Novel Full Chapter 169: Perhaps a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Perhaps a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Eugene Jennings grimaced. ’Oh, my dear sweet sister,’ he thought, ’has it ever occurred to you that this mall is circular? The more you try to walk in the opposite direction, the more likely we are to run into those two!’
But despite his reservations, Eugene Jennings was honest with his actions and took a step back, putting some distance between himself and the couple.
’No kidding,’ he thought. ’My little cousin certified those two as dangerous elements destined for a major disaster. I’d better stay far away, lest I get caught in the crossfire. That would be so unfair.’
There was more than one sales associate in the jewelry store. Seeing new customers enter, another associate hurried forward to greet them.
"Sir, madam, how may I help you today?"
"Darling," the woman began, "my wrist has been feeling so bare lately. I’m not used to it." She held out her right hand, its nails painted a bright red, revealing a slender, pale wrist.
The stark contrast between the vibrant red and her snow-white skin only accentuated how delicate and smooth her wrist was.
A look of infatuation flashed in the man’s eyes. He grinned. "Then buy something. Buy whatever you like."
"You said it, not me." The woman excitedly pointed to the jade bracelet that had just been taken out for Arabella Donovan. "I think that one looks nice. The color should really complement my skin tone."
Arabella’s hand, which was holding the bracelet, froze. Eugene’s face instantly darkened.
’This woman is doing this on purpose!’
"Alright, alright. If you like it, we’ll buy it." Mr. Sterling turned and barked at the sales associate, "Didn’t you hear what she said? Hurry up and find another one just like that."
The associate assisting them froze for a moment but quickly recovered, her professional smile unwavering. "My apologies, madam, but the material of that bracelet is quite special. The one that young lady is holding is the last one of that style we have in the store. Would you perhaps like to look at something else?"
"The last one?" The woman’s eyes darted about. She immediately started shaking Mr. Sterling’s arm, whining, "I don’t care! I want that one. I just have to have that one."
Her whining left Mr. Sterling flustered and aroused, his ego swelling. He pointed imperiously at the sales associate. "You. Go over there and bring me that bracelet."
Because of Arabella’s prediction about this pair, Eugene hadn’t wanted to get entangled with them. He had decided to let it go, but now they were pushing their luck. The anger he had just suppressed flared up again.
"What do you think you’re doing? Can’t you see my sister is still looking at this bracelet?"
"What’s there to look at? No matter how long you stare, can you even afford it? You’re just wasting the associate’s time. You..." The woman pointed at the sales associate. "Go and get that bracelet for me."
Eugene’s expression hardened, and he was about to lose his temper, but Arabella pulled him back again.
"Serena..."
Arabella smiled at him, shook her head, and voluntarily handed the bracelet over.
Eugene was incredibly frustrated, but he always remembered his parents’ instructions to prioritize his younger cousin’s wishes. He had no choice but to swallow his indignation for the time being.
The woman took the jade bracelet and examined it closely. She was quickly captivated by the translucent, crystalline material and eagerly slipped it onto her wrist. "Is it pretty?"
"Very pretty, very pretty. The color really complements your skin."
The woman gave a sweet smile, her shimmering eyes gazing at the man with thick affection. Her intention was obvious.
Mr. Sterling was not one to resist temptation. Feeling magnanimous, he pointed at the sales associate and declared, "How much is this bracelet? We’ll take it."
The sales associate, wearing a practiced, polite smile, replied with professional precision, "You both have excellent taste. The bracelet this lady has chosen is a high ice-grade jade bracelet. It’s quite rare and precious, so its price is a bit higher than an ordinary jade bracelet. It costs six hundred thousand."
"How much?"
They had expected the bracelet to cost fifty or sixty thousand at most. When the six-hundred-thousand price tag was announced, the color drained from both their faces.
Mr. Sterling simply found it too expensive, and his heart ached at the cost. His mistress, on the other hand, was worried he wouldn’t be willing to spend that much and would back out on the spot. If that happened, she would be utterly humiliated.
Fortunately, as much as it pained him, Mr. Sterling understood that they were in this together. If he couldn’t produce the money, she wouldn’t be the only one losing face.
"Well, that’s just great. We’ll take it." He bit out the last few words through gritted teeth, and the look he gave the woman beside him was murderous.
The woman shuddered. She knew Mr. Sterling probably wouldn’t do anything to her in public, but she couldn’t be sure what would happen once they were alone.
Realizing things had taken a bad turn, the woman finally felt a pang of regret.
Eugene, who still hadn’t gotten over his anger, had been secretly watching the couple. He naturally took in their changing expressions and the silent, pointed glances they exchanged. Instantly, his frustration vanished, replaced by a sense of schadenfreude.
Before he could share this discovery with Arabella, his little cousin dropped an even bigger bombshell in his mind.
’Tsk, tsk, tsk. To be so brazen while embezzling company funds... Is this what they call "the ignorant know no fear"? But don’t you worry. Don’t you worry! You two should be enjoying a few years behind bars very soon. Maybe you can even be a pair of prison lovebirds in there.’
’Embezzling funds?! And what the hell are "prison lovebirds"? You mean illicit lovers, don’t you!’
Eugene glanced at the couple in the distance, then at his little cousin, who had her head down comparing the quality of some jewelry. An absurd thought suddenly struck him.
’Could it be that his little cousin had seen right through them from the start? Did she deliberately pick an expensive piece of jewelry to bait them into trying to take it, forcing them to buy it in public to save face and suffer the loss in silence?’
’If that was true, his sweet little cousin was a classic wolf in sheep’s clothing, full of cunning schemes!’
Eugene shuddered at the thought but quickly collected himself. ’Even if his cousin did set a trap for them, they totally deserved it!’
’They were the ones who started trouble for no reason, and they even mocked us for pretending to be rich when we couldn’t afford it. He’s using embezzled money to support his mistress and can barely afford a six-hundred-thousand-yuan bracelet. Who’s the one really pretending here?’
The more Eugene thought about it, the more vindicated he felt, and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud.
His laughter made Mr. Sterling, who was already on edge over the six hundred thousand, darken his face. He immediately assumed Eugene was laughing at him.
Sensing trouble, the woman beside him decided to strike first and divert the conflict. "What are you laughing at? You classless pauper."
Eugene’s face fell. But Arabella stepped forward and said with a cold smile, "Is it illegal to laugh in a jewelry store these days? Or perhaps this lady has her eye on the jewelry in front of me and is trying to use this as a pretext to demand another piece or two?"
The woman’s face stiffened, but she refused to back down. "Of course, it’s not illegal to laugh. But I, at least, have just purchased a bracelet. I’m a valued customer of this store and have the right to enjoy its services. You two paupers, on the other hand, have been looking forever without buying anything. You reek of poverty and are an absolute eyesore. You!" she yelled at the staff. "Get them out of here! I don’t want to be in the same store as them."