After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 123

Catherine’s pulse jumped as she clicked the link, holding her breath. There it was, plain as day, up for auction at a house in Cabinda next month.

She stared at the screen, memories flooding in. Years ago, her grandmother had sold off nearly every piece of jewelry just to help her parents’ business stay afloat. The most precious by far was the family heirloom, a gold bracelet set with a deep green emerald.

That bracelet wasn’t just jewelry. It was history, engraved with their family’s crest and passed down through generations. On her deathbed, Grandma had made Catherine’s mom promise to buy it back someday. Her mom had searched for years, scouring secondhand shops and auctions, but it was like the bracelet had vanished from the earth.

Now, somehow, it was here. In her lifetime.

Catherine’s heart raced as she enlarged the photo, searching for the little details. The twisting vine design, the bold emerald—there was no mistake. This was it. The bracelet.

“Nettie, it’s the one. I have to get it back,” she blurted, dialing her friend without thinking.

“I thought that looked familiar! It’s definitely your family’s. But did you see the estimate? The starting bid is probably going to be eight figures. And it’s collectible. There’s going to be a lot of competition,” Nettie said, sounding worried.

Eight figures. Catherine swallowed. The last time she’d had that kind of money, she’d spent it all on a wedding gift. Now, her bank account was nowhere near enough.

Nestor’s company was going through a tough transition, money was tight, and there was no way she could ask him for help. Lawrence wasn’t an option either. She couldn’t even bring it up, not with everything else on his plate.

Still, this was Grandma’s dying wish. Her mom’s hope. If she let it slip away now, who knew where the bracelet would end up? She might never get another chance.

No. She wasn’t giving up.

“Nettie, I’m in Harrisburg for a research exchange right now. Can you keep an eye on the auction dates for me? I’ll figure out the money,” Catherine said.

“You just focus on your work, okay? I’ll watch the auction. But seriously, don’t push yourself too hard. Eight figures is…” Nettie trailed off, concern clear in her voice.

But Catherine already had an idea. If she landed the Project Apex Initiative, she could negotiate with Nexus Dynamics again. If she became their lead researcher and brought the project back, she knew the mysterious boss would come through for her like before.

Shirley grinned. “You sure you don’t want it yourself, Mom?”

Alice let out a dramatic sigh. “You know I do, but there’s no way I could afford it. They’re saying it’ll go for eight figures!” Still, the longing in her voice was obvious.

“Do you want it or not? If you really do, I’ll figure something out,” Shirley said.

“And how are you going to do that?”

“If I win this project, I’ll have Waldo buy the bracelet for me as a gift,” Shirley replied, confident.

“Are you serious? Shirley, if you can pull that off, I’d be over the moon! I can just imagine Catherine’s face if I wore that bracelet. She’d lose her mind,” Alice said, her laughter bubbling through the line.

Shirley smirked, already picturing the scene. “Don’t worry, Mom. That bracelet is as good as yours.”