Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 232

Chapter 197: The Bracelet

(Author’s POV)

“A bracelet?” Sienna’s voice was cool, almost amused. “What kind?”

“Gold. With diamonds. From Harrington’s.”

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A pause. Then a short, dismissive sound. “Martha. Harrington’s is a mid–tier chain. Their pieces are fine for a certain kind of person, but I’m going to be photographed at this wedding by every major society outlet in the city. A bracelet from Harrington’s would be noticed for the wrong reasons.”

“I thought –”

“You thought wrong.” Sienna’s voice sharpened. “I need you to understand something. Your role in my life is very specific. You are Aurora’s nominal mother. That is useful to me in certain ways. But you are not my family, and you are not someone I bring into my social world. Don’t call me like this again.”

The line went dead.

Martha stood on the pavement with the glossy bag hanging from her fingers. The foot traffic moved.

around her. A man in a dark jacket shouldered past her, and she felt the bag jerk – then it was gone.

She

spun around. A figure was already twenty feet away, moving fast through the crowd.

“Stop!” She ran after him, her heels hitting the pavement hard. “Stop, that’s mine – someone stop him –”

Nobody stopped. The figure turned a corner and disappeared.

Martha stood at the intersection, breathing hard, her hands empty.

She called Sienna again.

One ring. Two. The call dropped.

A text arrived: *Don’t call this number.*

Martha sat down on a bench at the edge of the pavement. The glossy bag was gone. The money was gone. And the only person she’d spent it for had already told her, in plain terms, exactly what she was

worth.

She pressed her hands over her face and cried.

(Aurora’s POV)

Phineas picked me up from the lab at six.

He didn’t tell me where we were going. He just said it was a celebration, and when I pointed out that we’d already been officially married for months, he said that was different from being officially *public, and apparently that distinction warranted its own occasion.

The shopping center was closed by the time we arrived. The staff had stayed on, the lights were fully up,

<Chapter 197 The Bracelet

and the floor was ours.

I found a dress I liked within the first twenty minutes – clean lines, good fabric, the kind of thing that worked for almost any occasion. I held it up and looked at Phineas.

“This works,” I said.

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“It does,” he agreed. Then he nodded to the sales associate. “Bring out the Maison Valère piece. The one

from the limited collection.”

The associate disappeared and returned with a necklace in a black velvet case. Diamonds, set in a

graduated line, the kind of piece that showed up in auction catalogs.

“Phineas –”

“It’s a public marriage.” He lifted the necklace from the case and stepped behind me. “People will look. I’d

rather they look at you and see someone whose husband isn’t embarrassingly understated.”

I felt the cool weight of it settle against my collarbone as he fastened the clasp.

“That’s a very convenient justification,” I said.

“It’s a practical one.” He moved back around to face me. His expression was composed, but there was

something in his eyes that was quietly, thoroughly pleased. “If you refuse it, I’ll just look cheap. You

wouldn’t do that to me.”

I looked at my reflection in the full–length mirror. The necklace caught the light.

“You’re impossible,” I said.

“You’re wearing it,” he said.

I was.

We arrived at Premier an hour later. The private room was already occupied when we walked in- Gavin

was halfway through a glass of scotch, Patrick was arguing with someone on his phone, and two others I

recognized from Phineas’s circle were sprawled across the leather seating.

The moment they saw me, the energy shifted.

“Sister–in–law,” Gavin raised his glass. The others echoed it, a chorus of *sister–in–law* landing from every

direction.

Patrick ended his call and immediately turned to me with the focused expression of someone who had been waiting for an opportunity.

“You have to help me,” he said. “Since he got married, every aunt and family friend who used to bother him has redirected their energy entirely toward those of us who are still single. I’ve had four phone calls this week. Four.”

“That does sound difficult,” I said.

< Chapter 107 The Bracelet

“Do you have anyone? Any friends? Colleagues? I’m not particular.”

“She’s not running a matchmaking service,” Phineas said.

“I’m just asking –”

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“What about her friend?” someone offered from the back of the room. “The one with the bright hair. Olivia.”

Phineas didn’t even turn his head. “Olivia Redmond has taste. That rules out everyone in this room.”

Laughter broke out. Patrick threw a cocktail napkin at Phineas, who caught it without looking.

The room settled back into easy noise. Someone refilled glasses. Gavin leaned forward, and something in

his expression shifted – the particular look of a man about to deliver information he found interesting.

“By the way,” he said, “do you know who’s in the next room over?”

Phineas’s eyebrow lifted, just slightly.

Patrick reached for his drink and shrugged with deliberate casualness. “Who else would it be? It’s Jasper.”

(Aurora’s POV)

Phineas’s eyes narrowed.

“What does Jasper being next door have to do with me?” His voice dropped to something cold and flat.

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