The Bïllionaire's Retruutioñ

Vince Moretti noticed that an authenticity test was about to take place. He quickly said, "Lila, let it go. Elena may not have done it intentionally. If we involve the police, it will ruin her and tarnish the company's reputation. We can just dismiss her. Besides, the bracelet has already been found."

He appeared to be defending Elena, but she saw through his act.

Vince was scared—dodging a bigger issue.

What was he so afraid of?

Lila scoffed coldly. "I want to hear how this woman explains herself."

Vince's forehead glistened with sweat as anxiety took over.

Jordan Wells inspected the bracelet carefully, and Selena Cross couldn't wait any longer. "Jordan, what do you think?" she asked impatiently.

Lila added, "Vince and I had our initials engraved on this bracelet—it's inside."

Jordan frowned. "I don't see any engravings… but this bracelet is—"

"Miss Hart, your bracelet has been found."

At that moment, Olivia Reed from the Secretary Department walked in, holding another identical bracelet. "I found this in the bathroom, under the washstand. Miss Hart, take a look—is this yours?"

Lila grabbed the bracelet, examining it closely. The initials were engraved inside. "Yes, this is my bracelet."

This meant Elena had never taken Lila's bracelet.

"Mr. Wells, may I have my bracelet back?" Elena asked politely.

Now that Elena was proven innocent, Selena was dissatisfied. She sneered, "Elena Cross, you may not have stolen the bracelet, but you still let your boyfriend embarrass himself by buying a fake one. How pathetic."

Lila added with contempt, "If you weren't so vain, none of this would have happened. Elena Cross, your boyfriend is quite the disappointment."

Before Elena could respond, Jordan suddenly spoke up. "The bracelet Miss Cross is holding… is the real one."

A heavy silence filled the air as Selena and Lila's expressions changed.

Elena was just as shocked.

That bracelet was supposed to be a cheap replica, only worth a few hundred dollars. How could it be authentic?

Their colleagues, especially the female ones, were stunned.

Elena's boyfriend was so generous—it made them envious.

"How is that possible?" Selena was the first to react, her voice sharp with disbelief. "Jordan, check again. How could Elena's bracelet be genuine?"

Lila scoffed, "There's only one 'Heart of the Goddess' bracelet in the world. Vince bought it for my birthday. How could her boyfriend afford it?"

Jordan remained firm. "I'm Harrison Blake's assistant. I can recognize an authentic piece instantly. Also, the 'Heart of the Goddess' bracelet cannot be engraved at all."

Lila immediately turned to Vince. His face was drenched in sweat as guilt took over. "Lila, I swear I didn't know. I asked someone to purchase it for me—I must've been scammed."

Vince never imagined the random bracelet he bought would end up being compared to the genuine one.

Lila's rage erupted. She threw the bracelet at him. "How humiliating!"

All the insults she had hurled at Elena had come back to shame her instead.

Unable to bear the embarrassment, Lila turned on her heels and stormed out.

"Lila! Lila, wait!" Vince hurried after her.

Selena, meanwhile, was still struggling to accept the truth.

The 'Heart of the Goddess' bracelet was worth millions. She had dreamed of owning it, even gone through numerous connections to try and acquire it—yet she had failed.

How did it end up in Elena's hands?

Jordan returned the bracelet to Elena. "Miss Cross, keep this safe. This bracelet symbolizes eternal love. Your boyfriend must cherish you deeply. I wish you happiness."

"Thank you," Elena replied, though she still didn't believe it was real. There had to be some mistake in the evaluation.

Selena gritted her teeth in jealousy. "Elena Cross, how can your broke boyfriend afford something like this? Who gave it to you? A sugar daddy?"

Her words implied that Elena had exchanged her dignity for luxury.

Elena's patience wore thin. "Are you that shameless, Selena? Wasn't last night's humiliation enough for you?"

The reminder of last night's events hit Selena hard. It had been the most humiliating moment of her life.

Elena packed up her belongings and left, uninterested in arguing further.

Selena stomped her foot angrily. "Jordan, you're my friend. How could you take her side?"

Jordan sighed. "I only stated the truth."

Selena watched as Elena walked away, jealousy burning in her eyes.

She wouldn't let Elena Cross get away so easily.

—

Elena didn't return immediately. She stopped by a gift shop, intending to buy something for Damian.

As she exited the store, she unexpectedly ran into Victor Hale.

Victor was deep in conversation with another man on the sidewalk, but when he spotted Elena, he walked over with a grin. "Miss Cross, what a coincidence."

Elena smiled politely. "Yes, it is. Nice to see you again."

Victor's gaze shifted to the bag in her hand. "A gift for Damian?"

"He gave me a bracelet this morning. It's only right that I return the gesture."

Just then, Elena's expression darkened.

She had spotted a familiar face.

A man in his fifties approached with four bodyguards in tow.

It was Harris Moore, the Cross family's long-time housekeeper.

"Miss Cross, Mr. Theodore wants you to return home," Harris stated coldly, his tone lacking any respect.

Elena's eyes hardened. "I'm not going back."

"Mr. Theodore heard that you've been associating with the wrong people. He's furious. You'd better reconsider, or the Old Master might stop providing young Master Julian's medication in his anger. You know what that means."