to learn, of course,” she said lightly. “I heard there was an auction here for rare diamonds, so I decided to come and check it out. It’ll help me gain some knowledge.”
Magnus’s frown deepened slightly.
Isabel continued as if she hadn’t noticed his displeasure.
“I also heard that you were coming to this auction,” she added happily. “So of course I came to be with you. Now we can go in together.”
Magnus didn’t look pleased at all.
But Isabel ignored his expression completely and began walking toward the entrance with him.
She slipped her arm around Magnus’s as they entered the auction hall together.
As they crossed the crowded hall toward the seating area, many eyes turned toward them. The moment people recognized Magnus, quiet whispers began spreading through the crowd.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mr. Graves with a partner at these events before,” someone murmured.
“Who is she? Is she his girlfriend?” another man whispered.
“It could be,” someone replied. “I doubt he would bring a random woman with him to an event as big as this one.”
Just as Magnus and Isabel were approaching their seats, a man stood up and stepped in front of him. He extended his hand.
He extended his hand for a handshake.
“How are you doing, Magnus?”
Magnus shook his hand and gave him a courteous smile.
“I’m doing fine, Boyd. How are you?”
Boyd nodded before glancing at Isabel curiously. “Your wife?”
Isabel’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement, and she smiled brightly at the question.
But Magnus responded without hesitation.
“No. She’s the younger sister of my best friend. I practically see her as my own sister.”
Isabel’s expression instantly fell. Disappointment and anger flashed across her face, but she remained silent.
The people nearby exchanged surprised looks before quietly turning back to their conversations.
Suddenly, another ripple of commotion spread through the hall. Conversations faltered as many guests turned toward the entrance, curious about the source of the sudden attention.
Magnus glanced in the same direction.
That was when he saw them.
Sophia and Elias had just walked through the doors together, their arms linked as they stepped into the hall. Elias wore a perfectly tailored black suit, the sharp cut of the jacket emphasizing his broad shoulders, paired with a crisp white shirt and a dark silk tie.
Beside him, Sophia looked effortlessly elegant in a fitted black evening gown that draped gracefully over her figure, the fabric catching the light with every step.
Together they looked like a striking couple, drawing attention the moment they stepped inside.
People immediately began whispering again.
“They look amazing together.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen a more attractive couple tonight.”
“Isn’t that Sylvia? I saw her at another auction a few days ago.”
“And that’s Mr. Elias Creed! He rarely attends auctions. I’m surprised he came tonight.”
Another woman whispered softly, “Look at them… they look perfect together.”
While the crowd continued gossiping and admiring the pair, Magnus stood frozen.
His expression darkened as he watched them.
“Sylvia came with Elias…?”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“What exactly is the relationship between those two?”
Meanwhile, Elias and Sophia seemed completely unaware of the whispers surrounding them. They calmly walked toward the front seats.
But just before they could reach their seats—
Magnus stepped directly into their path.
Sophia and Elias both stopped.
Magnus looked directly at them and said in a cold voice,
Isabel stood slightly behind him, her eyes immediately locking onto Sophia.
“What a coincidence running into you here,” Magnus said coolly.
Elias, on the other hand, smiled casually.
He glanced at Isabel briefly before looking back at Magnus.
“Yes,” he said lightly. “What a coincidence.”
Magnus’s jaw tightened when he noticed the tone in Elias’s voice.
He didn’t like it.
“I didn’t know someone involved with airplanes would come to an auction for rough diamonds,” Magnus said sharply, staring at him with clear displeasure.
Elias simply smiled.
His eyes still locked on Magnus, Elias reached for the arm Sophia had looped through his and guided it around her waist, drawing her closer to his side.
“As long as Sylvia likes something, I’ll go anywhere,” Elias said smoothly.
“If she wants diamonds,” he added with a playful smile as he glanced down at Sophia, “then I’ll buy them for her.”
He gave her a quick, charming smile.
Sophia immediately frowned at Elias.
Elias leaned closer to her and whispered quietly near her ear.
“Don’t question it,” he murmured. “Seeing your annoying ex-husband just pisses me off.”
Sophia rolled her eyes, but she didn’t question him any further. Instead, she lifted her gaze toward Magnus and Isabel standing in front of them.
Magnus’s eyes, however, had never left them.
His gaze kept moving between the two of them—watching how close they were standing, the way Elias leaned down to whisper near Sophia’s ear, the quiet way they spoke to each other.
It only made things worse that they weren’t even trying to hide it. They spoke to each other openly, as if they didn’t care what anyone else thought.