Chapter 324

Realizing Damian was heading to see Zelda, Esme's smile froze as she stared at his retreating figure. A subtle nudge from Jasmine brought Esme back to reality. She turned to Eden, forced an awkward smile, and softly said, "Dad." Eden gave her a brief nod and signaled his assistant, who stepped forward with an elegantly wrapped gift box. "Happy birthday," he said flatly, his tone polite but distant. Jasmine accepted the gift with an increasingly radiant smile and quickly passed it to Esme. "See, Esme? Your father put a lot of thought into this," she said. Esme's neck was bare because she had hoped Astrid would give her the pink diamond necklace. However, as the night wore on, there was still no sign of her. Nervously, Esme opened the box and found a stunning blue diamond necklace inside. While beautiful, it did not compare to the pink diamond she had been expecting. Jasmine inspected the necklace and smiled warmly. "This necklace went for millions at auction. Your father clearly went all out for you this year. Let me help you put it on." Esme remained silent as Jasmine fastened the necklace. Despite her frustration, she had to admit that the blue sapphire paired perfectly with her outfit, elevating her entire look. As soon as Eden arrived, several Daprein business leaders approached him to discuss business over drinks. Sensing the situation, Jasmine tactfully led Esme away. Once away from the crowd, Esme bit her lip in frustration. "Mom, Damian went upstairs! He must be celebrating Zelda's birthday!" "Enough now. You've always known Damian still has feelings for Zelda," Jasmine said firmly. "What matters is that your father showed up at your birthday party. You're still the Munoz family's heiress, and you haven't lost anything!" Esme nodded, though she remained glum. Jasmine continued with a smile, "Come on, cheer up. All these prestigious guests from Daprein are here. It wouldn't look good if you showed your disappointment or threw a tantrum." Esme's smile gradually returned. "You're right, Mom. I shouldn't let Zelda ruin my mood. I'm the star of this birthday party." Satisfied that Esme was back in control of her emotions, Jasmine gave her an approving nod and guided her back toward their guests. ... Upstairs, Astrid handed Zelda an elegantly designed box. Zelda opened it and gasped as the pink diamond necklace inside sparkled under the light. "Mrs. Munoz Senior, this is..." Zelda began, her voice full of surprise. Astrid chuckled warmly and said, "This is your birthday gift. When I saw this necklace, I thought it would go perfectly with your dress. Try it on." Before Zelda could respond, Elsa stepped forward and fastened the necklace around her neck. The pink diamond shimmered against Zelda's Fiera Maison dress, making her look like a princess straight out of a fairytale painting. Most guests were medical field elites, but surprisingly, representatives from all four prominent Daprein families had shown up to this simple birthday celebration—Astrid from the Munoz family, Simon from the Stanton family, Elsa from the White family, and both Warren and Gordon from the Frazier family.