Chapter 15 Platinum Brooch
"certainly."
Yuan Ning tightened her grip on the fork slightly. She could borrow the new season's clothes from the magazine and say that she was just doing a little promotion for the brand.
But high-end jewelry... given her abilities, no brand would lend it to her.
But her reputation is in jeopardy, and if she can't produce enough evidence to prove she's not bankrupt, people will continue to spread rumors about her.
You need to have something impressive that you can't borrow to prove yourself.
But she was indeed bankrupt, and she couldn't afford such a thing.
All her valuables were taken away, and she had no way of proving it.
Yuan Ning was already in a state of utter confusion, but she could only sit there and smile as she finished the meal with the three of them.
She maintained an elegant demeanor, but ambition and anxiety grew wildly, tightly binding her body.
That evening, she arrived at the Van der Berg mansion on time.
Elias hadn't seen her much these past two days, and she wondered if it was because of the argument on Monday that he was unwilling to speak to her anymore.
Yuan Ning shrugged, unconvinced. She insisted that his view was wrong, and even his flawless face seemed a bit uglier.
However, he was just her employer, and she was just his employee. Their different views did not affect her working for him.
With Elias not around, all she had to do was prepare his clothes and accessories for the next day, iron them neatly, hang them on a hanger, and then leave.
As usual, she went to the dressing room, where she was alone. The overhead light cast a cold and precise light, illuminating every piece of clothing and every pair of shoes as if they were exhibits in a museum, with strict order and no room for violation.
She first selected the suit and tie he would need for tomorrow's morning meeting, trying her best to come up with some new ideas to justify her salary.
After finishing her routine work, her feet moved involuntarily, as if drawn by a magnet, toward the walnut glass cabinet placed against the wall.
Inside the cabinet, on velvet cushions, quietly displayed Elias's jewelry: cufflinks, tie clips, pocket watches, brooches...
These items are categorized by material and occasion, ranging from understated black agate with platinum to gold inlaid with miniature enamel. The materials range from tortoiseshell to platinum, and each piece is polished to a mirror shine.
Her gaze locked onto a spot almost instantly. Among the dazzling lights, one ray of light stood out, radiating the unique brilliance of top-tier modern craftsmanship.
It was a De Beers platinum brooch.
The design is extremely modern and stylish; Yuan Ning dares to say it's exactly what will appear on the cover of the latest fashion magazine.
What is most captivating is the main stone it uses, which has extremely high clarity and a perfect cut, surrounded by countless tiny diamonds that form flowing lines.
Under direct light, it resembles a cluster of flames frozen in time, each facet radiating dazzling light, proclaiming its exorbitant value.
Yuan Ning's breath caught in her throat. As long as this top-tier jewelry was worn by her, it could silence everyone and even make them forget whether her dress was in season or not.
She reached out as if possessed, her fingertips touching the cold glass cabinet door, which she easily grasped.
"Have you found the inspiration you need, Miss Wynne?"
Yuan Ning withdrew her hand and stood up straight: "Boss, you're back."
Elias van der Berg stood quietly at the door of the dressing room.
"Yes, I've found you a pair of sapphire cufflinks, perfect for your morning meeting tomorrow."
She took the pair of cufflinks from the glass case and showed them to him. Elias glanced at them indifferently, then his gaze returned to her face.
"Can."
A brief, suffocating silence filled the dressing room. Yuan Ning finally nodded respectfully: "Boss, I've finished all my work for today. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
Elias stepped aside to let her pass, indicating that she could leave.
Feeling guilty, Yuan Ning didn't walk away with her head held high and a smile. Instead, she hurried past him with her head down, imagining those icy blue eyes scanning her back, feeling like thorns in her back.
As she stepped out of the mansion, the cold night wind filled her lungs again. She glanced back at the dark, arched window, and a strong emotion welled up within her.
Friday arrived in the blink of an eye. Yuan Ning borrowed a silk PRADA slip dress from the magazine office. The dress was fitted to her body, perfectly outlining her curves. The deep V-neck revealed just the right amount of sexiness, and she wore a pair of black satin high heels from Manolo Blahnik.
