Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 123

The moment Sebastian was out of sight, Tamara's true colors bled through.

Staring at the diamond necklace resting perfectly against Audrina's collarbone, her eyes were practically bloodshot with jealousy.

Was the old man out of his mind?!

A $4.2 million necklace, handed over like it was a cheap trinket. She had served Waldo for decades and had never seen even a fraction of that generosity.

Tamara looked like she wanted to reach out and rip the chain right off Audrina's neck.

"You've already broken off your engagement with Zachary, haven't you? He didn't keep that from me." Tamara took a menacing step forward, her imperious attitude completely unchecked. "What Mr. Hawthorne just said is true—you are no longer Zachary's fiancée. That necklace was a return gift from the Hawthornes to the Suttons. You have no right to wear it!"

Audrina didn't flinch.

She casually raised a hand, her fingers brushing against the pear-shaped diamond pendant. So that's what this was about.

The warmth drained from her eyes, leaving her voice ice-cold.

"Tamara," she replied, completely dropping the respectful 'Mrs. Sutton' title. "You're right. Zachary and I are over. But backing me into a corner like this—if the other guests hear about it, how exactly do you plan to spin it?"

Tamara sneered, entirely unbothered. "You put on quite the show today, so why not keep playing the part? You hand the necklace over to your 'future mother-in-law' as a token of respect, and the rest of the world will praise you for being such a dutiful, filial girl. It makes perfect sense."

Audrina let out a dry, exasperated laugh. This woman was practically wearing a sign that said 'embezzler' on her forehead, and somehow, she thought her logic was flawless.

"You missed the afternoon tea, didn't you? You didn't hear the whole story," Audrina stated.

Tamara's eyelid twitched. "What do you mean?"

Audrina spoke slowly, delivering every word with deliberate precision. "I mean that when Waldo tried to give me this necklace, Zachary tried to stop him. And his cousin, Cyrus, publicly humiliated him by asking, 'You haven't exactly bought her anything nice all these years, have you?'"

She watched with satisfaction as the color drained from Tamara's face.

"Dozens of guests heard him. Waldo was actually saving Zachary from further embarrassment, and you didn't even realize it."

"I could give this necklace to you right now. But what do you think people will say when your precious son turns around and forces his 'ex-fiancée' to hand over a multimillion-dollar gift to his mother? What kind of laughingstock will he become?"

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