The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 218

Nora let out a bitter scoff.

How absolutely ridiculous.

As a professional jewelry designer, she was actually using her proudest talents and skills to painstakingly adorn the very woman who had effortlessly destroyed her friend's future and pushed her into a corner.

Giselle would wear the necklace she had bled over, soaking up the praise and envy of the Metropolis's elite at that lavish birthday gala.

Meanwhile, Janie—the girl who had been beaten black and blue trying to protect her—was forced into exile in some remote town, permanently barred from the design industry she loved so dearly.

The wooden door to the study suddenly clicked open.

Gideon pushed his way inside.

Nora didn't look back, but her spine involuntarily stiffened.

His long, elegant fingers balanced a delicate bone-china tray holding a freshly made bowl of sweet soup.

Gideon approached the desk and set the tray down near a pile of discarded sketches, his gaze lingering on her slightly pale cheeks.

"Mrs. Hudson just made this. Drink it while it's hot."

"Thank you, Mr. Hayes, but I'm not hungry."

Unlike his usual habit, Gideon didn't immediately turn and leave. Instead, he stood slightly behind her, his eyes fixed intensely on her frame.

He rarely ever had the chance to watch her focus so intently on her work.

For the past three years, he had intentionally—or perhaps subconsciously—ignored her existence, constantly dodging her hopeful gaze.

The memory of her shattered state that night at the tavern, sobbing into his chest as if her heart had literally broken, remained wedged in his chest like a jagged thorn.

Whenever he looked into Nora's cold, detached eyes now, a tidal wave of guilt and remorse would hit him. It left him feeling as if he owed this woman a monumental debt, driving him to do whatever he could to make up for those three years of neglect.

Shaking off his thoughts, Gideon looked down, wanting to check on her design progress.

The breathtaking pink diamond necklace was displayed quietly in the center of the screen. Its precise cuts and ingenious structural design made the piece look like a flawless work of art.

Nora folded her hands in her lap, her fingernails gently pressing into her palms.

"Thanks."

She offered a clipped reply.

Gideon's gaze trailed downward from the center stone, finally landing on the edging design at the base of the necklace. His brow furrowed in concentration.

The necklace in the draft boasted extravagant materials. To achieve that luminous effect, the main stone was surrounded by densely packed, sharp prong settings. The metal lines were as jagged as miniature daggers, designed to lock the tiny accent diamonds in place.

"These settings... the edges are too sharp."

He tapped his index finger against the accent diamonds clustered near the main stone on the screen.

"Giselle's skin is sensitive. She's been delicate since she was a kid and hates wearing anything that scratches."

At the mere mention of Giselle's name, the numb expression in Nora's eyes instantly turned freezing cold.