She hesitated for two whole days; she had a complete plan.
She had Elias's complete schedule. The party was at 7 p.m. on Friday, and Elias's schedule would continue until 9 p.m. that night. She could easily arrive at the Van der Berg mansion at 6 p.m., take out the brooch, and after the party, use the excuse that she hadn't finished her work to return the brooch to the Van der Berg mansion.
Everything will be perfect, and her crisis will be resolved.
I'm only borrowing it for two hours, there won't be any problems.
“Wynne, have you prepared your jewelry for the party tonight? Strangely enough, a classmate said they saw your Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet at a secondhand store. Yours is a limited edition from last year's Christmas collection, and the mother-of-pearl setting is different from the others. They shouldn't be mistaken. Seriously, if you're really having any trouble, you must tell us.” Emily said this at lunch today, her expression and demeanor haughty.
Yuan Ning was certain that as soon as she admitted it, the other party would immediately change their expression and spread the word about her affair.
Under the table, she clenched her hand, gripping the knife, into her palm. Those lawyers probably wouldn't take her belongings back to China intact; instead, they would sell them and give the cash compensation to Ms. Wang.
So, her items will gradually appear in various secondhand dealers in New York City.
“Yes,” Yuan Ning raised her chin, her beautiful eyelashes fluttering as she opened her eyes, “In order to own that top-tier jewelry, I had to sell the pieces I didn’t like before. You know, my father doesn’t spoil me to the point of letting me buy jewelry whenever I want.”
"High-end jewelry? So, you're going to wear it tonight?"
"certainly."
Friday night, 6 p.m.
Yuan Ning arrived at the Van der Berg mansion, still hesitant.
Although a gentleman like Elias would probably not blame her for "borrowing".
Yuan Ning's upbringing and carefully cultivated pride still made her hesitate. However, if she didn't lend the money, her public image would collapse, she would lose everything at Parsons, Professor Miller would no longer introduce her to internships that allowed her to interact with high-end clients, and the magazine would fire her because it questioned her taste.
Which wealthy woman would believe a fashion guide written by a poor girl?
She hesitated for a moment in front of the glass case, the dazzling light of the diamonds blurring her vision, leaving her utterly captivated and mesmerized.
In the end, she put the brooch in her coat and took it out of the Van der Berg mansion.
It was exactly 7 p.m. From the floor-to-ceiling windows of a penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side, the dazzling New York City skyline resembled a diamond carpet, yet even that paled in comparison to the necklace around Ms. Wynne's neck.
The air was filled with the bubbling of champagne and the rich aroma of fine perfumes. Yuan Ning stood there, like an oriental porcelain piece bathed in moonlight.
She strung the brooch into a necklace and wore it around her neck. Her PRADA morning mist pink camisole dress, under the soft and sophisticated lighting inside the apartment, revealed its true charm—an almost dangerous, precarious elegance.
The silk fabric clung to her slender, shapely body like a second skin, from her defined collarbones to her soft waist, her slightly fuller hips, and her straight, long legs. The deep V-neckline revealed her porcelain-white, dazzling skin, creating a subtle contrast with the pale pink of the dress. And on top of that, the two straps looked as if they were about to break.
However, everyone's gaze was ultimately irresistibly drawn to the cluster of light on her chest.
The De Beers platinum and diamond brooch was strung on an extremely thin platinum chain and hung in that perfect area below her collarbone and above her sternum.
She wore no other jewelry. Her earlobes, wrists, and fingers were all bare. It was this extreme use of negative space that made the brooch shine with a dazzling yet profound light, like a swirling galaxy.
Without a doubt, this is an extremely prestigious, top-tier piece of jewelry.
...
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The footsteps stopped behind her. She didn't turn around, but in the reflection of the glass cabinet, icy blue eyes caught her.
"Miss Wynne, have you worn this brooch?"
A note from the author:
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The next chapter will be available for purchase, my darlings! There will be three updates.
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