Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"Absolutely."

"Alva, thank you so much!" Raven said as she took the gift and set it aside, planning to open it later.

Alva Cole, however, took the initiative to say, "It's a diamond bracelet. If you don't like the style, you can exchange it."

Abbey let out a low whistle, "Alva, always the generous one, gifting a diamond bracelet..."

Alva raised an eyebrow, a hint of pride in her expression, but she humbly replied, "Oh, come on, what haven't you seen before? This is nothing for you."

"We're all family here, but if you have something for the eldest, what about you and Madge?" Abbey half-joked, half-serious. "You're a bank manager, always dealing with big clients. You know how to handle these social niceties, don't you?"

Alva was not one to indulge her: "So, Abbey, you want a gift too?"

Abbey's smile remained, "Who wouldn't want a diamond bracelet? Madge, do you want one too?"

The conversation turned to Madge, with Abbey and Alva both looking her way.

Madge was at a loss for words.

"Come on, Madge, say something?"

At the critical moment, Norris spoke up, "She's not fond of jewelry. She never wears the pieces I give her."

a bumpkin,

but I do!" Abbey shamelessly pushed, "Alva, you

a dinner for everyone at her place,

face darkened. Her place was no mansion; it would be

dinner at a nice restaurant?" Alva seemed to know what she

dinner for such a large group, needing at least two or three tables? And it couldn't be just any restaurant; it had to be somewhere decent, or it would be embarrassing. How much

joking, Alva took

Alva just smirked.

are we eating or what?" Abbey changed the subject to ease the

clearly made things

darkened. "Didn't you eat breakfast?

Abbey was speechless.

clock on the wall. At this point, anyone still making people wait was either genuinely

a voice

the

the stairs, dressed in a polo shirt paired with light-colored casual

his face still showed signs of his youthful

thinking: Without you, who dares to start

her husband finally

smiled and went up to him, explaining, "We planned to start, but everyone wanted to wait for you. It's the holiday

frowned. "Letting everyone go hungry? What about mom and dad, at their age, can they handle