The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 882

"I don't have to do this; we are all friends," Neera chuckled.

Avery was grinning, and he knew what she meant. Neera was reminding him with these words that she did not agree with the marriage contract.

"Friends? That's right, so I obviously have to give a birthday gift as a friend," he said slowly and gently.

He took the velvet box he'd prepared from his pocket. Neera noticed it and immediately recognized it as the jewelry he had previously spent a lot of money on at an auction. He seemed to have stated that the jewelry was for someone he liked, as she recalled.

Neera paused for a moment before she could refuse with a smile.

"Thank you for your gift, Mr. Cox. I am very appreciative of the present, but it is too pricey for me to accept," said Neera.

Avery expected her to say no, but he never got his hands back.

"Don't misunderstand me; I mean nothing else. Simply put, I believe jewelry should only be presented to those who can appreciate it. Otherwise, keeping it would be useless. After all, you and I are friends. No matter how priceless a present may be, it cannot compare to the connection we share. This present is nothing compared to our friendship."

Neera was forced to accept after hearing these remarks because to do differently would be too purposeful. But just accepting the gift made her feel uneasy.

Unexpectedly, a voice emerged from behind her as she was hesitating.

"Neera, just take it."

After a brief moment of surprise, Neera noticed that Jean had moved to her side before she could turn around. When Avery heard the sound, he turned around. The two men squared off against each other.

Jean smiled as he raised the corners of his mouth. He gave Neera a comforting gaze.

"Mr. Cox is correct; since it is the intention of a friend, let us accept it," said Jean.

He took Neera's hand in his and grasped her fingers while speaking. The action was natural. But it felt like a sense of claiming dominance in Avery's gaze.

Neera didn't give it much thought, paused for a second, then had to concur.

"All right, Mr. Cox, I accepted your generous gift as a friend. Thank you very much."

She claimed as such, but she had a lingering impression that the present was a tad pricey. Neera reasoned that she would need to find an excuse and choose one that was roughly comparable to returning the gift.

Avery was dissatisfied, even though she had accepted the gift. He wasn't in a particularly good mood right now, on the other hand.

He found the phrase "as a friend" to be the first to make him feel uneasy.

Second, Neera changed after Jean spoke a few words, which infuriated him even more. His face instantly darkened as his eyes took a fleeting peek at the hands holding each other.

"When we last met, I didn't have enough time for a good conversation with Mr. Beauvort. It's unusual for us to meet tonight. How about we get a drink?"

He abruptly offered an invitation, and his remarks seemed to have a tinge of provocation.

"I'm sorry, Neera won't let me drink," Jean remarked.

Avery's mouth curvature was slightly stagnant.

Neera had missed it; she hastily apologized to Mr. Cox and said, "Sorry, Mr. Cox, Jean's health is not very good and he is not suitable for drinking."

Avery's eyes lost their smile, but he was still keeping his smile.

"I forgot about this; Mr. Beauvort should take care of his health."

Jean smiled and said, "Thank you; I will."

Avery moved away from Jean and grinned at Neera.

"This evening is too crowded; I can't have a good conversation with you. Let's talk later."

Neera wanted to end the conversation, so she quickly said, "Okay, I hope you have a good time tonight."

Avery then walked away. Jean narrowed his eyes and gazed at his back as if he were thinking about something.

"Let's go; we haven't met the guests over there yet," Jean said. He led Neera over while pointing to the right as if he didn't give a damn about anything.

On the other side, Avery's face dipped slightly after returning to Violet's side.

"Are you unhappy?" Violet questioned herself as she blinked while she had candy in her mouth.

"Do you think I look happy?" Avery said.

Violet was aware that Avery was unhappy. The candy in her mouth made her look like a charming little hamster.

She said it with an "ugh" sound. "I gave you advice, but you chose not to heed it. You always gave off the impression that you could woo her. Do you now regret ignoring me?"

Avery's expression abruptly turned melancholy. Violet shook her neck and refrained from speaking.

"Don't get discouraged so easily. It's not that you don't stand a chance. You just need to figure out how to get her back."

"You are handsome and rich; many women are tempted by you. If you put in the effort, you can undoubtedly win Ms. Garcia over. You need to impress her and catch her off guard. You will be successful sooner or later," she said with a naive and cheery smile.

Avery scowled viciously and sipped his drink.

He then placed the wine glass in the table's corner.

"We should probably go." He turned around, leaving this phrase behind, and walked away.

When Violet realized she was still eating the cake, she said, "Wait for me!"

…

Neera was oblivious to what was going on. Later, when the cake was sliced, Jean said goodbye to Chad and Adriana ahead of time and took Neera to depart first.

The two had no objections because they understood they intended to celebrate in secret.

After entering the vehicle, Neera cast a troubled glance in the direction of the manor.

"Isn't it bad for us to leave in this manner?"

Jean adjusted the seat belts for the two of them and patted her head.

"Don't worry, Aunt Adriana and the others will handle it."