Chapter 467 A Hidden Secret
Mr. Leaf realized too late that he’d said something wrong. He quickly corrected himself. “I misspoke! They’re not engaged–he just gave the ring to Ms. Eliza. They both attended the banquet tonight, but te seems they had a disagreement with Ms. Lynn, so they left early.”
“Left?”
If that ring had really been a gift from Nolan to Eliza, there was no way he would’ve walked away that easily
He must’ve used some trick to get the ring off Elaine’s finger.
“That ring might’ve been the highlight of Leaf Corp’s collection, but it wasn’t that extraordinary, was it?” Tyson said slowly. “Or is it that the ring is so special, the Foster family, Ms. Eliza, and even my nephew are all unusually attached to it?”
“The ring is certainly top–tier,” Mr. Leaf replied. “It was our pride and joy–never displayed to outsiders. If Mr. Nolan Hayes hadn’t offered such a high price back then–and if I hadn’t been short on funds–I never would’ve sold it.”
Tyson tapped his fingers in thought. “So it was your family’s heirloom?”
“No, not exactly. It’s just that it was the finest ring I’ve ever seen–exceptional clarity and a masterful cut. Easily worth a fortune. That’s why it became our store’s signature piece.”
Then something else came to Mr. Leaf’s mind. “Actually, the ring’s former owner was also quite famous.”
“Oh?”
“Mr. Nolan likely bought it for that reason too. It used to belong to Emilia–the well–known socialite from Westbrook, and Ms. Eliza’s mother.”
That explained everything.
Tyson now understood why the ring was so significant.
“I see. Thank you, Mr. Leaf.”
He stood to leave.
Mr. Leaf quickly got up to see him off.
As they reached the door, Julio said quietly, “So it’s a family heirloom–Ms. Eliza’s mother’s ring. No wonder things blew up with Ms. Lynn.”,
Everyone knew Ms. Lynn’s temper. She must’ve teamed up with the Fosters and flaunted the ring on purpose, provoking Eliza and Nolan, And that’s when Eliza took it back.
“But doesn’t it strike you as odd?” Tyson said flatly. “Henry threw a whole banquet just for a ring? If his only goal was to embarrass Eliza, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.”
He’d met Eliza before–she was smart, strategic, and not the type to lose control over sentimentality.
For things to have escalated this far, there had to be something more.
“Keep close tabs on Eliza and Nolan. Report anything immediately.”
Chapter 467 A Hidden Secret
“Yes, Mr. Hayes.”
Meanwhile
Eliza and Nolan had brought in Colton and Lewis.
Lewis was deeply knowledgeable about jewelry. Just a quick glance, and he was already estimating the ring worth.
In the Hayes family estate, Lewis placed the ring on the table and said, “The craftsmanship is superb- precision cuts, all done by a master with at least twenty years of experience. The clarity is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. If this stone is natural, then its value is immeasurable. At the very least, it’s worth this much
He held up one finger.
Nolan already knew the ring’s market value–he was the one who had bought it, after all.
“We didn’t ask about the value,” Nolan said. “We want to know what else you can tell us.”
“You asked me to look at a ring. I looked. Isn’t the whole point to assess its value? Or are you suddenly interested in craftsmanship?”
Lewis leaned back in his chair, clearly puzzled by Nolan’s request.
Ordinary people evaluated jewelry for its price–why were these two asking for something else entirely?
Eliza spoke up. “Can you take a closer look? Is there anything unusual? Like… a hidden mechanism or something?”
Even she knew how absurd that sounded. Who would put a secret mechanism inside a ring in this day and age?
Lewis looked at her strangely.
Colton, always impatient, frowned. “A mechanism? What, you think there’s some kind of weapon hidden in there?”
Eliza hesitated, struggling to explain. “Not a weapon. I mean… could there be something hidden inside? That’s all.”
Felix wouldn’t have wanted the ring so badly unless it contained a secret no one else knew about.
Seeing how seriously Eliza and Nolan were taking this, Lewis picked the ring back up and examined it again, much more thoroughly.
At last, he said, “This ring is entirely done in a mounted setting. With this style, there’s no way to disinantle it without damaging it. From the outside, aside from a string of numbers, there’s nothing else visible.”
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