Chapter 91 Ethan, these cufflinks aren’t for you
Aria’s POV
I’d just finished paying for the sapphire cufflinks when I felt it—that prickle of awareness that told me I wasn’t alone anymore.
The sales associate handed me the beautifully wrapped box with a warm smile. "All set, ma’am. I hope he loves them."
"Thank you," I said, taking the branded bag and turning toward the exit.
That’s when I saw them.
Ethan and Clara, walking through the entrance arm in arm like they owned the damn place.
We were less than ten feet apart. All three of us froze.
I recovered first, letting my gaze drop pointedly to their intertwined hands.
Ethan’s reaction was immediate. He dropped Clara’s hand like it had scalded him and took two steps toward me, his face going pale.
"Aria," he said, his voice tight with panic. "What are you doing here?"
I raised an eyebrow, keeping my voice light and unbothered.
"Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing. Shouldn’t you be at the office? Or is this part of Silver Creek Pack’s new business strategy—shopping trips during work hours?"
"You’re misunderstanding," Ethan said quickly, his eyes darting between me and Clara like a cornered animal. "We’re not—this isn’t what it looks like. We just ran into each other."
"Oh, yes," Clara chimed in, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she moved to stand beside Ethan.
"Pure coincidence. Ethan’s been working so hard lately, and I’ve been helping out at the office while you’ve been... away. He just wanted to thank me with a little gift. You don’t mind, do you, Aria? After all, I’ve been taking care of Marcus for you too."
Her smile was pure venom wrapped in sugar. I could practically see the smugness radiating off her.
Ethan shot Clara a warning look, but she ignored him.
"Aria," he said, turning back to me with that earnest expression he used to use when he wanted me to believe his lies. "Clara’s right. She’s been a huge help while you’ve been gone. With the company, with Marcus—she’s really stepped up. That’s all this is."
"How sweet," I said, my tone flat. "Although, I’m a little confused. Didn’t I hear that Clara single-handedly torpedoed the Maxwell deal? And wasn’t there something about her resigning in disgrace? "
"Oh, and Margaret mentioned Clara moved out of the house two nights ago. Interesting timing for a ’thank you’ shopping spree, don’t you think?"
Clara’s face went from smug to murderous in under three seconds.
Ethan stepped between us, his hands raised like he was trying to calm a wild animal.
"Aria, that’s not fair. Clara did her best with your client, but you know they only trust you. And she moved out because—because it didn’t feel right for her to stay after you left. She was being respectful."
"Respectful," I repeated, letting the word hang in the air like poison.
"Baby, please," Ethan said, his voice dropping into that low, pleading tone that used to work on me.
"Don’t be angry. Just come home. I’ve got everything ready for you—the shares, everything you asked for. "
"Come back to the office tomorrow, and we’ll sort this all out. Half of Silver Creek Pack will be yours. What more do you need to feel secure?"
Behind him, Clara went rigid. I watched her face drain of color as the shopping bags slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a muffled thud.
She stared at Ethan like he’d just driven a knife into her chest.
He’d lied to her. He was actually going through with it.
I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
"Aria," Clara said, her voice shaking as she pointed at the bag in my hand.
"Those cufflinks you just bought—they’re not cheap, are they? The cheapest item in this store is at least ninety thousand dollars. Did you buy those for Ethan?"
Her tone was accusing, bitter, like I’d just committed some unforgivable crime.
"Ethan works so hard," she continued, her voice rising.
"If you really wanted to support him, you’d be helping with the company instead of wasting money on luxury gifts. How can he trust you with half of Silver Creek Pack when you’re out here throwing cash around like this?"
I almost laughed.
Ethan’s expression shifted. For a moment, I saw hope flicker in his eyes—pathetic, desperate hope.
He thought the cufflinks were for him.
"Aria," he said softly, stepping closer. "You didn’t have to do that. I don’t need expensive gifts. I just need you to stop being mad at me. "
"Come back, and we’ll fix the company together. That’s worth more to me than anything you could buy."
I stared at him for a long moment, letting the silence stretch until it was almost unbearable.
Then I smiled.
"First of all, Ethan, these cufflinks aren’t for you. I have more than one person in my life worth spending money on. "
I turned my gaze to Clara, "Second,you might want to watch what you say. Defamation is a crime, Clara. I’d hate for you to add that to your growing list of legal troubles."
Clara’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. "That’s impossible. You bought them for Ethan—you love him so much, who else could there be?"