Chương 5 - Chạm Vào Thế Giới Kim Cương

Instead his shoulders dropped.

“I need help.”

“I know.”

“ help .”

“I can’t keep helping you survive the same decision.”

stared .

walked away.

My hands shook after I closed the door.

I hated .

.

The shaking.

The part of still felt like a fourteen-year-old girl listening to men carry her grandfather’s bench out of the apartment one piece a time.

The next afternoon, called.

“We found something.”

I assumed meant Logan.

I was wrong.

asked to meet a secure storage office Midtown.

When I arrived, there were three archival boxes on the table.

Old papers.

Catalogs.

Photographs.

My grandfather’s handwriting.

I stopped breathing.

“Where you get these?”

“My bought them estate lot eleven years ago.”

“ who?”

hesitated.

My stomach dropped before answered.

“Your .”

Of course.

I sat down.

the next hour, I went through my grandfather’s past.

Drafts of articles.

Photographs exhibitions.

Letters to collectors.

Sketches I had never seen.

I found one labeled pencil:

AFTERGLOW.

was a suite.

Necklace.

Ring.

Bracelet.

Earrings.

The center was drawn as oval pink diamond.

measurements.

final setting details.

Just annotations around the margins.

Light must move before metal is noticed.

The piece ends when the stops fighting the design.

I ran my finger over the pencil.

“ never finished this.”

“.”

“Why do you ?”

“ was the papers.”

“ isn’t I mean.”

opened a small portfolio.

Inside was a photograph a laboratory report.

Pink diamond.

Natural.

Fancy vivid.

cut.

certified.

I stared .

“You own this?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“My bought eight years ago. I inherited .”

I the photograph to Afterglow.

“You think this was the my grandfather wanted?”

“.”

answer surprised .

“I think ’s a could designed around.”

closed the portfolio.

“I am asking you to reproduce his unfinished work.”

“ are you asking?”

“If you want to finish the idea.”

I down the sketch.

My first instinct was .

I didn’t want to.

I wanted to too much.

“ if I can’t?”

“ you stop.”

“Easy you to say.”

“’s my .”

“ makes worse.”

“.”

leaned .

“ makes my risk.”

I .

continued.

“The stays insured custody. You work a secure bench facility. Independent coverage. Full documentation. You don’t touch the diamond until you’ve finalized the mounting.”

“You’ve thought this.”

“ years.”

“Why?”

took a second before answering.

“My loved Samuel’s work. I grew up hearing .”

“’s a very expensive tribute.”

“’s a tribute if you don’t want to do .”

I down the sketch again.

“I want to.”

scared more than anything.

Three days later, my manager called.

“Come .”

I thought corporate had made a decision firing .

Instead she handed a printed lab report.

Brooke’s emerald had been sent to independent laboratory.

The report described significant clarity enhancement.

My manager sat across .

“You were right.”

“I said needed testing.”

“You were right too.”

“ happens now?”

“Brooke’s is a dispute with the auction house.”

“ ?”

“Reinstated.”

I waited.

She uncomfortable.

“The VIP education event next month has been reassigned.”

There was.

I laughed quietly.

“?”

“Nothing.”

“Nora, I pushed to get you on .”

“I believe you.”

“You can file a grievance.”

“I was cleared.”

“Yes.”

“But the opportunity is gone.”

She didn’t answer.

was something I needed to learn.

Being proven right rewind time.

The missed shift came .

The reputation, mostly.

The event .

Two days later, Ryan called.

I almost blocked the number without answering.

Almost.

“Nora.”

“?”

“Brooke I broke up.”

“Okay.”

waited.

I waited longer.

“I owe you apology.”

“ ?”

sounded thrown.

“… everything.”

“’s broad.”

“When we dated, I made you feel like you weren’t going anywhere.”

“You didn’t make feel way.”

went quiet.

“I felt way. You just agreed with .”

“Nora—”

“You told I was wasting my life I worked retail.”

“I was wrong.”

“Yes.”

“I thought I needed somebody who fit the life I wanted.”

“ now?”

“I think I made a mistake.”

“.”

“?”

“You made a decision.”

Silence.

“A mistake is forgetting your keys. You my life, decided wasn’t impressive enough you, left.”

“I was younger.”

“So was I.”

breathed into the phone.

“I just thought maybe we could coffee.”

“.”

“You don’t to decide now.”

“I just .”

I hung up.

I went to work.

the store.

Afterglow.