In a drawn-out manner, Albert said, “There is nothing. What kind of person do you think I am, Miss Maxwell? Even though there was some ulterior motive for my actions, I will not take advantage of you. That would make me feel like the word ‘friend’ would lose all meaning.”
Olivia’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized that her hint was so obvious that he would have to ask to see the necklace. What does he mean by this? Is he no longer eager to find the necklace?
She tilted her head and stared at him before saying, in an even more direct manner, “This is your only chance, Mr. Bleu.”
Albert smiled in response. “I know. I’m fine as long as our friendship does not end abruptly.”
Olivia was taken aback by his statement and quickly realized that he was being astute with this favor. Now that they were friends, it was only a matter of time before he could look at the necklace. If he had insisted on using the favor to get a glimpse at the necklace, their “friendship” would no longer be valid. Additionally, she would probably assume that any outstanding debts between them have been paid off since they would be friends in name only. On the contrary, she was now looking at him in a new light. Then, she smiled and said, “Of course not.”
In the meantime, stars twinkled deep within his eyes as he silently smiled back. On the other hand, River’s eyes darted between the two during the entire conversation. What on earth is Sir doing? When else would he ask to see the necklace if not now?
After listening to their conversation, Jewel heaved a silent sigh. I am the sole reason why Olivia owes someone a favor. Therefore, it is clear that Albert’s motivations go beyond a simple desire to look at the necklace and that he also wants to make friends A moment later, as everyone in the room had become engrossed in their thoughts, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Olivia called out. Then, the waiter pushed the door open and walked in with a teapot. After glancing at the people seated at the table, he said, “Pardon me. I have a pot of exquisite Sencha for you. It’s a gift from the restaurant.”
When Olivia heard this, she was taken aback because she had just looked at the menu and remembered that Sencha was more expensive than the other tea options. Why is the restaurant so generous? At this thought, she asked, “Is it free?”
“Yes. The boss says it’s because you’re a frequent customer here, so it’s a gift for a regular, the waiter said. He then dutifully poured them a cup of tea each. The aroma of the tea quickly permeated the room, which was a testament to the quality of the tea. Suddenly, Albert raised an eyebrow and remarked, “It is good tea.”
Although Olivia found the entire situation suspicious, she did not speak up just yet. She had lived in Mastar for years, but this was the first time she had heard of a restaurant giving away free tea. Is it just because we are repeat customers?
“Please enjoy.” Once the waiter was done serving them, he bowed and walked out of the room. Albert smiled and said, “We have come here too often. The restaurant owner even knows who we are now.”
“The tea smells wonderful,” Jewel commented. At that point, Olivia tried to dismiss her concerns, convincing herself that she was simply being overly cautious. Their enthusiasm made her smile, and she nodded, saying, “Let’s try it out then. After saying this, she brought the tea to her lips and took a small sip, frowning as she realized something was wrong. As she observed the others raising their glasses, she quickly shouted, “Wait-
Everyone instantly froze and turned to look at her in confusion. Then, she brought the cup back to her nose and took another sniff, at which point the furrows between her brows deepened. Nonetheless, Jewel could not help but feel nervous upon seeing that and asked, “What is it, Olivia?”
“Don’t drink the tea. It has been spiked with Ecstasy Olivia replied. Although the scent of the drug was obscured by the fragrance of the tea, it was still detectable through careful sniffing, albeit not as obvious.
On the other hand, Albert was shocked to hear that. “Ecstasy? Are you sure?”
“Yes,”
His face was painted with skepticism, not because he didn’t believe her but because he found the situation extremely odd. Her ability to smell the Ecstasy in the tea baffled him since most drugs on the market had no discernible odor or flavor. After that, he gave his tea a whiff or two, but no matter how closely he sniffed, he could only detect the aroma of tea.
Meanwhile, Jewel had unwavering faith in Olivia, so she shot to her feet and dashed out of the room. “Let me check it out.”
