Chapter 150

Chapter 150:
The car rolled to a stop at her apartment complex.
But Brandon remained seated, not getting out.
Neither did Vivian. She simply watched him.
Taking a long breath, Brandon reached into the back seat and pulled out the safe containing the gemstones.
Vivian’s eyes glimmered, but she quickly looked down, masking her anticipation. She knew about the 6-carat ruby pendant. Brandon had won it during the auction, and now she wondered if he meant it for her as well.
The tanzanite had fetched $25 million at auction, but everyone knew it was worth only a fraction of that.
Vivian wanted the ruby pendant more than the tanzanite. It wasn’t just more expensive; it was ready to wear, unlike the rough stone that needed time and effort to be made into jewelry.
Of course, having both would be perfect.
And now that Brandon had acted, she needed to follow through.
So, she pulled out her phone and began transferring money to Brandon. “I only have 1.2 million available at the moment,” she said as she made the transfer. “I’ll send this first and settle the rest later.”
Brandon blinked, jolted back to the present.
His fingers traced the faceted surface of the deep blue tanzanite before he reached in again and brought out the ruby pendant.
“No need,” he said, handing the box to her.
“But I told you I’d pay,” Vivian said, trying to sound insistent. “I meant to buy the tanzanite, not this ruby pendant.”
She paused, then slowly pushed the box back toward him. “I can’t take this. It’s too valuable.”
Brandon didn’t glance at her. His eyes were still on the tanzanite.
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“It’s a raw stone. Not ideal for wearing,” he muttered, lying effortlessly. He shut the safe. “I think the ruby suits you more.”
“Really?” Vivian asked, her voice eager.
Brandon looked down.
“Yes,” he answered.
Vivian’s heart stirred as she kept her eyes fixed on the pendant. “Brandon, did you bid for it with me in mind?”
Brandon remained silent, not looking at her. He turned his gaze toward the window instead.
Outside, the night was still. The trees stood tall, their shadows long and faint beneath the streetlights. It felt serene, yet hollow.
“Yes,” he said at last, barely audible.
In that moment, he finally understood why Millie had been angry when, a month ago, he had said, “My child deserves the very best.”
Without saying much, Brandon placed the safe holding the tanzanite back in the backseat. He had never intended to give the tanzanite to Vivian. That had been the whole point of bidding on the ruby pendant in the first place. By handing her the pendant, he could easily spin some weak excuse to hold on to the tanzanite.
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