Chapter 4: Chapter 4: An Expensive Wedding Gift

Lila’s POV

The jewelry store Zoe took me to was one of the most exclusive in the city. Under the brilliant lights, countless diamonds glittered dazzlingly, each piece worth a fortune. However, my gaze was drawn to a deep blue gemstone ring.

It was displayed alone on a velvet cushion, its design ancient and mysterious. The sapphire was as deep as the sea, with what looked like stars swirling within it, giving off a cool, noble aura.

“Whoa!” Zoe leaned in, her eyes wide. “Isn’t this the ’Tear of the Moon God’? The legendary gem that’s supposed to bring eternal love! Dad actually brought it out?”

I awkwardly pulled my gaze away. “It’s too valuable. I can’t accept it.”

“Why not?” Zoe asked, confused. “This is a heartfelt gift from Dad. Besides, look, he chose this one specifically. He must think you deserve it.”

I gave a bitter smile. Jasper’s kindness was too heavy a burden for me to bear. We were only a couple by contract; this gift was far beyond the scope of our agreement.

In the end, after Zoe’s relentless pestering, I accepted the ring. But I knew in my heart that I was only holding onto it temporarily. The day our agreement ended, I would return it to him, untouched.

After leaving the jewelry store, Zoe said to me mysteriously, “Lila, I have another surprise for you! Follow me!”

She drove me to a lake on the outskirts of the city. The scenery was beautiful, the water clear, and it was surrounded by dense woods.

“So? It’s beautiful, right?” Zoe asked proudly.

I nodded, though I felt a flicker of confusion. ’This place… it feels familiar.’

“Actually, this is my wedding gift to you!” Zoe grabbed my hand and pointed excitedly across the lake. “Look over there!”

I followed her finger and saw a magnificent sea of flowers glittering in the sunlight. It was a field of roses of every color, their petals layered upon one another—a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

“Is that… the Rose Garden?” I asked, astonished.

“That’s right!” Zoe said with a smile. “I know you love roses, so I had this garden specially built for you. As long as the garden is here, the roses will never wither!”

My heart suddenly clenched. The lake… the Rose Garden… The combination of these things awakened a long-buried memory.

Before my parents passed away, they had promised to build me a Rose Garden. They came to this lakeside many times to survey the area, hoping to buy the land. Unfortunately, the negotiations ultimately failed. Not long after, they died in an “accidental” car crash.

“Zoe, this land… how did you manage to buy it?” my voice trembled slightly.

Zoe stuck her tongue out, her gaze shifting away. “Uh… Dad helped. He said the scenery was nice and suitable for development, so I bought it in his name. The seller seemed to be in a hurry to move abroad, so the price was pretty cheap.”

She said it so casually, but a storm was raging in my heart. The price of land here had only gone up over the years, never down. How could it possibly be cheap? Besides, Caleb had once told me that he’d been trying to acquire this land for years without success.

Just as I was lost in thought, a familiar figure appeared on a path in the Rose Garden.

It was Caleb.

He was wearing my favorite dark overcoat, standing amidst the sea of flowers. He looked at me with a gentle gaze, as if the rift between us had never existed.

“Lila, I’ve missed you,” his voice was low and full of emotion.

I instinctively took a step back, watching him warily. “What are you doing here?”

“I know that after your parents passed away, your biggest dream was to buy this place.” Caleb stepped forward, his eyes full of doting affection. “These past few years, as I’ve gradually taken control of my family’s corporation, I’ve finally been able to act. I never forgot your dream.”

I let out a desolate laugh. “Caleb, given our relationship now, what’s the point of saying all this?”

“Lila, I miss you so much,” he said, reaching out to grab my wrist. “Come home with me, okay?”

I violently shook off his hand, my eyes filled with disappointment and fury. “Caleb, you can’t glue back together what you’ve shattered with your own hands!”

Just then, an icy voice came from behind us.

“It seems the Goodrich family wishes to challenge the Hale Family.”

Caleb and I turned around at the same time to see Jasper standing there, though we hadn’t noticed his arrival. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture as straight as a pine, and he exuded a suffocatingly oppressive aura.

His gaze fell on me first, holding a flicker of imperceptible concern, then shifted to Caleb, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as a blade.

“Mr. Caleb Goodrich,” Jasper’s voice was calm and steady, yet it carried an unquestionable authority. “I am giving you a solemn warning: do not harass my wife.”

Caleb’s expression instantly turned ugly, but he quickly composed himself and forced a smile. “Mr. Jasper, I just wanted to talk to Lila. After all, we grew up together.”

“That’s in the past,” Jasper said, taking a step forward and naturally pulling me behind him in a clear gesture of ownership. “She is my wife now. I trust you understand that and will keep your distance.”

His tone wasn’t aggressive, but every word struck Caleb’s heart like a heavy hammer. Caleb looked into Jasper’s bottomless eyes and saw what looked like a dormant beast, ready to pounce and tear him to shreds at any moment.

He gritted his teeth, but in the end, he said nothing and turned to leave.

Only after Caleb’s figure had disappeared from view did Jasper relax. He looked down at me, his voice much softer. “Are you all right?”

I shook my head, my heart a tangle of mixed emotions. On one hand, I was grateful he had shown up in time to get me out of the situation; on the other, I felt our relationship had just become even more complicated.

“Thank you,” I said in a low voice.

Jasper didn’t respond. He simply took my hand and led me into the Rose Garden. We strolled through the sea of flowers, neither of us speaking. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

“Do you like it here?” he suddenly asked.

“I do,” I answered, nodding honestly. “It was a beautiful dream my parents had for me.”

Jasper was silent for a moment. “Then let it be yours,” he said. “This lake, this garden—it’s all yours from now on. Do with it as you please.”

I looked up, staring at him in surprise. The sincerity and gentleness in his eyes left me speechless.

In that moment, I felt as if I were falling into the kind of deep affection I had always longed for. ’But is it even possible? Or is this just another lonely girl’s wishful thinking?’

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