“Mom, that’s not what I meant…” Paulina tried to explain, but Madonna had already moved on, turning to Rebecca with a warm, gentle smile.
“Don’t worry about anything, Rebecca. Irvin may not have much going for him, but his taste in gifts is actually pretty good. Paulina and I have both gotten plenty of presents from him, and our friends are always full of compliments when we wear them out.”
Irvin couldn’t help but laugh.
Paulina felt a sting of annoyance, but she kept it buried beneath a calm expression.
Rebecca picked up on the edge in Paulina’s words. Still, she’d always been good at ignoring childish drama like that. Madonna’s reassurance made her relax a bit. She reached out and accepted the gift.
She opened the box and found a bracelet inside, each bead a different vibrant color, every gemstone delicately engraved with little flowers. Her eyes caught one deep red gem that stood out, its setting carved into the shape of her constellation. It looked like something designed just for her, completely unique.
Madonna’s eyes sparkled. “This is so beautiful, Rebecca. And look, your zodiac animal is right here! Come on, let me put it on for you.”
Rebecca couldn’t say no, not with Madonna watching her like that, so she let her slip the bracelet on.
Irvin watched, relieved that she’d finally accepted his gift. Once the bracelet was on, he gave Rebecca an honest smile. “It looks great on you. Really suits you.”
When Paulina saw the bracelet, her jealousy burned hot. She’d wanted that exact limited-edition bracelet. She’d even gone to the boutique to ask about it, only to be told there was just one, and it was already sold. She never imagined Irvin was the one who bought it.
Forcing down her frustration, Paulina put on a soft, sweet voice. “Irvin, you got such a nice present for Rebecca. Did you get anything for me?”
Irvin had been expecting this. He handed her another gift box. “Of course, I didn’t forget. Your birthday is next month, right? I went through a lot to get this for you. See if you like it.”
Paulina didn’t think much of the plain-looking package at first. She suspected Irvin had picked out something random, just to keep things even. But his words made her curious. Maybe it was something from an exclusive designer, higher-end than Lady.M?
She worked to cover her anticipation, popping open the lid right away. Inside was another bracelet. It didn’t shine the way Rebecca’s did, wasn’t covered in sparkling gems.


VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Coma Prince’s Fiancée