"You must ept it..." Eleanor said, her tone and gaze were unwavering, leaving no room for refusal.


    However, Rose couldn''t bring herself to ept such an extravagant gift. "No, I can''t... It''s too much, Mrs. Finch Senior," she said, trying to decline.


    "What do you mean, ''too much''? You''re helping me repair the gown, aren''t you?" Eleanor cut her off, giving Rose no chance to refuse.


    Just then, Eleanor caught sight of a figure at the doorway. "Lizzie,e and look at this. Doesn''t this ne look perfect on Rosie?"


    Most of the guests had already arrived downstairs. Lizzie came up to invite Eleanor to join them but was stunned to see Eleanor personally adorning Rose with the ne.


    "Is she really going to give that ne to Rose? That ne..." she mused.


    "Lizzie,e in," Eleanor urged, snapping Lizzie out of her thoughts.


    Lizzie stepped into the study, quickly regaining her warm andposed demeanor. "Mom, all the guests have arrived."


    "Is he here too?" Eleanor''s eyes brightened with anticipation.


    Lizzie knew precisely whom Eleanor was referring to. After all, that day''s birthday banquet was more about honoring the legendary figure of the Xanth family than celebrating her birthday. "Yes, he just arrived. Jonathan''s with him," Lizzie confirmed.


    Eleanor''s face lit up with joy. She could hardly contain her eagerness to rush downstairs and wee their honored guest.


    However, she quickly regained herposure, knowing there was no need to hurry. Since he was already here, her priority was ensuring his happiness, and the best way to do that was through Rose.


    Eleanor''s gaze softened as she looked at Rose with even more affection. "Lizzie, don''t you think this ne suits Rosie perfectly? It''s only fitting to give it to her as a token of gratitude.


    "Rosie, for my sake-and in front of my daughter-inw-please don''t refuse. Otherwise, it would seem like you don''t value the Finch family."


    Rose was at a loss for words, for there was nothing she could say to that. It was clear that Eleanor wouldn''t let it go until she epted the ne.


    "Fine. I''ll just return the ne to Jonathanter..." With that in mind, Rose nodded slightly. "Thank you, Mrs. Finch Senior."


    Such a precious ne wasn''t something she could casually wear. It was far too eye-catching. She tried to remove it, but she couldn''t unsp it despite several attempts.


    Rose felt a wave of awkwardness when Eleanor suddenly eximed, "Oh dear, my memory really is slipping. Ipletely forgot that the sp on this ne is broken, making it quite difficult to remove. I''ve been meaning to have it fixed, but I keep forgetting." Rose was speechless. "Is this really happening?" she wondered.


    She tried a few more times to take it off, but her efforts were fruitless. The ne wouldn''t budge.


    "Just leave it on for now," Eleanor said softly before giving Lizzie a pointed look. Lizzie immediately took out her phone and made a call.


    Rose sighed inwardly, resigning herself to wearing thevish piece. However, she knew that stepping out with such a striking ne would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention.


    Unbeknownst to her, that was precisely what Eleanor intended. She wanted everyone to see the stunning emerald ne adorning Rose''s neck.


    As expected, when Rose appeared, all eyes were immediately drawn to the ne.


    "Wow, that ne is stunning..."


    "I always thought a piece like that could only be paired with an elegant gown, but Ms. Shaffer''s casual outfit gives it a whole new charm..." "Well, that''s because Ms. Shaffer is stunning! I doubt it''ll look the same if it was on someone else."


    "That''s true. I think she''s prettier than that international movie star."


    "Wait, I don''t remember Ms. Shaffer wearing that ne when she arrived. Did I miss it?"


    There was no way anyone would miss such a dazzling piece of jewelry. The women exchanged nces before reaching a collective conclusion.


    "If the ne wasn''t on Ms. Shaffer when she arrived, then that must mean..."


    They looked at Eleanor, who was smiling warmly at Rose, and felt like they had stumbled upon a huge secret.


    "The ne is a gift from Eleanor! Such a ne is incredibly valuable, almost priceless. Eleanor''s decision to give it to Rose could mean only one thing-she wanted Rose to join the Finch family! The same thought shed in everyone''s mind.


    Someone whispered, "Mrs. Finch Senior wants Ms. Shaffer to be a part of the Finch family!"


    "That must be it! Among the Finch family''s grandchildren, Liam from the second branch married Yara. As for Jack, he''s a yboy who''s done some bad things and got locked up somewhere. Then there''s M Jonathan and Mr. Ezra..."


    "Mr. Jonathan and Ms. Shaffer would make a wonderful couple!"


    "But what about Mr. Ezra? What if Ms. Shaffer is more interested in Mr. Ezra? Actually, has anyone ever seen Mr. Ezra from the Finch family before?"


    The socialites whispered and gossiped amongst themselves, their curiosity piqued by this new revtion.


    As Rose stood amidst the curious gazes, a wave of uneasiness washed over her. However, her difort subsided when she spotted a few familiar figures approaching. "Clo..." Rose''s face lit up when she saw Clover, and she immediately broke away from Eleanor''s grasp, running to greet him.


    Clover greeted her with a warm, doting smile, but before he could utter a word, another voice interjected from beside him. "What about me?"


    The voice belonged to Elijah, who was gazing at Rose with a hint of dissatisfaction and knitted brows, expressing his jealousy.


    Rose paused for a moment, realizing she had only called out to Clover. Swiftly recovering, she affectionately looped her arm through Elijah''s.


    "Dad."


    Despite not having known him long, addressing Elijah as "Dad" came with unexpected ease. Perhaps it was the inexplicable power of their blood bond.


    Feeling a surge of pride at being called "Dad," Elijah couldn''t resist casting a triumphant look at Clover.


    Clover could only blink in protest. Rose had called out to him first. He was the one who should be feeling smug.


    However, he knew better than to challenge his uncle. With a resigned sigh, he sheepishly rubbed his nose. Just then, Clover''s gaze fell on the ne adorning Rose''s neck. "That''s a lovely ne," he remarked.


    In truth, it was Rose''s beauty that truly brought out the ne''s charm.


    Unable to contain her delight at thepliment, Eleanor swiftly stepped forward with a bright smile. "I knew it! This ne truly shines when worn by Rosie. It''s as if it was made for her!" Clover''s eyes finally shifted to Eleanor. Elijah also looked over. There was an unmistakable implication in her words that they both caught, and they exchanged puzzled nces. "This ne..."


    "It''s a token of my gratitude to Rosie," Eleanor exined warmly, her affectionate gaze lingering on Rose.


    "A gift? Was she thanking Rose for attending the birthday banquet?" Elijah wondered.


    He saw through Eleanor''s words but held his tongue. Instead, he turned to Rose. "Do you like it?"


    Rose had a deep appreciation for design, and from that perspective, the ne was indeed skillfully


    crafted. The materials used were et


    undeniably precious, but as


    elf


    someone who designed jewetry, she didn''t crave the finest pieces for herself.


    Yet, she couldn''t bring herself to express her disinterest in Eleanor''s presence.


    "Well... I suppose I do," Rose answered, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "It''s just that I can''t seem to take it off now." She still intended to remove itter and return it to Jonathan, which, in a way, would be returning it to the Finch family.