Gavin Graves was famously appreciative of talented women.
Gavin always said that beauty was skin-deep, but true beauty of intellect and ability was rare to find and that such women possessed a beauty that went beyond the superficial.
When Alexander Summers asked Gavin who had caught his eye, Gavin replied with an elegant and genial smile, âWhy does Master Xander assume that I have taken a fancy to someone? Canât I buy a gift for an elder?â
Alexanderâs brows lifted slightly with amusement in his eyes, âA pink diamond for an elder? Such gifts are mostly given to young girls, Gavin. Youâd better be careful not to involve someone underage; watch out for the generation gap.â
He was subtly hinting at Gavinâs older age.
Gavin was not annoyed and laughed, âYou might not know that young girls these days fancy older men. Thereâs even a term for it, âuncle complex.â Give me a few more years and I might become even more popular.â
Alexander burst into laughter.
The two of them, rarely meeting, chatted a bit longer.
Gavin asked Alexander, âHow have those old uncles from the Howard Family been lately? Still giving in to calmness?â
âSo-so,â Alexander said. âSome wish to enjoy their twilight years in peace, while some just canât accept aging. Seems like theyâll need to see some blood before they learn their lesson.â
Remembering Alexanderâs ruthless methods, Gavin frowned slightly, âThe New Year has just passed; it wouldnât be good to have bloodshed.â
âI donât like it either, but some people relish in it,â Alexander replied with a laugh, unconcerned. âYour Graves Family is much better; youâre all so well-behaved.â
Gavin said, âBecause I bear the Graves surname.â
Alexander teased, âYou speak as if the other sons and grandsons in your family donât also bear the name Graves.â
Gavin smiled and said nothing.
The clerk handed over the packaged jewelry to Alexander, and he took the items and left.
Before leaving, Gavin made sure to remind him, âBe careful. The New Year has passed and Lily Howard will be returning. Some may seize the opportunity to cause trouble.â
âI am aware,â Alexander waved a hand dismissively and departed.
Gavin watched Alexanderâs retreating figure before coming back to his senses, reminded that he still hadnât found a gift.
He continued to browse at the counter but could not find anything else to his liking.
Thinking of the pink diamond earrings he saw earlier, he couldnât help feeling it was a bit of a shame. Purple Summers had fair skin and a delicate beauty; if she wore those earrings, they would no doubt add a significant charm.
â¦But indeed, they were too valuable; Purple surely wouldnât accept them.
Thinking this way, Gavin felt relieved. He then noticed an emerald brooch that seemed to fall within Purpleâs acceptable price range and made the purchase.
âThis brooch suits her, noble and elegant, and quite beautiful,â Gavin thought to himself. âOnce weâre more familiar, I can buy her pink diamonds.â
As long as one looked carefully, it was always possible to find good pink diamonds; if Purple liked them, even giving her pink diamonds every year wouldnât be too much.
Gavin never considered that Purple would refuse.
It wasnât arrogance, he truly felt that with Purpleâs intelligence, she should understand what it meant to be his woman.
No woman would refuse.
â¦
Purple hadnât enjoyed a few days of tranquility at home when Jade Carlson requested to see her again.
This time, Jade even sent a message saying that if Purple agreed to meet her, she would reveal a very important secret.
Aria Jackson was puzzled and discussed it over the phone with Purple, âI donât know what tricks this woman wants to play now.â
âSheâs at her witâs end, of course, she has to play her last card.â Purple laughed, âJust in time, I want to see what her last card is exactly.â
âAre you really going to meet her?â Aria asked.
âYes.â It was as if Purple had anticipated this moment, her tone calm, âThe judicial process is almost over; she must be scared to death. Meeting her now is when I can gain the most advantage.â
Getting Jade Carlson imprisoned was never Purpleâs goal. If Jade was sent to jail that easily, the leads to her attempted murder would also be cut off.