My Four Miraculous Treasures

Willow had said what needed to be said. Now, she got up to leave.

Xavier caught hold of her hand. His hand felt hot and sweaty against her skin.

Startled by this move from him, she instinctively yanked her hand free of his grip. “Xavier Hughes!” she shrieked. “I believe I've made myself clear! Perhaps you got the wrong idea, after that incident with the car?! Let's get this straight: I didn't do it for your sake; I did it at Samantha's request! Anyway, there were two lives in danger! I'd have done exactly the same for a complete stranger-and that's why I was willing to do that for you!"

Willow was distraught, overwrought. Her eyes, clear as a mountain spring in a secluded valley, caught the light and sparkled beautifully, as she gazed up at him.

What she needed to do was get him to give up on her. Jasper had been explicit on that point.

What happened that night, five years ago, had irreparably severed the relationship between Willow and Xavier: Xavier had cheated on her with Samantha, while Jasper had forcefully stolen away Willow's virginity.

From that day onwards, Willow and Xavier could only go through life as two parallel lines, never to intersect again.

Willow sincerely wished for Xavier to get over her, so that he could get on with his own life. He'd fall in love with another girl, who would return his feelings with all her heart. They'd get married, have kids, and live happily ever after together.

Every moment he spent mooning over her like this, was a moment wasted.

Therefore, Willow had to be firm and decisive about rejecting him. There was some frustration and dread in the mix, as well. She feared that talking about the past like this might bring some long-forgotten sentiment bubbling to the surface, and encourage Xavier to keep on thinking that he might still have a chance with her.

Xavier's heart was deeply wounded by Willow's cold words.

Indeed, that day, when he saw Willow selflessly risking herself to ram his car with her own, in order to save his life... he'd seen it as proof that she still had lingering feelings for him.noveldrama

If it was true that he still held a genuine place in her heart-then Xavier was prepared to take on the whole world, if that was what it took for them to be together.

There was nothing he feared more than the idea that she really felt nothing for him anymore. Nothing could possibly hurt him more than that.

And yet, here she was, saying that she'd have done exactly the same thing even for a complete stranger? So it didn't matter at all, that it had been him?

This revelation cut the wind off from his sails completely, snuffing out that precious flame of hope, with a pain so excruciating that it felt real.

Xavier's hands clenched into fists upon the tabletop, his expression wrought with indescribable misery The glow of the chandelier overhead caused a diamond upon Willow's throat to glitter dazzlingly, smarting his eyes.

It was a pendant, shaped like a cloud, and inlaid with multiple diamonds. Xavier stared at it, frowning. "Who gave you that pendant?"

Willow looked down, and noticed the pendant. The ring of diamonds upon it flashed and twinkled brilliantly, catching one's eye and commanding attention.

In truth, this coruscant display hurt her eyes. “I bought this with my own money, if that's cool with you."

"That pendant has to be worth at least ten million dollars. You say you bought it? With your own money?" Xavier lifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes brimming with pained accusation.

Willow's eyes flew wide with shock. What?! This diamond-encrusted pendant cost so much?!

She hadn't expected something like this could be that expensive!

"Jasper gave that to you, didn't he?" Xavier remarked sulkily. It wasn't a question.

Willow averted her eyes bashfully for

a moment... but then she met Xavier's gaze dead-on, and replied, "That's right. This is a gift from Jasper. As I said: Stop wasting any more of your time on me."

Even before she finished saying that, he took up her hand, and pressed something cool against her skin.

She looked down, and saw that she was now wearing a jade bracelet around her wrist. It was a mild translucent green all throughout. Willow could instantly tell that it was very high-grade-and very expensive.

Her heart skipped a beat, and then she immediately began trying to slip it off her

hand. "Why did you put this on me?!"