Just a few days ago, Alvin had sworn to me that he wanted Thea out of thepany, that he no longer wanted anything to do with her. But now, here she was, picking out a gift for Peter’s birthday, clearly still involved with him.


    I hadn’t believed Alvin’s ims, and once again, my instincts proved right.


    Thea was looking at the set with a very professional air, clearly well-versed in fine writing tools. She didn’t see me, and I didn’t want to interact with her, so I just turned away, pretending I hadn’t noticed her and continued to pick out something


    else.


    “Are you sure this is the best? I’m giving it to a very important elder. I don’t want to embarrass myself,” Thea said to Rogelio, scrutinizing the set.


    “Miss Mills, there’s no such thing as the ‘best.’ There’s always something better, right?” Rogelio replied with a smile. “But I promise, this one will be impressive. You won’t regret it.”


    “True,” Thea said thoughtfully, “But I want it to be perfect. I want the recipient to know I put in effort.”


    “Looking at writing tools in Seastone, nothing beats what I have here. This set will certainly stand out,” Rogelio assured her, his tone confident.


    “Good,” Thea said, a pause before adding, “It’s for my future father-inw.”


    My body stiffened at those words. Was she officially dating Alvin now?


    If that was the case, why was Alvin still undermining me at work? What was going on?


    I shook my head in disbelief. This was absurd.


    I continued browsing, but none of the other sets caught my attention.


    I was beginning to feel disheartened when something in the corner of the cab caught my eye. Without a second thought, I blurted out, “Mr. Lindsey, could I see this set?”


    Take whichever one you like,” Rogelio said, clearly not concerned about my choice.


    I didn’t even wait for him to fetch it and opened the cab myself. As I pulled out the set, I noticed a figure beside me.


    ‘Are you getting this for Mr. Dolton, too?” Thea’s voice sounded from behind me.


    Of course, my words had drawn her over. But I didn’t look at her. Instead, I continued to study the set in my hands.


    It wasn’t the newest model, but the materials and feel were exceptional.


    I’d worked at the Dolton family for ten years, and when I first joined, Peter often asked me to keep himpany while he


    wrote.


    Over the years, I’d picked up quite a bit of knowledge about fine writing tools.


    “Yeah, I responded nonchntly, not offering much more.


    But then I heard her speak again. “I’ve already ordered the best set for Mr. Dolton. So… maybe you should choose something else. It’d be awkward if we both gave him the same gift. Besides…”


    She paused for a few seconds before adding, “The set I got him is the best. If you choose a lesser one, Peter might think you


    didn’t put in enough effort.”


    I couldn’t help butugh inwardly. Was she really pretending to care about my feelings?


    This set was perfect for Peter’s age and taste-subtle, refined, not shy, but elegant.


    It had a quiet dignity to it, just like ink itself. It didn’t rely on outward beauty to impress.


    And as for Thea? I decided to make my move. “Mr. Lindsey, please wrap this one up for me.”


    Turning toward Thea, I couldn’t help but notice the shock on her face. She was clearly frustrated, even a little angry.


    “Miss Mills,” I said coolly, “You choose your gift, and I’ll choose mine. As for whether it’s the best or not, you don’t have to worry about that. Besides…” I smiled. “I think if mine is a little less impressive, it’ll make you, the future daughter-inw, look even more thoughtful, don’t you think?”


    23


    Thea’s pale face flushed bright red in an instant. I knew then that her previous conversation with Rogelio had been nothing but a performance, a way for her to save face.


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