The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 186

Nora pulled a portable sketchbook and a pen from her purse, laying them flat on the coffee table. She flipped to a blank page, ready to note down her client's demands.

"Julian." Nora switched back to a strictly professional tone as she continued questioning him.

"What kind of gemstone materials does she usually like to wear? Does she have any preference for the chain length?"

"I already prepared the main stone long ago. It's an incredibly rare pink diamond."

Julian retrieved a black velvet box from the safe. He walked back, gently set the box on the marble coffee table, and reached out a long finger to slowly pop open the lid.

A brilliant, dazzling light suddenly flared in the dim office.

Resting quietly in the exact center of the velvet box was a teardrop-shaped pink diamond.

The diamond's cut was absolute perfection; every single facet refracted a blinding pink brilliance, glittering so intensely under the light that it was hard to look at directly.

A pink diamond of this caliber was a priceless treasure even at international auction houses, easily valued in the tens of millions of dollars.

"She loves beautiful things. She loves anything that sparkles and shines. I want this necklace to be a one-of-a-kind treasure, to be completely worthy of her status."

A pink diamond.

Nora's fingers gripped her pen, flying across the page as she logged the raw stone category.

She looked at the blinding pink diamond, then at the sheer focus on Julian's face when he mentioned the woman he loved, and a faint, aching sting pulsed through her chest.

She had been married to Gideon for three years, and she had never once seen that kind of focus in his eyes.

Gideon's undivided attention had never landed on her. Yet Julian was willing to mobilize a massive fortune and produce a priceless pink diamond just to custom-make a necklace for the woman he loved. Even as he listed his demands, his very eyes seemed to come alive.

Nora's mind automatically sketched the image of a socialite heiress cocooned in endless pampering.

An arrogant woman who lived under the spotlight, accustomed to being admired by everyone, and who only decorated herself with the most luxurious items.

Nora continued probing for his requirements. "What kind of elements or style would you like to incorporate into this necklace?"

Yet it made Nora feel suddenly unfamiliar with him.

The strangeness arrived without warning. It was as if a jagged, icy reef had suddenly breached the surface of a familiar, calm ocean.

The way Julian looked at her no longer held that comforting warmth that felt like a spring breeze; instead, it radiated an indescribable paranoia and fervor.

A sudden, creeping chill crawled up Nora's spine.

She instantly recalled the conversation she had overheard outside the door yesterday—Gideon's murderous warning, and Julian's unyielding counterattack.

"Yes, Radiance."

Julian emphasized his tone, slowly enunciating his next words.

"The brilliant light of the sun and moon. Like a radiant blossom."