Chapter 172
Miranda touched the bridge of her nose, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. Watching Elian fumble around like that gave her the same kind of joy as teasing a puppy.
She had recognized Elian right away. When people knew someone well enough, no disguise could mask their identity from them. None of that TV drama nonsense where a simple change of clothes made someone unrecognizable.
Everyone in this world was unique, with their own distinctive aura and demeanor. For her, identifying someone by their physical presence was second nature.
Elian shoved the box into Miranda’s hands, as if it was nothing, even though it was something he’d bought for a whopping fifty million dollars.
“Take it,” he said, a hint of impatience in his voice. But underlying it was a clear sense that he’d be even more irritated if she refused.
Miranda looked at the box and chuckled.
“Is this how you give a gift?” she specially drawled in a teasing manner.
Elian, who had never really given anyone a gift before, was momentarily flustered by Miranda’s question. He wasn’t sure if he’d done anything wrong. Trying to cover his awkwardness with a cool demeanor, he asked, “Well, how should I do it then?”
His icy tone was at odds with the uncertain words he was speaking.
Miranda was momentarily at a loss for words. He seemed to be serious about it, she assumed.
Miranda didn’t know how to reply. There was some unfathomable emotion bubbling up from inside that made her want to laugh – not in mockery, but out of genuine amusement.
Seeing Miranda’s amusement, Elian paused, and then took the box back, his expression serious. “Alright, let me try again.”
His voice softened, and in the evening air, it sounded as soothing as a gentle stream. “I got it for you because I knew you wanted it.”
With his strikingly handsome face and the tender warmth in his voice, he was almost too charming for his own good. Miranda didn’t immediately take it back.
“You’ve lost fifty million dollars,” she remarked.
Elian’s voice dropped a notch. “Money’s not an issue for me. I only bid on it because I saw you wanted it.”
To him, fifty million dollars was just a number, part of his personal wealth, separate from the Ashcroft family’s assets and his own business ventures.
The words Miranda had wanted to say were held back. She had assumed Elian had bid on the gemstone because he recognized its unique qualities or had some ulterior motive. Otherwise, the gemstone held no apparent value.
“Just take it,” he urged, frowning slightly.
Miranda reached out and accepted it. She wasn’t one to be overly sentimental; she genuinely needed it.
“I can’t repay you fifty million, but I can promise you a favor in return.”
That seemed to annoy Elian.
“Did I ever ask for something in return?” his voice was cool, but his words were anything but. “If I give you something, I’m not someone stingy to expect anything back.”
Miranda’s lips curved into a soft smile as she removed the gemstone from its wooden case, holding it in her
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palm.
“Thank you then.”
The moment her hand touched the gemstone, a rush of energy flowed from it into her hand, a refreshing coolness spreading throughout her body. It was indeed a source stone, not the top–tier kind, but perfect for her needs right now.
Elian glanced at the small stone between her fingers. Though he could sense something was different about it, he couldn’t tell what exactly made it special, nor could he fathom why Miranda desired such a stone.
He had heard of rare natural stones that contained energy, newly discovered by scientists, but the samples were scanty.
Even though the stones emerged in the market, most likely they’d end up in the pockets of some collectors or appraisers.
The type of stones were presently under research, and the energy containing inside hadn’t been extracted yet. Hence, with the function of the energy unraveled, the stones didn’t reach the public eye.
Currently, few researchers worldwide had mastered the energy extracting techniques were scare, and the relevant study was scarce.
If Miranda knew about it, then it must be useful to her. So, Elian didn’t press her for more details. Seeing her satisfied expression, he felt his lips curl upward, realizing sending her gift would make him fulfilled.
“So, you and Jasper came here just for this?”
Miranda nodded. “My medical practice requires it. In other words, it’s necessary if I want to help cure your grandfather.”
Elian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “In that case, the fifty million was well spent.”
Miranda raised an eyebrow. “Indeed, it was.”
Elian looked at her, a soft smile spreading across his face. His eyes were warm, filled with a light that mirrored her presence. His expression was as gentle as a spring breeze, his heart almost softening entirely.
Miranda glanced up to speak to Elian, only to find herself caught in his gaze.
“Aren’t you curious why I showed up here?” he asked, gazing at her.
