Chapter 10

When Marcus opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Cordelia coming out of the kitchen with two plates. She originally had worry etched on her face, but she swapped it for a smile the moment she saw him. Unfortunately, the smile looked a bit forced. Marcus sat at the table after washing his hands. He had trained the whole day, so he was famished. The steaming dishes looked very appetizing. He picked up his cutlery and started to eat, while Cordelia sat unmoved opposite him. “What happened?” He looked up at her. Cordelia jumped but shook her head lightly. “Then eat up.” Marcus put some meat on her plate. “Will you get full just by looking?” Cordelia dipped her head with pressed lips. She really did not have much of an appetite. Her phone rang with a ding, and it was her brother, Carter Irwin. [Sis, when will we get mom’s treatment money? The doctor will stop giving her medication otherwise!] She felt her heart squeeze as she subconsciously looked toward the drawer in the bedroom. She had put the gold jewelry Marcus had given her there. That gold and jade bangle should be worth plenty… “What’s got you distracted?” A deep voice interrupted her train of thought suddenly. Cordelia broke out of her trance and abruptly met the man’s deep eyes. She could not help jolting. For some reason, the unusual vibe Marcus exuded gave her a strong sense of pressure every time she met his eyes. “Nothing…” she answered softly. Marcus put down his cutlery, his gaze cryptic. “Do you have something to tell me?” Cordelia shook her head frantically, but Marcus was in no hurry. He kept his eyes on her for a while before chuckling and going back to eating. Since she did not want to tell him, he was not going to ask. One day, the girl would lose her composure. That night was torture for Cordelia. She read Carter’s text over and over and thought of countless ways to make money, but nothing would save them in time. It was impossible to go back to the Jenners and ask for money now, so the only solution might have to be… She closed the door quietly and pulled the drawer open to retrieve the carved wooden box. The jewelry glittered under the moonlight. She picked the bangle out and hesitated for a long time. Finally, she wrapped it up carefully and tucked it into her pocket. … “Hmm, it’s not bad,” the employee at the jeweler’s said, smiling with a nod. “Miss, your bangle’s design is a bit old, but it’s a classic one and it’s fine quality. It’s rare to find a piece with such good-quality gold and jade nowadays.” “How much is it worth then?” Cordelia looked at him hopefully. “You mean to pawn it?” The employee smiled and took her to a room inside. There were several professional devices on the table, and the employee left right after asking her to wait in the room. Cordelia sat down and scanned the place. She had not expected this jeweler’s to be so luxurious. Actually, she had not been exactly hopeful before coming. The bangle did look kind of old, and Marcus could not have given her anything too fancy given his situation. It was a surprise that the employee had asked her to stay. As she held the bangle in her hand, she toyed with it and stood up to pace around the room in hesitation. Unbeknownst to Cordelia, each of her moves was monitored clearly by the surveillance camera. “Mr. Bayer, this is the Hamerton family’s heirloom… Do you want me to bring the lady over right now?” A pair of eyes was watching the computer screen closely behind the spacious work desk. The smile on the handsome face was sardonic, and the man leaned back and crossed his legs on the table. With squinted eyes, he said with a smirk, “There’s no hurry. Let’s wait and see!” “But what if she stole it?” “Unlikely.” Josiah Bayer toyed with his lighter and lit up a cigarette. “I heard that Z got married. This is most likely his darling wife. Heh, leaving something so precious to her… Z can’t have thought that she would bring it here!” “What should we do next, Mr. Bayer?” “Ask the guy to give her a price. Let’s start with $150,000!” Cordelia was greeted back by the employee amidst her distress. The employee cracked a grin as he told her, “Miss, after our professional assessment, there would be no problem pawning this bangle for $150,000.” There was a buzz in Cordelia’s ears as she was stupefied for ten seconds. $150,000? She clutched the bangle and looked caught in a dilemma. The price was more than she had expected, and it had not crossed her mind that the piece of jewelry would be worth so much! With $150,000, she would not just pay her mother’s current medical fees but her future ones too. She could even afford to send Carter to a better school… That said, this was Marcus’ wedding gift to her. Cordelia frowned slightly. She suddenly recalled how Marcus had looked when he had passed the jewelry box to her. “This is all I have, and I give it all to you. You’re in charge of the household from now on.” Biting her lip, she was overwhelmed with guilt. The man had given her everything he had, and this was how she was repaying his sincerity? “Miss, are you not happy with the price?” the employee asked with a careful smile. “We can negotiate the price. Why don’t I show you our record, and you can consider it before—” “I’m not selling it!” Cordelia sprang up and shoved the bangle back into her bag swiftly. “Uh…” Before the employee could react, she had fled out of the jeweler’s and blended into the bustling street. “Huh, she didn’t sell it?” A teasing voice came from the upper floor of the jeweler’s. The employee turned around immediately to bow and greet the man respectfully. “Mr. Bayer!” The man squinted. There was a playful expression on his handsome face as he sat down on the couch and made a call. “Z, do you know that your darling came to me to pawn your family heirloom?”