Chapter 249
“Thank you, Grandpa p>
Claire accepted the gift and changed how she addressed him without missing a beat. She was so natural about it that no one thought she was just being opportunistic. Instead, everyone found her genuine and adorable.
“And this is for you,” Ophelia said, handing over her own gift.
“Go ahead, open it. See if you like it.” Ophelia’s smile was warm and reassuring.
No one had asked Claire to open the present from Padgett earlier. Everyone knew his gifts were always over-the-top, so it was better for Claire to look at it on her own. If anyone asked about it, Padgett might start overthinking. Older people especially hated being questioned about how they spent their money. If he wanted to give something, let him. The Churchills were all successful in their own right, so no one was pressed for cash around here.
Ophelia’s gift was a different story. She really wanted to know what Claire liked. If this didn’t go over well, she’d make sure not to pick something similar next time.
Claire did as she was told and unwrapped the box. Inside was a jewelry set from CLOUD, the Youth Collection-perfect for any elegant young woman. This set was as famous as their Flower series. The Youth set was worth almost ten million, a symbol of forever-young dreams. The Flower set went for just a bit more and stood for being one in a million.
Claire recognized it right away. Jenny had once seen both the Flower and Youth sets, pairing the Flower with a special edition from SUNNY. That whole look had boosted SUNNY’s sales and brought a lot of attention to CLOUD, too. What started as a fun crossover between the brands eventually turned into a real partnership.
“Ophelia, isn’t this a bit much?” Claire blurted out, genuinely shocked at how generous Ophelia was being. She hadn’t even had time to get gifts for the other elders, but here Ophelia was, handing over something worth millions without a second thought. Maybe this was just how women from big families did things.
If she ever asked Octavia to buy her jewelry that cost even a fraction of this, Octavia would probably lose it Claire used to get new jewelry every year but she hardly ever got to keep any of it. Most of the time, after she’d worn a piece, Octavia would immediately put it away. She always had the same excuse. “You’re too young. You might lose it. Let me keep it safe for you. When you get married, it’ll all be yours p>
Claire hadn’t really minded at the time. It was her mom, after all. Who would think their own mother would actually keep their things? Besides, her parents had bought the jewelry in the first place it wasn’t a big deal. to her. But thinking back, Claire realized Octavia probably never planned to give her any of it. It was all just for show. For someone who seemed sweet, her adoptive mom sure knew how to play the game.
“It’s our own brand’s product,” Ophelia said gently. “All that matters is whether you
like it, not how much it costs. If you don’t like it, it’s just a bunch of pretty rocks p>
Claire couldn’t help but laugh. “Pretty sure no one would complain about a ten- million-dollar pile of rocks p>
Ophelia’s eyes lit up. “I’m just happy
you like it.” She meant it. She
wouldn’t have given that set to just
anyone. She wanted Claire to
ave it,
because she was Melissa’s daughter. After marrying into the family Ophelia and Melissa had gotten so close that she thought of her as both a daughter and a little sister. The affection in her gaze for Claire only grew.
Norris and Owen didn’t know the first thing about jewelry. They had no idea this set was worth nearly ten million, but Claire had recognized it right away. With the James family’s situation, there was no way they would ever buy her jewelry that expensive. Something like this was almost unimaginable.
Claire’s curiosity got the better of her. “Wait, did you say this is our own brand?” She didn’t care what everyone else was thinking. She just wanted to know.