Rebecca looked at Carissa, taking in the latter’s entire appearance. Carissa exuded an undeniable air of luxury and authority now—she was truly different. Rebecca's gaze was filled with anger, regret, resentment, and frustration; a mix of emotions that made her teeth ache.Serena shared those feelings, but hers were laced with even more hatred and jealousy. She had been so close, just a step away from becoming the Hell Monarch's concubine."What bad luck!" Violet muttered coldly.Carissa only glanced at them briefly before turning her attention back to the smiling young heir of The Golden Tower. Business people really did have sharp eyes. Even on the day when she looked completely disheveled, he had still recognized her.Well, it wasn't that surprising. She and her mother had visited The Golden Tower before, and had met him.Carissa smiled and said, "Nathaniel, there's no need for such formalities. We'd like to go up to the third floor to pick out some jewelry. Would that be a
A pearl and gem-inlaid tiara with Mystic Pearls, and Carissa offering Kiera free rein to choose anything from the third floor?There was a time when Carissa would give Serena jewelry and seasonal clothing as gifts. Carissa had always been generous, and had even promised to provide Serena with a lavish dowry when the time came for her to marry.But now, Carissa was arranging a dowry for someone else.Today, Serena had come to The Golden Tower with Viola to pick out her dowry. However, Viola was only selecting items from the first floor. They hadn't even bothered to go up to the second floor, let alone the third, where the top-tier pieces were displayed.The difference between people—how could it be so vast?Serena felt the gazes of the other guests on her, eyes filled with mockery and disdain. The humiliation surged within her, and she quickly grabbed Viola's arm. "Viola, I want to go to the third floor too."Viola was already frustrated. She had been reluctant to spend her own
The shop assistant smiled and said, "Of course, miss. Please have a seat and enjoy some coffee and pastries while I prepare your selection."He didn't mention the price—none of the guests who made it to the third floor would ever ask. Once everything was packed, the total would simply be presented.Rebecca's heart skipped a beat as she eyed the ruby tiara. She had enough experience to know that such a piece would be incredibly expensive. Rubies varied in quality, and these were far from the small, ordinary ones. These were exquisite and on a whole different level.She glanced at Viola and whispered, "Since she wants it, you might as well buy it. What do you think?"Viola was so frustrated that she found herself laughing inwardly in disbelief. What did she think? Did she even have a choice? The shop assistant was already placing the tiara into a luxurious jewelry box.Even the box itself looked expensive. It was made of cherry wood, inlaid with velvet and a row of tiny gemstones.
Viola's eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice trembled. "No, let's go back to the first floor and pick out a few pieces instead."As a lady from the Earl of Silverstone's family, she couldn't raise her voice to her mother-in-law here. She could only plead with as much humility as she could muster, hoping they would agree to move to the first floor. Even the items on the first floor were not cheap. The Golden Tower only carried high-quality items.Serena clung to the jewelry box tightly. "No, I want this one!"Viola shook with anxiety, her gaze darting around as more heads poked out from the private rooms, all of them wearing expressions of surprise. This only deepened Viola's sense of humiliation.How could she possibly come up with almost 40,000 silver coins? Did she have to empty out her dowry and even use the funds from her late husband's pension?How could she do that?Viola stood there, trembling and speechless. She had never experienced such a humiliating situation in he
The shopkeeper William looked at Serena with a smile and said, "Miss, that's certainly possible. However, we have many more ruby tiaras in the shop. You've only seen this one. Would you like to choose from a few more options?"Serena lifted her head to see a shop assistant carrying a tray made of zebrawood enter the room. The tray obviously held pieces of much lower value, clearly brought up from the first or second floor. She immediately clutched the jewelry box she held tighter and said, "No, I only want this one."Rebecca was clearly getting frustrated. "What's with all this nonsense? We've already chosen this one. What is the matter with your shop? Just come to our residence to collect the payment. Stop wasting time."William was experienced and well-acquainted with such situations, though it was rare on the third floor. It was clear to him that the mother and daughter were trying to force the daughter-in-law to pay for the dowry, but the situation seemed unusual. The matria
The term "respected and remembered" revealed a great deal of information.Just like Viola, Kayla had also lost her husband on the battlefield. They shared a common sorrow, and it was out of kindness that she had wanted to help Viola. Unfortunately, Viola didn't appreciate the gesture, leaving Kayla quite embarrassed.Upon hearing the lady's identity, Carissa immediately understood the situation. However, she didn't comment further on the matter. Instead, she changed the subject and asked Kiera which pieces she had chosen. She also needed to buy a gift for her simple-minded mother-in-law. Not bringing Helen along today would likely upset her.The design for the Mystic Pearl set was finalized, and Kiera picked out several other pieces she loved. Hugging her sister-in-law, she exclaimed how much she adored Carissa.Nathaniel chuckled from the side. Compared to the tense exchange between Viola and Serena outside, this pair truly showed what genuine affection looked like.Though he was
When Helen returned from the palace, she walked straight through the sitting room. She held her head high, and completely ignored the women speaking inside.One of the women called out, "Mother, you're back?"Helen didn't acknowledge them and continued to walk with her head held high.Another woman rushed out and took her arm. "Mom, look at what Carissa and I bought for you! Come and see!""Hmph!" Helen glanced at Kiera coldly. "Why would I care?"Kiera's face fell. "Huh? You don't? Carissa spent a long time choosing these.""Hmph! Spent a long time choosing?" Helen glared coldly at Carissa, who was standing at the door. In response to Carissa's smile, Helen raised her chin. "Fine, let me take a look. But I'm very hard to please."Carissa smiled and said, "Mother, please come and see."Violet quickly called for someone to prepare some snacks. As she admired the jewelry, she filled Helen in on the excitement of the day.Helen placed a delicate red coral hairpin with dangling
In Valor Estate, only one lamp was lit in the corridor tonight, and two glass-covered lamps illuminated the main courtyard. These glass lamps were actually the ones Carissa had left behind when she moved away.The side hall was shrouded in darkness, with only the buzzing of mosquitoes to break the silence.The Golden Tower's shop assistant hadn't left. He sat anxiously in the side hall of the main courtyard. No one had served him coffee, and no lamps had been lit. He had waited from dawn until nightfall.He was there to collect payment, but once inside Valor Estate, he had been left waiting in this place. From the direction of the main hall, he could hear the sounds of shouting and heart-wrenching crying.The commotion lasted for at least an hour before finally quieting down. Then, someone had come in to tell him to wait. Since then, no one had returned.Given his experience, he was accustomed to accompanying guests to collect banknotes when they didn't have enough on hand. In the