The purple amethyst pendant cut a perfect, crystalline arc through the air before disappearing into the depths of the brushed-steel trash can with a dull clink.
The boutique fell into a vacuum of silence. The sales associates stood frozen, their mouths agape, while the other shoppers paused in mid-stride. In the world of Novus City retail, people argued over prices, they flaunted wealth, and they occasionally returned items—but no one took a hundred-thousand-dollar piece of jewelry and treated it like a gum wrapper.
Only Allen Morgan remained unfazed. A flicker of genuine fondness crossed his eyes as he let out a soft, dry chuckle. He had known the moment Olga started her "heartbroken" act that this was how the play would end.
Kelly Yang, who had been drawing breath to unleash a fresh t
