Chapter 42

Xander carefully chipped away at the outer layer of the stone, revealing a flawless diamond beneath-clear, pure, not even a hint of imperfection. It was a little smaller than the ruby from earlier, sure, but come on-this was a diamond. Stones like this? Rare as heck. Vanessa held her breath, excitement bubbling just under the surface. "That's a pretty huge diamond... wouldn't it be a waste to turn it into jewelry? Maybe we should auction it off?" "Nope. A gem this special belongs with someone just as special," Leander said with a smirk. "My wife deserves the best. Xander, make it into something-no, make us a pair of matching rings. Unique, obviously." I mean, what woman doesn't like jewelry? Especially gorgeous, pricey ones. For Vanessa, jewelry might as well be her kryptonite. The second Leander mentioned turning that lucky-find stone into something for her, she could already imagine herself-draped in elegance, stunning jewels shining, rocking a killer formal dress. She took a deep br