“Daxton,” Elizabeth replied absentmindedly, still inspecting the pen in her hand. “He saved me at sea that time. If I gave him a gift just for that, it might seem a bit deliberate. But his birthday is coming up soon, so I figured I’d pick something out while I had the time today.”
Kristopher’s expression darkened instantly. A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he remarked, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “His birthday? You seem to remember it quite well.”
Elizabeth, oblivious to his shift in mood, continued focusing on the pen.
“We haven’t seen each other in years. How could I remember that?” she said offhandedly.
The sudden brightness in Kristopher’s expression was hard to miss.
Nearby, Sandra leaned toward Elijah, her voice a conspiratorial whisper.
“Does Kristopher enjoy being ignored? Back when Elizabeth used to cater to his every whim, he was always indifferent. Now that she doesn’t care about him, he’s like a happy puppy… Look at him, getting excited over one little sentence.”
Elijah, lost in his thoughts, muttered absently, “Speaking of which, Daxton’s some kind of distant relative of Elizabeth’s…”
He trailed off mid-sentence, realizing his blunder. Snapping back to attention, he grabbed Sandra’s arm, dragging her toward the exit. “Kristopher, Elizabeth, we haven’t finished our movie yet. We’ll leave you to it!”
Sandra blinked, confused by the sudden retreat, but Elijah’s urgency left no room for protest.
Elizabeth stood still, stunned by Elijah’s earlier comment. “Distant relative?” she murmured. Since when did the Campbell family have any distant relatives worth mentioning?
Then it clicked. Elijah wouldn’t know anything about the Campbell family’s genealogy, but he would know about the Norris family. That meant Daxton wasn’t her relative—he was Kristopher’s.
The pieces fell into place. It explained how Daxton could use the Norris family’s yacht and why he and Kristopher had engaged in a private conversation at the hot springs.
But then, why hadn’t Kristopher formally introduced Daxton?
Still, Elizabeth didn’t linger on their relationship. Instead, she latched onto a more pressing matter.
Turning to Kristopher, she asked, “Since you’re related, you must know his preferences. Can you help me figure out if he’d like this pen? Or does he have other hobbies? It’s always best to pick a gift that suits the recipient.”
She picked up a sleek black pen, tilting it under the light as she inspected it.
Kristopher’s face darkened further, his voice flat. “We’re not close. I haven’t been in touch with him in years. I’m not his father. He’s a distant cousin, and I have hundreds of relatives. How would I possibly know all their preferences?”
“True.” Elizabeth nodded, putting the black pen down. She turned her attention back to the white pen she’d been eyeing earlier and handed it to the CEO. “Wrap this up, please.”
The CEO signaled to the remaining young sales associate. “Go wrap it up for Mrs. James.”
The CEO, assuming the $30,000 white pen was the free gift, smiled ingratiatingly. “Would you like the other one wrapped as well?”
Elizabeth paused, thinking he meant the black pen. She picked it up again and glanced at Kristopher. “What do you think? This one suits you.”
Kristopher’s eyes flickered to the price tag—$90,000, significantly more than the white one.
His lips curled in mock indifference. “It’s nothing special. I’ve never used one this inexpensive before.”
Elizabeth arched an eyebrow, suppressing a smile. Without a word, she handed the black pen to the CEO and said, “Consider this one a gift from you.”
The CEO’s polite smile froze. “A gift?” he asked cautiously, his high emotional intelligence faltering. Surely she couldn’t mean that.
Elizabeth nodded, her expression calm but her tone playful. “Yes. Ninety thousand is already quite expensive. I can’t possibly ask you to gift a $100,000 pen—that would be embarrassing.”
The CEO stared at her, momentarily speechless.
In all his years of dealing with audacious customers, this was a new level of boldness. As a mercenary businessman, he thought he was already quite ruthless, but he was still no match for this woman.
Still holding out hope, the CEO turned to Kristopher. “Mr. Norris, I’ve heard you like the sapphire-limited edition. We specially acquired it for you. Would you like to take a look?”
Before Kristopher could respond, Elizabeth interjected smoothly, “Which girlfriend of yours fought to get that for you?”
The CEO paled, realizing the misstep in his flattery.
Kristopher’s expression didn’t waver. “I already have a similar one,” he replied indifferently. “Plenty of people have seen it.”
Elizabeth seized the moment, her smile turning sharper. “Well, since he already has one, he doesn’t need it. We’ll come back for new models in the future.”
The underlying message was clear, and it wasn’t lost on the CEO. His attempts to cater to Kristopher had backfired spectacularly.
The sales associate’s earlier attitude, paired with the store’s greed, had soured Elizabeth entirely. The sales associate’s attitude spoke volumes about the store’s management! She decided then and there that such behavior didn’t deserve her business.
Kristopher, growing impatient, gestured dismissively. “Just wrap it up.”
The CEO, thoroughly defeated, instructed the associate to quickly package the pens.
When the items were ready, Elizabeth took the two bags and handed one to Kristopher.
Kristopher raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. “Giving me a gift from the freebies? You’re really putting in the effort.”
Elizabeth stepped out of the store, glancing back briefly at the CEO’s darkened face before turning to Kristopher. With a teasing smile, she said lightly, “Who said I was giving it to you?”
