Third person's POV
Tabitha was concerned that Andrea's condition, which had only just begun to improve, might be worsening again. She watched the expressions of the three people with anxious eyes.
Ambrose suddenly noticed Andrea's presence, and his eyes rested on her briefly before he averted his gaze.
His gaze was intricate, defying a simple emotional label.
On the contrary, Andrea didn't look at him. She just muttered under her breath, "What a bummer."
Her grumbling wasn't too loud or too soft, just enough for everyone to hear it clearly.
Andrea nonchalantly addressed the shop assistant, "Wrap these items for me, please."
The shop assistant felt a bit embarrassed and explained, "I apologize for the confusion. The earrings were reserved by Mrs. Greenwood earlier, and we're currently out of stock. I showed them to you just now to complement the necklace."
Mrs. Greenwood, how ironic this title sounded.
Phoebe hurriedly said, "No worries at all. We're family, after all. If you like the earrings, feel free to take them. Ambrose will handle the payment. It's a small gesture of our love for the younger ones. Speaking of which, Ambrose, this is Derek's mate, Tabitha. You two might not have met yet."
She appeared to be a considerate woman.
Tabitha suddenly understood why Andrea might have been outplayed.
She was born into a life of privilege as a wealthy young lady, never needing to flatter or please others. From childhood, she had been the apple of her family's eye.
Even if she liked a man, it was always passionate and intense, not like Phoebe, who was more adept at reading the room.
Ambrose, being a match in status, naturally preferred the type who was more delicate and reliant.
Ambrose spoke slowly and calmly, "Put it on my account."
Andrea, who had been silent all along, shot them a chilly look and then addressed Tabitha, "Tabitha, do you like the earrings?"
Tabitha shook her head quickly. "The design and color are just average, and upon closer inspection, I don't really like this necklace either."
As she spoke, she took off the necklace and put it back in its original place, politely saying to the shop assistant, "Thank you."
Andrea was quite pleased with her actions. Leaning languidly against the glass display case, she spoke to the shop assistant, "Wrap up all the other jewelry for me, except for the ones this woman has seen, touched, and ordered."
The shop assistant was uncertain and said, "Wrap all of them up?"
Andrea tossed out a black gold card. "Swipe this, and have everything packaged and delivered to my home later."
The shop assistant hurriedly took the card with both hands and went to prepare the receipt.
Gosh! Even in a place like theirs, it would be difficult to find someone so extravagant.
Tabitha finally saw the scene where the domineering CEO from the novels supported Cinderella, but it was nothing compared to the commanding presence Andrea displayed.
Andrea gently patted Tabitha's hand, a warm smile gracing her lips as she said, "Tabitha, as I've mentioned, we can scrimp on anything but not on money. Our family is well-off. Let's head over to the bag section and take a look."
"Okay." Tabitha nodded at the two people. "Excuse me."
Phoebe watched Andrea leave with a longing gaze, feeling that she had changed from the person she used to be.
In the past, if someone called Phoebe Mrs. Greenwood, Andrea would get furious, let alone the fact that Andrea loved Ambrose so much. Today, she didn't even look at Ambrose once.
Throughout the entire encounter, Ambrose seemed like air to Andrea. She left without even turning her head.
Ambrose, who was ignored, felt like something was blocking his heart. He spoke again, "Andrea."
In the past, whenever his lips uttered that name, it felt like a divine gift. No matter how far away, Andrea would rush to him, like a devout believer seeking her deity's humble love.
Now, she didn't even pause for half a second.
Tabitha was curious about Ambrose's expression, so she turned around and took a look.