Chapter 32 Family Name
Calliope’s heart skipped a beat as she exchanged a nervous glance with Amala.
“Why is she asking for you?” Amala frowned. “I doubt it’s anything good, so be careful, Calliope!
“Mhm, don’t worry about me.” Composedly, Calliope entered Melissa’s office.
Melissa had intentionally opened the windows and the door so the others could see everything going on inside.
I don’t think Melissa’s going to do anything to me, considering she’s allowing others to observe us. With tha thought in mind, Calliope stepped into the room.
With a smile, Melissa introduced, “Calliope, this is Mr. Morales, the CEO of Starlight Group. Mr. Morales, she’s our company’s employee of the month!”
Calliope nodded and smiled as a greeting. The more she scrutinized Melissa’s expression, the more she believed Amala was right. Melissa was certainly up to no good.
Mickey Morales was a refined middle-aged man. Ever since she entered the room, he had been fixing his gaze on the ring she wore.
“This is your lucky day, Calliope!” Grinning. Melissa continued, “Mr. Morales. may be a businessman, but he’s quite accomplished in the field of jewelry appraisal! In fact, he’s a permanent member of the Jewelry Association! Many in the jewelry business had invited him for appraisals in the past. His eyes are comparable to precision instruments. Hence, it’ll only take him a glance to determine if a piece of jewelry or a gem is fake or not.”
Then, she turned to Mickey. “Mr. Morales, will you be so kind as to examine the ring on Calliope’s finger?”
Calliope felt her heart pounding as she reflexively hid her ring.
Upon standing up, Mickey smiled at her politely. “May I take a look, Ms. Gingrich?”
While Calliope hesitated, plenty of curious employees turned their attention toward the office. Meanwhile, Melissa crossed her arms in front of her chest, smirking. This is going to be good.
“This ring isn’t valuable, Mr. Morales,” Calliope disclosed. “I only wear it daily just for the heck of it. There’s nothing special about it, so it’s not worth your time to analyze it.”
Without delay, Melissa questioned in a high-pitched voice, “Really? But I thought someone had just told me it was her wedding ring. You don’t have to hold back, Calliope. You know, Mr. Morales is an important client of ours, and since he’s interested in your ring, just show it to him Don’t offend him, okay?”
In response, Calliope took in a deep breath. So that’s why she opened the windows and
After remaining silent for a few seconds, she expressionlessly removed the ring and
table.
put it on the
Smiling, Mickey put on a pair of white gloves before removing a Chelsea Filter from his bag. He proceeded to pick up the ring and scrutinized it carefully.
The more he inspected it, the more his expression shifted.
Calliope stood at the side nervously. Last night, Dominic told me this ring isn’t that valuable. So, it’s pretty obvious Melissa invited this jewelry expert here to embarra** me by appraising it as a ring of poor quality.
“Ms. Gingrich.” Mickey abruptly spoke up. “Where did you get this ring?”
She found his solemn and shocked expression odd but still answered, “My husband gave it to me. It’s my wedding ring. Is there a problem with that?”
His eyes widened. “May I ask what’s your husband’s family name?”
Knitting her eyebrows, she wondered why he was asking about that for no reason. Still, she remained polite and answered, “His family name is Garfield.”
Instead of clearing up his suspicions, that answer only further confused him. Garfield? How’s that possible? The tiny mark on the ring is clearly the Howlett family’s insignia. If my guess is correct, this ring is the Howlett family’s heirloom, worn by their ancestors who were once consorts.
Upon noticing Mickey’s odd expression, Melissa couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something wrong with this ring, Mr. Morales? Is it a fake?”
More and more people gathered outside the door to watch everything unfold while discussing among themselves.
Biting her lip, Calliope quietly put the ring back on her finger.
“It’s not a fake. In fact, it’s extremely expensive.” Mickey removed his gloves. “The gem is an emerald, and the ring itself is made from pure gold extracted from the gold mine in Hoomal River. While the style of the ring is quaint, it’s exceedingly valuable.”
“What?” Melissa’s expression shifted drastically. “A-Are you sure, Mr. Morales?”
“Are you questioning my skills, Ms. Muller?”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant…”
Mickey shot a displeased glance at her before beaming at Calliope. “This emerald’s hardness and purity are extremely rare, Ms. Gingrich. If it is auctioned at Christie’s, its value will be incalculablel”
His words surprised Calliope.
Even those who were enjoying the show outside of the office were stunned. They promptly whispered among each other as they stared at Calliope with complicated looks.
“I heard your sales plan is excellent, Ms. Gingrich. Coincidentally, I’ve got a few business projects. I’d like to discuss with your company. Do you perhaps have time now to converse with me?” said Mickey.
Astonished, Calliope met the man’s warm gaze before smiling. Of course, I’ll accept a deal served to me on a silver platter. “Please wait in the conference room for me, Mr. Morales. I’ll bring you coffee and show you the previous sales plan.”
