Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The newcomer was an elegant woman in her thirties, radiating a refined presence.

“Thalia,” Asher introduced, “this is Dr. Sarah Bennett, the restoration expert I mentioned.”

Thalia’s eyes lit up with surprise and delight. She’d expected an elderly academic, not this striking

woman.

She rose quickly to shake hands. “Dr. Bennett, I’m Thalia Winters. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help with my figurine.”

“Oh dear,” Sarah laughed warmly, eyes crinkling. “Dr. Bennett sounds terribly formal. Sarah, please.”

Thalia flushed, embarrassed at her over–formality.

14

“I’m so sorry–I didn’t mean to be stuffy.”

“Not at all,” Sarah’s smile remained warm as her gaze flickered to Asher. “I must say, you’re quite

surprising. Our Asher here is notoriously particular–I’ve been quite curious what sort of woman could

capture his attention. Now I understand completely.”

“Please, sit,” Thalia pulled out a chair.

After pouring tea for Sarah, Thalia hovered attentively. “Hope it’s to your taste.”

Sarah’s eyes danced with amusement as she sipped. “Perfect.”

“Thalia, darling, do relax,” Asher interjected. “Dr. Bennett is being very well compensated. You needn’t

fuss so.”

Thalia smiled and returned to her seat beside him.

“Always ruining my fun, Asher,” Sarah mock–pouted.

Turning to Thalia, she asked brightly, “Did you bring the piece with you, dear?”

“Not yet–would you mind coming back to the house with me after dinner? I can show you then.”

“Of course,” Sarah agreed readily.

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Your Gold Digger is Actually A True

Chapter 22

After dinner, Sarah accompanied Thalia to the Winters estate.

Thalia carefully unwrapped the broken figurine. “Do you think it can be saved?”

Sarah examined the pieces, brow furrowing. “Quite thoroughly shattered, isn’t it?”

Thalia held her breath.

“But don’t worry, dear. Now it’s in my hands, I promise to restore it properly.”

Thalia exhaled in relief. “Thank you so much.”

“My pleasure.”

Sarah was privately thrilled. Asher’s restoration fee was extraordinarily generous for such a small project.

“Do you have any photos of the original piece?”

“Yes, I’ll send them to you.”

“Perfect. I’ll contact you if I need any other details. Shall we call it a night?”

“Let me have the driver take you home.”

“That would be lovely.”

With the restoration arranged, Thalia turned her thoughts to settling scores with Drake and Sienna.

She called her cousin Alexander.

“Alex? I need a favor.”

That evening, fresh from her shower, Thalia’s phone buzzed with an unknown New York number.

Thinking it might be a client, she answered. “Hello?”

Silence.

She tried again twice.

Still nothing.

“If you won’t speak, I’m hanging up.”

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Your Gold Digger is Actually A True

Chapter 22

“It’s me.” Drake’s voice. “Thalia, unblock my number and WhatsApp.”

Her brow creased.

“No.”

His tone turned awkward. “Can’t we stop fighting? I’ve missed you these past few days. I shouldn’t have said those things. I was wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. We’re over.”

“Over?” His voice went cold. “I never agreed to that.”

“This isn’t a divorce–I don’t need your agreement.” Thalia’s tone was ice. “Don’t contact me again, Drake.”

She hung up and blocked the new number.

Thalia turned her attention to her career plans. While she could open her own practice, she lacked the reputation to make it successful immediately.

She decided to join an established firm first, build her name, then strike out on her own later.

When she shared this thinking with Asher, he was completely supportive.

“You’re brilliant–you’ll make quite a name for yourself. Have you considered Sinclair & Klein? They’re the top firm in London currently.”

After consideration, Thalia nodded. “I’ll send them my CV.”

Meanwhile, Drake stared at his silent phone, feeling hollow.

How could Thalia be so cold? Ending things without a backward glance?

He lay in her old bed, breathing in the lingering scent from her pillow.

Burying his face in it, he imagined her face. “Thalia, I miss you.”

God, how he missed her.

Sienna entered then. “Drake? Dinner’s ready.”

He pulled her down suddenly, passion igniting.

16:11

Your Gold Digger is Actually A True

Chapter 22

At the height of intimacy, Drake called out mindlessly: “Thalia, my Thalía, I miss you so much…”

Beneath him, Sienna froze.

Her face went white.

The next day, Charlotte organized drinks to celebrate Thalia’s return.

At the bar, the three women settled into their booth.

N

“That Grace is going to be trouble,” Charlotte declared, downing her drink. “Her attitude yesterday was

appalling.”

Victoria nodded. “She does seem rather difficult. Your future sister–in–law may prove challenging.”

Charlotte scoffed. “Sister–in–law? Please. She’s the housekeeper’s daughter. ‘Ward‘ sounds better than ‘orphan living on charity,‘ doesn’t it?”

Thalia’s eyes widened–she hadn’t known Grace was the housekeeper’s child.

“Why did the Blackwoods take her in?”

Victoria lowered her voice. “According to James, Lady Blackwood was being robbed. Their housekeeper took the knife meant for her. Before she died, Lady Blackwood promised her

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The newcomer was an elegant woman in her thirties, radiating a refined presence.

“Thalia,” Asher introduced, “this is Dr. Sarah Bennett, the restoration expert I mentioned.”

