Evangeline was blissfully unaware of the subtle exchange between the shop owner and Cassian, too absorbed in the joy of finally owning the necklace she'd wanted. As she admired it, her thoughts drifted back to what Vivienne had said earlier.
'If Cassian is really rich, there's no way he'd be buying a fake,' she thought. 'And he did say he's a regular here...'
Maybe she'd misjudged him. Could it be that Cassian really was just an average guy, after all?
But the thought quickly faded as she refocused on the necklace, eager to try it on.
Standing in front of the mirror, she struggled to clasp it behind her neck, but the tiny clasp kept slipping out of her fingers.
She tried several times, each attempt making her arms feel more sore and frustrated.
"Ugh," she sighed, her arm starting to
