My Four Miraculous Treasures

Xavier caught hold of her hand. "It stays on," he declared firmly. "It's my gift to you. You have to wear it."

The way he held her hand was preventing Willow from removing the bracelet. It created an unintentionally intimate scene, like two lovers holding hands as they exchanged warm words of affection.

As Willow opened her mouth to reject this gift, there was a sudden flash of light, blinding them both for an instant.

She twisted her head sharply towards the source of that light. A woman had her smartphone camera pointed directly at them. The photograph taken, she lowered the device.

The woman was clad all in name-brand apparel, the very portrait of wealth and luxury...

Yelena Anderson!

Seized by the grip of hysterical anxiety, Willow shot to her feet and stormed towards the other woman. "Delete that photo!" she commanded.

Yelena hid her phone behind her back. "What photo? I can't imagine what you're talking about."

Faced with blunt denial, Willow lunged at her. "The photo you just took, of the two of us! Get rid of it!"

Yelena dodged aside. "Who do you think you are, snatching at my things in full view of the public? I told you, there's no photo."

The handphone she was holding behind herself was abruptly wrenched out of her hand. Whirling around in shock, she found Xavier holding her phone, and she dove for it.

Xavier raised the phone overhead. With his towering frame, this put it well beyond Yelena's reach.

"Xavier, what's the meaning of this?!" she wailed. "Could it be that there's some sort of illicit relation going on between you and Willow Nason?! Is there something shameful going on here, that no one's supposed to find out about?!"

"Shut your mouth!" Xavier snapped, glaring fiercely.

Yelena held no fear for Willow-but Xavier was another matter entirely. He was, after all, one of the scions and heirs of the Hughes family. She couldn't afford to make an enemy of him.

With a series of deft motions, Xavier wiped that incriminating photograph from existence. As he tossed the smartphone back to Yelena, he snarled in warning, "Stay out of my business. You're no one to me. If I find out about any sneaky moves from you, I'll make sure you regret it!"

Yelena caught her phone, and then scowled in response to his threats. “I simply don't understand what everyone sees in Willow, to all be sheltering her like this!"

Fuming, she stomped her way out of the restaurant.

Willow sagged with relief. Turning to Xavier, she said, "I'm heading back. It's been a long day, and I need to rest."

Remembering that she was supposed to avoid straining herself after her recent concussion, Xavier didn't argue further. "I'll take you back."

"Forget it, I'll hail a ride." Willow began fumbling with the jade bracelet, so that she could get it off, and return it to him.

Xavier took a sharp tone with her: "Keep that on, and don't take it off! Otherwise... you'd better get back in my car!"

Taken aback, Willow finally replied, "Enjoy your dinner. I'm off, now."

Leaving the bracelet upon her wrist for the time being, she hurried out of the restaurant without further ado.

All anyone ever did was push her around. Whenever they thought- they'd found a weakness of hers,

they wasted no time trying tottnoveldrama

it

against her. She was so tired of it all... sŵnovel

She found a car to take her back to Lerstone Apartments. When she was finally able to shut the apartment door behind herself, she heaved a deep sigh of relief. She

opened the door to the children's

room, and took in a deep whiff of her favorite scent, which instantly dispelled all her weariness.

As she was heading back to her own room, her handphone rang. Thinking it must be Xavier, bugging her yet again, an irritated Willow reached for the button to reject the call... but then caught sight of Jasper' name, instead!

The merest glimpse of his name caused her heart to scale her throat!

With one trembling finger, she slid the button to answer the call. "...Hello?"

"Downstairs." It was a man's voice, dark and forbidding.

Downstairs...? Where was he? Outside her former apartment?

Willow was on edge, her heart filled with distress.