Camilla Farrellâs demeanor chilled slightly, her expression tinged with solemnity.
Purple Summers continued, âUnlawful detention, if accompanied by prolonged imprisonment, insult, and battery, can lead to a severe sentence. However, Jade Carlson has not inflicted any direct harm on your child, and even with Secretary Wiggins intervening, the sentence would be at most three years.â
Purple Summers looked up, her clear and cool gaze meeting Camilla Farrellâs as she asked, âMrs. Farrell, can three years of imprisonment alleviate your hatred?â
Just three years, can that really soothe the resentment?
â¦Of course not.
Camilla Farrell recalled the deception she suffered, the thought of her daughter nearly ending up in an icy pit. Her hatred was such that she wished to cast Jade Carlson into hell, never to rise again! How could a mere three-year stint in prison suffice to quell her hatred!
At that moment, Camilla Farrell finally understood Purple Summersâ intentions.
Purple Summersâ eyes were downcast, her gaze resting on the teacup in front of her, as tranquil as the warmly fragrant black tea within it.
âMrs. Farrell, you have connections and capabilities. As long as Jade Carlson is still in Clearwater City, you can torment her however you wish, canât you? The only thing you canât do is send her to prison. Prison is a haven from the storm. Although deprived of freedom, itâs exceptionally comfortable thereâno worries about food or clothing, no need to face fearsome public opinion, too easyâ¦â
Camilla Farrellâs mind began to race.
She was always intelligent, only occasionally prideful, which could lead to being blindsighted and easily swayed. But as long as she remained calm, many things could be understood without being spelled out.
âMs. Summers, I thank you for speaking to me today,â Camilla Farrell said with a smile.
That was agreement.
âIt was presumptuous of me; I hope you wonât think Iâm meddling,â Purple Summers returned the smile.
Once their business was concluded, Mrs. Farrell had her family driver take Purple Summers home.
As the car traveled the streets, Purple Summers noticed the clusters of bright roses outside a floristâs shop and suddenly remembered, an important holiday was coming in FebruaryâValentineâs Day.
Since she was already out, she thought it might be nice to stroll a bit longer; there was no rush to go back home.
Purple Summers asked the driver to pull over.
She got out and meandered through the streets, occasionally seeing passing couples that made her heart flutter⦠leading her thoughts to her and Alexander Summers.
The feeling was sweet, awkward, and quite embarrassingâ¦
Considering Alexanderâs domineering nature, if she didnât have a gift ready for Valentineâs Day, he would surely not let her off the hook.
Perhaps, he would even use it as an excuse to âpunishâ her.
âThat jerkâ¦â Purple Summersâ lips curled into a small smile as she entered a gift shop.
She browsed and picked, but wasnât able to find a suitable gift; everything seemed inappropriate to give.
Alexander was wealthy and imposing; Purple Summers really didnât know what he lacked.
If she had Atra Blancâs skills, perhaps she could have knitted a sweater or baked a cake by hand. But she was adept at none of those thingsâ¦
As she fretted, she noticed a bakery workshop that had a DIY area filled with young girls, who were laughing and playfully making handmade chocolates.
The glass display was clear and bright. Purple Summers watched as they stirred melted chocolate, slowly poured it into molds, and let it set.
That seemed quite simple, didnât it?
After some thought, Purple Summers walked inâ¦
Purple Summers chose dark chocolate as the base ingredient, didnât make any filling, and the mold was of a little devil.
Firstly, she felt their love was as bittersweet; secondly, she thought Alexander was a tyrant. The devil metaphor couldnât be more appropriate.
âThe finished chocolates were wrapped in gold foil, with a pretty wrapping paper on the outside, tied with a ribbon bow. This was her Valentineâs Day gift.
It was Purple Summersâ first time making such an effort for a Valentineâs Day gift, and she felt a bit proud, her mood inexplicably soaring.
With the gift in tow, Purple Summers headed to Walker Entertainment City.
She went to the underground parking lot, took the special passage to the private elevator. The bodyguards all recognized her, and thus did not stop her.
The elevator doors were just about to open, when a harsh screeching of brakes came from behindâ
Purple Summers turned her head and saw Zack Wallace supporting a bloodied Alexander as they got out of the car.