Chapter 1621

[ 603 words ]

“Happy birthday, Lex.”

Claire pulled out the gift she had prepared.

She had been so busy she completely forgot what day Lex’s birthday fell on; Skylar and Zara had to remind her.

She even had to use a courier service to deliver the present.

However, Lex had been so busy in the kitchen that she hadn’t noticed when the courier dropped it off.

Skylar had her gift ready too—a pair of shoes.

She had noticed Lex’s sneakers were falling apart, yet Lex couldn’t bring herself to spend money on a new pair.

The last time they went shopping together, Lex had tried on a pair of running shoes and loved how comfortable they were.

But even on sale, they were almost fifty dollars, and after hesitating for a long time, Lex had put them back.

Skylar had secretly bought them for her.

“Lex, before you say no, just listen. You’re constantly running around campus, picking up freelance gigs, and working part-time. It’s exhausting,” Skylar said.

“You really need a comfortable pair of shoes.”

“It’s not an expensive gift, but I really hope you accept it.”

Lex’s eyes grew glassy.

A cheap gift in Skylar’s eyes was a luxury for Lex.

But what mattered more than the price tag was the thought behind it.

Skylar had seen how much she wanted them and how much it hurt to walk away.

Lex had actually planned to buy them as a birthday treat for herself if she managed to make over four hundred dollars this month.

She never expected someone else to do it for her.

A lump formed in Lex’s throat, and she blinked rapidly to fight back the tears.

Zara practically shoved her own gift forward. “I got you a high-end skincare set.”

“I…” Lex started, wanting to say she never wore makeup, had zero free time, and couldn’t afford a beauty routine anyway.

She usually just let her dark hair fall naturally and kept her face completely bare.

Lex was naturally pretty; with a little effort, she could easily turn heads.

The only reasons she didn’t bother were a lack of cash and a lack of time.

But a woman’s youth was fleeting-why shouldn’t she enjoy looking her best?

Zara guessed what Lex was about to say and cut her off.

“I know you look great fresh-faced, but when you’re out negotiating deals, a little makeup gives you that boss energy.”

“Trust me on this.”

Lex sniffled and smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Zara.”

Claire had been the first to bring her gift out, but she hadn’t unwrapped it yet.

Skylar and Zara both turned to Claire, dying of curiosity.

“It’s a laptop from Dane’s company,” Claire explained. “It’s one of their budget-friendly models, so it wasn’t expensive but it should be perfect for your workload.”

It was easily the most expensive gift on the table, and Lex immediately shook her head. That’s way t much. I really can’t accept this.”

“Lex, a laptop is a necessity for you right now,” Claire said smoothly. were you, I’d take it and use it.

burd your business. .net>

“That’s the best way to show you appreciate the gift.”

Lex still hesitated. She had been saving up for a refurbished laptop with a strict budget of under a hundred bucks.

She could afford a cheap, beat-up machine, but definitely not a brand-new one.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dane chimed in. “This specific model is actually a prototype still in the testing phase.”

“We don’t sell prototypes to the public, so it didn’t cost a dime.”

“When Claire asked me to grab a gift, I actually brought the wrong one from the office. I was going to swap it out for a retail version.”

“But looking at it now, this prototype is actually a better fit.”

Even with Dane’s smooth explanation, Lex couldn’t bring herself to just take it.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.