Never See You Again

*The collateral is fine, but I don’t want to lose too much either. This ring looks pretty nice. How about you give it to me instead?” Maeve proposed.

Hailey laughed in exasperation. “Maeve, are you kidding me? Do you know how much this ring is worth? It’s at least a billion!”

“I know. The market value is indeed a billion. If it were auctioned, it could fetch even more. But turning this ring into cash takes time, and there’s no guarantee of finding a buyer willing to pay that much.

“Plus uctions come with commissions and require a lot of time and effort. If word went out that the Brooks family needs to sell their jewelry, it could hurt the family’s reputation and business.

Maeve laid out all the pros and cons, confident Hailey wouldn’t sell the ring and that there would be no immediate cash benefit.

While raising an eyebrow, she added, “Mrs. Brooks Senior, if you give this ring to me, your granddaughter–in–law, I’ll naturally provide financial support if you need it in the future.”

With Maeve’s reasoning, Hailey had no grounds to refuse. Although the ring was valuable, it was just collecting dust. As a family heirloom, it would stay within the Brooks family.

Most importantly, if Sergio and Maeve divorced, Maeve would have to return it anyway.

“Fine, you can have it. But let me be clear. If you ever divorce Sergiu, you must return the ring.”

“Of course,” Maeve agreed verbally but inwardly sneered. Verbal promises never counted. Since the ring was given voluntarily, she had no reason to return it later.

After reaching an agreement, Maeve handed a check to the Hoffman family, who left happily with the money. Now, only Maeve and Hailey remained in the living room.

Maeve presented a prepared contract to Hailey. “Mrs. Brooks Senior, please sign here.”

The contract clearly outlined the collateral terms. After slipping on her reading glasses, Hailey carefully examined it, ensuring there were no legal loopholes before signing.

She then handed the pen to Maeve with a cold expression. “If this money is ever repaid, it will go to Sergio. You won’t get a dime.” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Sergio’s money will, of course, be repaid to Sergio. I’m just acting on his behalf.”

Maeve slipped the ring on her finger and admired it with satisfaction. “It looks beautiful. Thank you, Grandma.”

Hailey felt uncomfortable as Maeve called her “Grandma“. The ring, originally a gift from Hailey’s late husband, now looked out of place on Maeve’s hand.

“Mrs. Brooks Senior, should I put this leather suitcase in Mrs. Brooks‘ room?” Allie asked while bringing in Hailey’s leather suitcase.

Hailey waved her off impatiently. “Just put it upstairs.”

“Yes, Mrs. Brooks Senior.”

“Wait,” Maeve interrupted. “Leave it here. I’ll take it to my place later.”

Hailey frowned. “Maeve, what do you mean by that? Are you planning to live separately from Sergio?”