The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 348

Giselle wore a heavily embellished luxury gown, its skirt encrusted with tens of thousands of tiny diamonds that sparkled brilliantly under the lights.

Around her slender neck hung that radiant pink diamond necklace.

The rare pink center stone looked like a delicate drop of morning dew, surrounded by a cluster of white diamonds. It perfectly highlighted Giselle's untouchable elegance and the absolute confidence of a woman who was infinitely pampered.

Standing in the corner, Nora stared blankly at the necklace named The Radiance.

Every single metal clasp, every intricate cut in the design—she had polished them all bit by bit with her own hands, working until her eyes were bloodshot and her fingers covered in tiny scratches.

She had poured all her blood, sweat, and tears into it, just to win Lawrence Atelier a fighting chance at survival.

Now, this masterpiece had become the perfect prop for Giselle to flaunt her favored status.

Julian stepped forward from the crowd with a warm smile. Dressed in a suave light gray suit, he held a glass of freshly pressed juice with an inviting hue, gently offering it to Giselle.

"Happy birthday, Giselle."

Julian looked at her affectionately, sparing no praise. "That necklace looks absolutely flawless on you."

Giselle took the juice, a radiant smile blooming on her face as she naturally leaned against Gideon's shoulder.

"Thank you, Julian. I love it so much. It's all thanks to Gideon for finding this raw stone, and to you for hiring someone to custom-design it."

Giselle's sweet, crisp voice echoed in the ears of everyone nearby.

Gideon looked down slightly at Giselle leaning against him and handed her an exquisite dark blue velvet box.

"See what I got for you."

Giselle's eyes lit up, and she couldn't wait to open the box. Nestled quietly inside was The Aurora Pink Earrings, designed to perfectly match the necklace.

"Thank you, Gideon! I knew you were the best!"

"Giselle, I picked this birthday gift out especially for you. I hope you like it."

Nathan's tone was dripping with obvious flattery and eagerness.

Giselle smiled, gesturing for a nearby bodyguard to take the gift, and tossed out a few casual compliments.

A few nearby socialites chimed in, their words laced with a mix of sour jealousy and envy.

"She is the real winner in life. That so-called Mrs. Hayes who refuses to give up her seat is probably hiding in some corner crying her eyes out. With her brother and fiancé both here, that woman is an absolute nobody."

"Exactly, Mr. Hayes won't even look twice at her. The fact that she had the nerve to show up today is just embarrassing."

Nora heard every single word of their harsh gossip.

Through the shifting crowd, she quietly watched Giselle, who was basking in the center of everyone's attention.