Chapter 242
Chapter 242 A Mother’s Gift
“Arabella’s back,” Florence greeted with a warm smile. “Come over here, sweetie.”
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“Hey, Mom.” Arabella walked over and settled on the couch beside her. Noticing the playful, knowing look on her mother’s face, Arabella asked, “What’s going on?”
“You’re too sharp,” Florence said, her tone proud. She pulled out a small velvet box. “Take a look at this.”
“What is it?” Arabella took the box, curlous, and lifted the lid.
Inside, nestled against the lining, was a bracelet made of pale pink quartz. Pink quartz wasn’t the rarest stone, but the craftsmanship of this piece was immediately striking–delicate, modern, and elegant.
“This is really beautiful.” Arabella couldn’t help but admire.
“I thought so too. The second I saw it, I knew it was meant for you,” Florence beamed.
Arabella looked up, surprised. “For me?”
‘Of course. Who else?” Florence replied, her eyes full of tenderness. Her biological daughter had been apart from her for so long and had endured so much in that difficult situation with the Macdonalds. Now, all Florence wanted was to give her the world.
‘But, Mom, you’ve given me so much since I came home. My closet and jewelry box are overflowing,” Arabella said, deeply touched yet feeling almost overwhelmed by her mother’s generosity.
‘It’s never too much,” Florence insisted, her expression eager. “Here, try it on. Let’s see how it looks.”
She took the bracelet from the box and fastened it around Arabella’s wrist. “Now, it might not be from some famous high–end designer, and it didn’t cost a fortune, but it carries a really lovely sentiment. That’s why I chose it. I hope you don’t mind that it’s not super expensive.”
‘I’ll love anything from you, Mom. The price tag doesn’t matter at all,” Arabella said sincerely, turning her wrist to admire the way the crystals caught the light. Her other gifts may have had designer labels, but her mother’s love wasn’t something measured in dollars.
‘Mom, you said it has a nice meaning. What is it?” Alfred chimed in, curious.
‘Oh, pink quartz is for love and relationships,” Florence said airily.
‘Love and rela–OW!” Alfred jolted in his seat and managed to bite his tongue.
Arabella was speechless, her smile turning a little stiff. Love and… relationships?
“Mom, are you that desperate to see Arabella date someone?” Alfred asked, a frown forming.
Florence shot him a look. “Don’t be dramatic. Whether or not she dates is up to destiny. I just don’t want your sister to overlook a wonderful person if one comes along.”
“Sure sounds like you’re trying to speed up the process,” Alfred muttered under his breath, slumping back. No wonder his mom had bought a simple quartz bracelet instead of something from her usual jewelers.
“What was that?” Florence pressed, narrowing her eyes at him. Sometimes her son just didn’t grasp het good intentions.
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10:54 am
Chapter 242 A Mother’s Gift
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“Nothing,” Alfred backtracked quickly, shifting gears. “I was just saying Arabella must be tired after being out all day. She should probably go relax for a bit.”
“Oh, you’re right. Dinner isn’t for a while yet. Go rest, honey,” Florence immediately agreed, her focus returning to Arabella.
Arabella stood up. “You should get some rest too, Mom.”
“Alright,” Florence conceded.
Arabella linked her arm through her mother’s. “Then let’s go upstairs together.”
Watching them head off, Alfred sank deeper into the couch, a sense of dread settling in. How was he supposed to keep his sister home for a few more years?
Back in her room, Arabella lay on her bed, holding her wrist up to look at the pink bracelet.
She genuinely liked its delicate look–it was just the supposed meaning she couldn’t quite get on board with.
“Love life? No, thanks. My life is perfectly full as it is, and I’ve got plenty on my plate,” she murmured to herself, her thoughts already drifting to her upcoming projects and plans.
Then, an image of Matthew unexpectedly flickered through her mind.
Arabella froze. “Why did he pop into my head?”
She sat up abruptly, brow furrowed in confusion. “That’s weird. Why think about him? I don’t have any active projects with him. If anything, I should probably steer clear.”
For some reason, she always felt Matthew was too perceptive, as if he could see right through her.
Shaking her head, she let out a soft sigh. “It’s probably just because I’ve been working on his medicine formula lately. Once Robert is fully recovered and Matthew’s condition is stabilized, I’ll get my final payment and that’ll be the end of it. No more contact.”
Decision made, Arabella lay back down and closed her eyes, willing herself to relax.
In Freya’s hospital room, the door swung open and Calvin hobbled inside, wincing with each step.
“Calvin! What happened to you?” Freya asked, shocked at his awkward gait.
“Don’t even ask. I ran into that nightmare of a girl downstairs…” Calvin proceeded to recount the whole frustrating encounter.
“What a letdown. That brat got off easy again,” Freya spat out, her voice tight with bitterness.
“Ugh.” Calvin carefully lowered himself into the visitor’s chair.
Freya’s expression quickly shifted to concern. “How are you feeling? Does it hurt badly?”
“I’m okay. The ER docs patched me up. It’s just bruises, nothing’s broken,” Calvin said, then looked her over. “How’s your leg doing?”
“It still throbs, but it’s a little better than a few days ago,” Freya said, her face pinched with pain. “I just don’t know if it’ll ever heal completely. What if I never walk right again?”