He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 209

Valerie Valentine sat in her chair, paralyzed in silence for a full ten minutes, while Juniper Lane patiently waited without rushing her.

Finally, Valerie slowly closed her eyes. "Are you absolutely sure this is Guatemalan Jadeite?"

"I'm positive. If I'm wrong, I'm willing to buy it from you at double the price," Juniper said gently. "You should tell me when you bought this ring—let's see if there's still time to demand a refund."

Every word she spoke was laced with genuine concern for the other woman.

Valerie lowered her gaze, choking back the sudden lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, I just lost my temper earlier. I bought this ring from a friend—we've known each other for years. When you told me it was fake, it felt like you were insulting our friendship. I didn't just buy this ring from her; I've spent millions of dollars on all sorts of jewelry through her. My family came into a lot of money from selling some real estate a few years ago, and I've been spending it like crazy. I just wanted some high-end pieces to look the part. She acted like she was doing me a massive favor, claiming she was giving me a thirty percent discount off the market price."

It seemed she had been ruthlessly scammed by her best friend. No wonder she was so devastated.

Juniper offered a sympathetic smile. "As long as you can still track her down, you have a chance."

Valerie looked utterly defeated, resting her forehead in her hands. "Just appraise the rest of the jewelry. I trust you. I want to sell it all today. As for this ring... let me keep it. It'll serve as a bitter reminder."

Juniper nodded, swiftly appraising the dozens of other pieces before carefully packing them away.

Before leaving, Valerie apologized once more, consumed by guilt as she glanced at the prominent coffee stain ruining Juniper's blouse.

Juniper brushed it off; dealing with high-end clients meant navigating all kinds of volatile personalities.

After all, in this industry, customer satisfaction was everything.

Her phone buzzed with a call from her family just then. As she answered, her brow furrowed in deep concern, and without even taking the time to go home and change, she hailed a cab straight to the hospital.

Beatrice jumped in terror and desperately grabbed Nadine's hands. "Nadine, you can't say things like that! Come on, I'll help you outside. You just need to go back to the hotel and get some rest."

Nadine genuinely wanted to escape the room. She couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that Juniper's piercing gaze was seeing right through her lies.

The hefty payoff of a million dollars was already sitting warm in her bank account; she had to look out for her own future now.

Beatrice personally escorted the woman back to the hotel, leaving only Juniper and Brooks in the stifling hospital room.

Brooks closed his eyes, overwhelmed by a suffocating sense of shame.

Juniper, however, refused to coddle him. "Don't you think she's acting suspicious? You were severely injured. Given how she usually acts, she should have been in hysterics. After all, you two have been together for years and supposedly still love each other, plus she's carrying your child. Yet she was just sitting there scrolling on her phone. It's obvious that money is far more important to Nadine than you ever were. You need to investigate her bank accounts."