Chapter 193
As promised, Niamh withdrew her lawsuit.
Although the scandal had long since disappeared from the trending topics online, it would take a while yet for the attention to die down completely.
The timing worked out well–Niamh could focus on the new commissions she’d just accepted, while Jonathan had ample time to let his elite team of lawyers draft a fair and practical divorce agreement from scratch.
Even if the litigation route had failed, moving forward with an amicable divorce wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Niamh.
One afternoon, Niamh received a call from Peter. This time, it wasn’t personal–he
meant business.
“Do you remember Devon?” Peter asked.
Of course she remembered.
Devon was the jewelry collector Peter had introduced her to years ago–the same collector who’d unwittingly set up her first direct showdown with Marina in the world of design. It was a disaster for Niamh; she’d lost badly.
“How could I possibly forget the first time I ever failed professionally?” she replied, half–laughing, half–groaning.
Peter chuckled. “Devon is hosting a dinner party at his place this Saturday. It’s a graduation celebration for his youngest daughter, and he’d like to invite you.”
Niamh let out a surprised “Oh.” She could hardly call herself even a casual acquaintance of Devon’s; it seemed odd for him to invite her to a family milestone like that.
She was about to decline, but could hear in Peter’s voice that he hoped she’d accept. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered calling her himself.
Such invitations were all part of maintaining professional relationships in their circle. In the end, Niamh agreed to go.
“I knew you had a head for business, always seizing the right opportunity,” Peter praised.
“You used to say I was born to be a jewelry designer,” Niamh teased.
“And I haven’t been wrong yet, have I?”
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She couldn’t help but laugh. “Honestly, Peter, am I just your jack–of–all–trades? You make it sound like I can do anything.”
“At the very least, you’re an outstanding designer, a driven businesswoman, and you’ll make someone a wonderful wife someday,” Peter said.
That last comment caught Niamh off guard.
“Are you predicting my future? Now I’m curious–who’s the lucky husband?”
She joked, brushing off the odd feeling, and Peter replied, “Well, what if it’s me?”
Niamh’s expression froze in surprise.
“Kidding,” Peter said lightly. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“N–no, of course not…” she stammered, trying to sound casual.
Peter’s tone was easygoing, and Niamh knew better than to read too much into it.
When Saturday arrived, Niamh chose a conservative, elegant long–sleeved satin dress, pairing it with a set of delicate, understated jewelry she’d designed herself.
She soon discovered that Devon’s graduation party was far more extravagant than any she’d attended before. He’d rolled out a red carpet, and the guest list read like a who’s who of the industry–everyone dressed to impress. Compared to them, Niamh felt almost plain.
Peter brought her over to greet Devon.
Niamh had worried that Devon might remember her only as the designer who’d lost to Marina–after all, last time they’d met, he’d praised Marina lavishly right in front of her, making it clear that she didn’t measure up.
But this time, Devon greeted her with unexpected warmth.
Niamh was caught off guard. Even though she’d recently won first place at the Nova Jewelry Design Awards, Marina had also performed well.
“Miss Rivers, I’m honored you could make it,” Devon said cheerfully. “You really shouldn’t have brought a gift, though.”
His words were polite, but he didn’t refuse her present. In a setting like this, to reject a guest’s gesture would have been rude.
Niamh wasn’t sure what sort of etiquette jewelry collectors followed, but she knew enough about Western parties to realize she couldn’t just hand over an envelope of cash as a gift. Instead, she’d designed and crafted a pair of elegant cufflinks for
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Chapter 193
Devon herself.
