?Chapter 1182:


    After a brief pause, she offered a warm exnation. “We met at Moonlight za, and I thought Miss Hond might appreciate jade. So, I picked this out for her.”


    The living room was cloaked in an uneasy silence, the air thick with unspoken tension. Though everyone felt it, no one dared to disturb the quiet.


    Elva might have been a woman, but the women of the Quinn family were no delicate flowers—they were forged in steel and ambition.


    Elva, in particr, bore the Quinn matriarch’s influence like an heirloom, chosen to carry the family’s legacy.


    The region once buzzed with news of her engagement to Nate, a tale so widely spread it became near gospel. Even Moses and Zack, Nate’s steadfastpanions, had nearly believed it.


    Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so stunned to learn that Nate was with Corrine.


    In hindsight, the rumors of Nate and Elva seemed less like coincidence and more like Elva’s careful orchestration.


    Now, her extravagant gift—a bracelet offered to Corrine—felt like a snake wrapped in silk rather than a gesture of goodwill.


    After all, Elva was renowned not just for her beauty but for her silver tongue and cunning heart.


    Logically, she should have met the sight of Nate and Corrine with fury, not blessings. Her benevolence felt out of ce, like a wolf offering amb sanctuary.


    As the room simmered with spection, Nate finally spoke, his voice as indifferent as a winter breeze. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”


    Elva exhaled, a breath so subtle it barely stirred the air.


    Had Nate refused, the sting of humiliation would have been unbearable.


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    “Since that’s settled, please continue your conversation. I have other matters to attend to,” Elva said smoothly, rising to her feet.


    As she departed, Herbert’s voice floated behind her. “When will youe back after leaving this ce?”


    Before Nate could respond, Moses chimed in with a smirk, “What’s the rush? Afraid you’ll miss the wedding invitation?”


    Elva didn’t catch Nate’s answer. She walked out of the Grand Pce, her expression calm.


    The car door closed with a muted thud. Her assistant, unable to hold back, spoke up. “Miss Quinn, that bracelet was top-quality. Isn’t it a waste to give it away like that?”


    Elva studied her manicured nails, her voice as polished as her appearance. “It’s just a bracelet—it served its purpose.”


    “But they clearly didn’t appreciate it.” The assistant frowned.


    If Nate truly valued it, he wouldn’t have kept silent for so long.


    Elva’s gaze lifted, cool and measured. “That doesn’t matter.”


    The gift wasn’t a gesture of kindness—it was bait, cast into still waters to see what might surface. A test.


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