Chapter 10 Your Wife Came

• When Dominic entered the house, he saw Calliope bringing two dishes out from the kitchen.
• She had been frowning, but the second she saw him, she replaced the frown with a smile.
• It was a little forced, however.
• After washing his hands, Dominic took his seat by the table. He had been training for the entire day, and his stomach was starting to protest. The food on the table looked delectable.
• Hence, he began gobbling down the food. In contrast, Calliope was sitting in silence opposite him. She was not even moving.
• “What's wrong?” he asked, lifting his head to look at her.
• Calliope stilled for a moment before shaking her head.
• “Dig in, then.” Dominic placed a piece of meat onto her plate. “You won't fill your stomach by just looking at the food.”
• Calliope lowered her head and pursed her lips. She did not have the appetite for anything. Right then, her phone beeped. It was a message from her younger brother, Caleb Iglehart: Calliope, when are you going to get the money for Mom's treatment? The doctor's going to be stopping her doses if you don't come with the money!
• Calliope's heart lurched, and she subconsciously glanced at the cabinet drawer in the bedroom.
• The gold accessories Dominic gave her back then were all kept inside. She was sure that the emerald-inlaid gold bracelet was rather expensive.
• “What are you thinking about?” was the deep voice that stopped her train of thought.
• Calliope came back to her senses. When her eyes met with the man's eyes, she tensed up. There was something about the way Dominic presented himself, for she always felt pressured whenever she looked him in the eye.
• “It's nothing,” she muttered.
• Dominic put down his fork and gave her a long look. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
• Calliope quickly shook her head.
• Dominic did not seem to be anxious for an answer. After a while of staring at her, he chuckled and returned his focus to his food.
• Since she did not intend to tell him about it, he was not going to insist. He was sure she would spill the beans herself one day.
• That night, Calliope's mind was a mess. She had read Caleb's message many times over, and she had thought about countless ways to get some money, but nothing was a good long-term plan.
• It was impossible to return to the Gingrich family to get any money anymore. The only way she had was to...
• Calliope quietly closed the door behind her and pulled the drawer. Then, she took out the ornate wooden box. The bracelet in the box glittered under the moonlight. She took it out and hesitated for what seemed like eons, but in the end, she carefully wrapped it up and kept it in her pocket.
• “Yes, it's a fine item indeed,” the employee at the jewelry store commented with a soft chuckle. “Although your bracelet is a little older in style, it's, fortunately, a classic style. Moreover, it's an item of high quality. It's rare to come across an accessory with good gold and emerald quality like this.”
• “How much will it be, then?” Calliope looked at the employee eagerly.
• “You wish to pawn this off, right?” The employee gave her a smile before leading her into a room.
• There were several machines on the table, and the employee asked her to wait there before leaving.
• After sitting down, Calliope began studying her surroundings. The jewelry store was far more luxurious than she thought it would be.
• If she had to be honest, she did not have much hope before coming to the store. After all, the bracelet looked old, and she knew Dominic would not be able to give her anything too great.
• Yet, to her surprise, the employees were asking her to stay.
• Calliope studied the bracelet for a while before rising to her feet and pacing in the room. She was hesitant.
• What she did not know was that someone was watching her every move through the surveillance camera.
• “Mr. Bachtel, that is the Howlett family's heirloom. Should we bring the lady over?”
• A set of eyes were fixed on the computer, and the man's handsome face had an unfazed smile on it. He then leaned back and crossed his legs on the table. Narrowing his eyes, he widened his smile and said, “No rush. Let's wait and see.”
• “What if she stole it?”
• “I doubt it.” Jonathan Bachtel spun his lighter before lighting a cigarette. “I heard that Silv got married. That must be his sweet wife. Ha! He gave her such an important thing to keep... but I'm sure he never thought that she would end up bringing that thing here!”
• “Mr. Bachtel, what do we do next?”
• “Tell the employee to offer her a price. A million first.”
• Finally, the employee returned to the anxious Calliope. The second the employee saw her, he gave her a smile. “Miss, our specialist has identified the item. It would not be a problem for us to offer you a million for the bracelet.”
• Calliope's ears buzzed for ten whole seconds.
• A million?
• A troubled look manifested on her face as she held onto the bracelet tightly.
• It was a price far more than she was expecting—she never thought that the bracelet would be worth that much.
• With a million, she would be able to afford the rest of her mother's treatment, and she would be able to send Caleb to a better school.
• However, it was a wedding gift from Dominic.
• Calliope's heart skipped a beat, and she frowned.
• At that very moment, the memory of Dominic handing her the jewelry box flashed past her mind.
• “This is everything I have. From now on, you'll be the one to manage the household.”
• Calliope bit her lip as a wave of guilt crashed into her. He had given her everything he had, but what was she repaying his sincerity with?
• “Miss, are you unsatisfied with the offer?” the employee carefully asked. “We can negotiate the price. What about this? Let me show you the records of the items pawned so that you can have a point of reference. Then, you can—”
• “I'm not giving it anymore!” Calliope leaped to her feet and shoved the bracelet back into her bag.
• “I—”
• Before the employee could react to that, Calliope had run out of the jewelry store and disappeared down the crowded street.
• “Oh? She didn't pawn it?” came the amused voice from upstairs.
• The employee spun around and hung his head as he greeted, “Mr. Bachtel.”
• The man narrowed his eyes as the amusement in his eyes grew. Sitting on the couch, he took out his phone and said, “Silv, your wife just came to pawn off your family heirloom. Do you know about this?”