Thalia’s eyes lit up with surprise and delight. She’d expected an elderly academic, not this striking

woman.

She rose quickly to shake hands. “Dr. Bennett, I’m Thalia Winters. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help with my figurine.”

“Oh dear,” Sarah laughed warmly, eyes crinkling. “Dr. Bennett sounds terribly formal. Sarah, please.”

Thalia flushed, embarrassed at her over–formality.

14

mean to be stuffy.”

all,” Sarah’s smile remained warm as her gaze flickered

been quite

attention. Now I understand completely.”

sit,” Thalia pulled out

hovered attentively. “Hope

danced with amusement as she

relax,” Asher interjected. “Dr. Bennett

fuss so.”

and returned to

ruining my fun, Asher,” Sarah

asked brightly, “Did you bring the

to the house with me

course,” Sarah

16:11

Digger is

Chapter 22

Thalia to

carefully unwrapped the broken figurine. “Do

brow furrowing. “Quite

her breath.

it’s in my hands, I promise to restore it

relief. “Thank

“My pleasure.”

thrilled. Asher’s restoration fee was extraordinarily

have any photos of the original

I’ll send them to

any other details. Shall we

have the driver

would be

her thoughts to settling scores with Drake and

her cousin Alexander.

need a favor.”

evening, fresh from her shower, Thalia’s phone buzzed with an unknown New York

it might be a client, she

Silence.

tried again twice.

Still nothing.

you won’t speak,

16:11

Gold Digger is

Chapter 22

Drake’s voice. “Thalia, unblock

Her brow creased.

“No.”

missed you these past few days. I shouldn’t have

doesn’t matter anymore.

cold. “I never agreed

don’t need your agreement.” Thalia’s

hung up and blocked the new number.

her own practice, she lacked the reputation

join an established firm first, build her

this thinking with

name for yourself. Have you considered Sinclair & Klein?

Thalia nodded. “I’ll send them my CV.”

his silent

be so cold? Ending things without a backward glance?

bed, breathing in the

in it, he imagined her face. “Thalia, I miss

he

then. “Drake?

down suddenly, passion igniting.

16:11

Gold Digger is

Chapter 22

called out mindlessly: “Thalia, my Thalía, I miss you so

Sienna

face went

next day, Charlotte organized drinks to celebrate

three women

N

Charlotte declared,

appalling.”

“She does seem rather difficult. Your future sister–in–law may

‘Ward‘ sounds

widened–she hadn’t known Grace was the housekeeper’s child.

did the Blackwoods take her

“According to James,

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

newcomer was an elegant woman in

Dr. Sarah Bennett, the restoration expert I mentioned.”

up with surprise and delight. She’d expected an elderly academic, not

woman.

“Dr. Bennett, I’m Thalia Winters. I can’t tell

warmly, eyes crinkling. “Dr. Bennett

flushed, embarrassed at her over–formality.

14

so sorry–I didn’t mean

warm as her gaze flickered to Asher. “I must say,

is notoriously particular–I’ve been quite

his attention. Now I understand

sit,” Thalia pulled

hovered attentively. “Hope it’s

amusement as she

Asher interjected. “Dr. Bennett is

fuss so.”

returned to her

my fun, Asher,”

you bring the piece with you, dear?”

yet–would you mind coming back to the house with

course,” Sarah

16:11

Gold Digger is

Chapter 22

Thalia to the

broken figurine. “Do you think it can be saved?”

pieces, brow furrowing. “Quite

her

it’s in my hands, I promise to restore

relief. “Thank you so much.”

“My pleasure.”

thrilled. Asher’s restoration fee was extraordinarily generous for such a

you have any photos of the

I’ll send them

I’ll contact you if I need any other details.

me have the driver take you

be lovely.”

turned her thoughts to

her

need a favor.”

evening, fresh from her shower, Thalia’s phone buzzed with an unknown New York

might be a client,

Silence.

tried again twice.

Still nothing.

speak, I’m hanging up.”

16:11

Gold Digger is

Chapter 22

unblock my

Her brow creased.

“No.”

missed you these past few days. I shouldn’t have said

matter anymore.

“I never agreed

don’t need your agreement.” Thalia’s tone was ice. “Don’t contact

and blocked the

open her own

join an established firm first, build her name, then strike out on her

this thinking with Asher, he was completely

name for yourself. Have you considered Sinclair & Klein? They’re the top

“I’ll send them my

Drake stared at his silent phone, feeling

Thalia be so cold? Ending things without a backward

old bed, breathing in the lingering scent

it, he imagined her

he missed

then. “Drake? Dinner’s

her down

16:11

Digger is Actually

Chapter 22

out mindlessly: “Thalia, my Thalía,

him, Sienna

face went white.

day, Charlotte organized drinks to celebrate Thalia’s return.

the three women

N

to be trouble,” Charlotte declared, downing

appalling.”

nodded. “She does seem rather difficult. Your

scoffed. “Sister–in–law? Please. She’s the housekeeper’s daughter. ‘Ward‘ sounds better than ‘orphan

widened–she hadn’t known Grace was

Blackwoods take her in?”

lowered her voice. “According to James, Lady

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

elegant woman in her

“this is Dr. Sarah Bennett, the restoration

and delight. She’d expected an

woman.

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