Chapter 112 The Bracelet


    "Huh? Okay!" Ethan raised his hands to cover his eyes again. If he didn''t do that, James would not


    pay for the antique he made a bid. He had to listen to James.


    "Turn around!" James gave him another order.


    "Sure!" Ethan turned around obediently, showing his back to Maria.


    Maria red at thecent man. The jerk was taking advantage of her!


    If he thought he could control her like this, he was totally wrong. Maria didn''t beg him like James


    was hoping.


    She hugged the ripped dress closer to herself to keep it from falling off. She took a step forward,


    head held high.


    She always wore a bikini when vacationing on the beach. This was a piece of cake.


    Noticing the defiant look in the woman''s eyes, James couldn''t help getting angry. His face darkened.


    ''Damn you, Maria Song! Why do you have to y the tough girl all the time?''


    But she wasn''t going to give in. Maria stared at him in a challenging manner and walked towards


    him, graceful and totally confident. Although her dress was torn, she walked as if she wore royal


    robe.


    When she was three meters away from him, they heard footsteps not far away from them.


    He took off his suit jacket as fast as he could, strode forward, and draped it over her shoulders to


    cover her.


    Maria chuckled. Grabbing the hemline of his jacket, she said, "Mr. Xi, if you want me to wear your


    jacket, beg me! " She looked as if she would shrug it off at any minute.


    The man cast her a cold nce and whispered in her ear, "Behave, unless you want me to report


    you!"


    His threat threw her off for a second. A guilty look shed through Maria''s eyes, but she pretended


    to be confused. "Report me for what?"


    ''James Xi, you son of a bitch! Why do you seem to know everything?'' Maria said inwardly.


    James didn''t want to continue ying along. As everyone watched curiously, he walked away from


    her and went to the men''s room. He didn''t forget to grab Ethan.


    When Ethan opened his eyes and saw the suit jacket around Maria''s shoulders, he figured out what


    was going on.


    Watching the two figures leave, Maria sneered at their backs.


    He could easily afford to buy the bracelet from Maria, so James had no reason to refuse Alina''s


    request.


    He had once taken back the evidence of Alina''s criminal activity from Maria. This time, he would


    also buy the bracelet from Maria.


    Aftering out of the bathroom, James left the venue.


    Knowing that he was leaving instead of staying to the end, Alina left as well, waiting for him at the


    entrance.


    When she saw hime out with Ethan, she walked up to him with a smile. "James, can we go


    now?" But she was confused when she took a better look. ''Where''s his suit jacket?''


    Ignoring her quizzical look, he asked her again, "You sure you want that bracelet?"


    Alina was taken aback and forced a smile. "Of course. I like it a lot."


    "Okay." James didn''t say anything else. He turned to Ethan and said, "You should go first."


    "What?" Ethan was flummoxed. He didn''t drive here. He wondered where James was off to. James


    didn''t want to take him along, but why?


    The CEO paused for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the entrance. He saw the woman


    wearing his suit jacket emerge.


    He called out to her. "Maria!"


    Hearing his voice, Maria, who was doing all she could to hold her dress up, looked in his direction.


    Gritting her teeth, Alina looked at her, wondering why James had lent Maria his suit jacket. Had they


    met without her knowing?


    "Get in the car!" James said. He wasn''t talking to Alina at that point.


    Alina was a little embarrassed. She didn''t know what he was doing, so she turned to James and


    asked, "James, are we giving Maria a ride home?"


    After settling himself in the back seat, James addressed Lorenzo instead of answering her.


    "Lorenzo, call another driver and tell him to get Alina home."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." Lorenzo took out his phone and began dialing a number. Alina waspletely baffled


    now. What was James doing, anyway? James asked someone else to get her home in front of


    everyone. Worse, he invited his ex-wife to ride in the same car.


    Even Maria was confused. She walked to the Harkim, nced at James and Alina, and finally fixed


    her gaze on Ethan, questions in her lovely eyes.


    Ethan shrugged and threw up his hands, indicating he had no clue what was going on.


    Alina was right next to them. Maria couldn''t care too much. As long as there would be an


    opportunity to piss her off, Maria wouldn''t hesitate to do it.


    She lifted her foot and stepped on the running board of the ck Harkim. Then she reached out her


    hand and said, "I''m wearing high heels."


    Obviously, she wanted him to take her hand and help her in.


    "James!" Alinained in her best pouty voice.


    But the man ignored her. After giving Maria a cold re, he reached out his hand and pulled the


    woman in high heels into the car.


    Maria pulled the car door closed after she was settled in, which blocked Alina from seeing any


    more.


    Then the car drove away.


    Alina waspletely dumbfounded by this development. Wasn''t she his girlfriend?


    She wondered what she did wrong. James seemed pretty taken with Maria. Had she driven him into


    Maria''s arms?


    Before long, another car showed up to pick up Ethan and Alina. Before getting in, he gave Alina a


    compliment. "You are so generous!" She didn''t know whether Ethan was being sarcastic or not.


    How could any woman watch the man she loved leave with another woman? ''If Maria were in


    Alina''s shoes, she would have stabbed the Harkim''s tires with her dagger,'' Ethan thought to himself.


    Alina was angry beyond words. After a while, she couldn''t help but retort, "James did this to help me


    get the bracelet back from her!"


    However, Ethan had closed the door of the car, and he didn''t hear her weak retort. Not like he


    cared.


    James had demonstrated quite clearly that Alina had to pay for what she wanted. ''Alina Tang, you


    brought this on yourself,''


    Ethan said to himself.


    In the Harkim, Maria opened her handbag and fumbled for a cigarette.


    She took one of them and lit it. Exhaling a mouthful of smoke, she asked, "Let''s hear it. What''s


    going on, Mr. Xi?"


    He left Alina behind and gave her a ride instead. She was not so naive as to think that James was


    dumping Alina and choosing her.


    Most likely, he did it for Alina.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She guessed right. James didn''t beat around the bush. "The tanzanite bracelet."


    Maria smiled mysteriously and flicked the ash into his ashtray. "Mr. Xi, you''re a sly fox. You pay for


    my bid in public and ask for it back in private."


    James didn''t say anything, but frowned slightly when he smelled the smoke. The only ones he let


    smoke in his car were him and Lawrence. Maria was the lone exception.


    "No way." The woman wasn''t going to mince words with him, either.


    She asked him to invest in her business but he turned her down. She asked him to help acquire Qin


    Group and he refused again. Why should she give him anything? Even if he did pay for it, it was


    hers.


    "I''ll grant you two promises," James offered. "Tell me what you want."


    There was a moment of silence in the car. The woman stubbed out the cigarette and rolled down


    the window. When the smoke had almost dissipated, she rolled it up again.


    Maria leaned toward him and embraced him. James frowned, but she just giggled. "Be careful what


    you tell me. I might ask more than you can give."


    James felt helpless. Maria''s tone was whimsical, but her words were as menacing as if she''d


    threatened his life.


    Ophelia