Chapter 9

Emelie was well aware that Melissa had broken the bracelet on purpose, but she was powerless to do anything. After all, Anthony had bid on it specifically for Melissa, and it belonged to her now. Her eyes reddened as she shoved through the crowd in desperation, crouched down, and carefully gathered every broken piece of the bracelet. With trembling hands, she turned to Melissa and said, "These fragments mean nothing to you. I can pay you to have them." Melissa rejected her without thinking. "Ms. Richmond, I'm sorry, but I really like this bracelet. Even the fragments are meaningful to me. Thank you for picking them up for me." Melissa then took the pieces from Emelie and left with the other three. As soon as she stepped outside the auction hall, she tossed the fragments into a nearby pond. The pond was shallow, barely reaching one's calves. Nevertheless, its bed was lined with countless decorative pebbles. The bracelet fragments, once submerged, were nearly impossible to spot. Without a moment's hesitation, Emelie jumped into the water, heedless of the pouring rain that blurred her vision. She searched frantically until her back ached and her body grew numb from the cold. After what felt like an eternity, she finally retrieved the fragments. When she returned home, water dripped from her soaked clothes onto the floor. Seeing her disheveled state, Marcelo frowned. "What happened to you?" Tears streamed down Emelie's face uncontrollably. Her voice quavered as she cried out, "I was retrieving the bracelet your beloved Melissa broke and discarded—my parents' keepsake!" "Your parents' keepsake?" Anthony echoed in shock. The three of them froze. They had never seen her cry before and were starting to panic. Anthony softened his tone immediately as he said, "I'm sorry, Emelie. This is my fault. I forgot it was your parents' keepsake." "I didn't realize either. If I had, I would've bid on it for you no matter what!" Marcelo added hurriedly. Meanwhile, Connor quickly fetched a towel and gently dried her drenched hair. "Emelie, I'm so sorry. Hurry, take a warm shower before you catch a cold." He added, "Also, I've told you many times that Melissa isn't our beloved. We don't have feelings for her. You're the only one in our hearts." The only one in their hearts? The words rang hollow to Emelie's ears. If that was the truth, why had they left her waiting at the city hall for an entire day and night in the cold? Why had they protected Melissa without hesitation when the scalding hot soup spilled over and ignored her? Why had they indulged Melissa as she destroyed her wedding dress and now her bracelet? Their declarations of affection sounded plain ridiculous. All of Emelie's sorrow and helplessness had been washed away by the storm. She said nothing more and coldly pushed their hands aside. Once in her room, she slammed the door shut behind her. After locking the door, she sat down at her desk. With her parents' photograph in front of her, she tried desperately to piece the bracelet back together. But it was no use. What was broken could never be fixed. The next morning, Emelie emerged with red, swollen eyes, only to find the three brothers waiting outside her door. Seeing her, they each handed her a box. "Emelie, we scoured the city to find bracelets similar to the one you lost. Please don't be upset anymore, okay?" Emelie didn't spare them a glance and said, "No need. My parents' keepsake is one of a kind. Besides, this is my business. It's not worth troubling you three gentlemen." Her indifference sent them into a panic. Anthony sighed deeply. "Do you have to become so distant from us, Emelie? You know how we feel about you." Marcelo and Connor chimed in simultaneously, "We know you've been bothered by Melissa lately, but she saved our lives once. She's our benefactor. That's the only reason we treat her well. You're different. You're the one we truly care about." Emelie almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. She let out a bitter chuckle and said, "Then spare me your care because I'm already married." Thinking she was joking again, their moods soured again. But just as they were about to argue, Melissa's phone call interrupted them. "Guys, I fell while changing a lightbulb. It hurts so much..." Alarmed, they hurriedly ended the call and turned to Emelie. "Emelie, stop joking about being married. We'll keep looking for the bracelet if you're still upset!" Without waiting for her response, the three of them rushed out the door.