She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 701

Dominic instantly understood his cue.

He turned to the waiter and spoke with absolute authority.

"No need to display it."

He waved his hand, and the waiter smoothly presented the jewelry box to him.

Dominic flipped the lid open, lifting the necklace from its velvet bed.

The theme of tonight's exhibition was Peacock's Splendor.

Melanie thought the name was incredibly tacky, but at least it was straightforward.

Every single piece in the hall utilized malachite as its centerpiece.

The necklace in Dominic's hand was no exception.

The focal point of the piece was its massive pendant.

Cast in 22-karat gold and shaped like a peacock feather, the center held a smoothly polished piece of malachite.

Hence the name: Peacock's Tear.

Before walking into the hall, Melanie had seen the promotional banners claiming the Peacock's Tear was the crown jewel of the entire exhibit.

Yet, she hadn't spotted it anywhere on the floor.

Now she knew why—it was never meant to be displayed in the first place.

"This Peacock's Tear... is a gift. I'm buying it for Leila."

As he spoke, Dominic dramatically secured the clasp around Leila's neck for everyone to see.

Leila offered a coy, blushing smile, looking every bit the picture of a woman utterly cherished by her lover.

A smattering of applause broke out from the surrounding guests. Leila rested her fingers against the malachite stone at her throat, her eyes brimming with irrepressible smugness.

Watching from the sidelines, Melanie's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

The acting was atrocious.

They hyped the Peacock's Tear as the star attraction, deliberately kept it off the floor, and then orchestrated a public spectacle where Dominic bought it for her.

This entire song and dance was just Leila showing off to the crowd, proving she was highly desired and had a rich boyfriend throwing diamonds at her feet.

But the glaring issue was...

Leila designed the damn necklace herself!

Before Everett could reply, Leila's voice sliced through the air.

"A woman absolutely must find a man willing to open his wallet for her. Those guys who claim they love you but refuse to spend a dime? It just proves you have zero value to them. You're worthless in their eyes."

As she spoke, Leila sauntered over to Melanie, blatantly flaunting the massive necklace.

"Ms. Royce, this Peacock's Tear cost five million dollars!"

Melanie couldn't hold back a genuine laugh.

Seeing Melanie turn to leave again, Leila stepped sideways, aggressively blocking her path.

"I remember hearing you had a boyfriend, Ms. Royce. Why don't you have him wire you some cash so you can get a little something for yourself?"

As soon as the insult left her lips, Melanie simply waved her off.

"No thanks."

"If you're worried your boyfriend can't afford it, I can offer you a discount."

Initially, Melanie had wanted to let the whole thing slide to keep the peace.

After all, Leila wasn't the only host tonight; the Lockridge family was heavily involved.