chapter126

For some reason, Lydia found herself unexpectedly moved by what Connor said. Was this man really that good at reading girls' minds?

A little distance away, the restaurant manager, who had been standing by and watching, noticed that something seemed off with Connor's table. He quickly gave a signal, and the pianist who'd been specially invited for the evening took the stage, filling the room with gentle piano music to lighten the mood.

The elegant notes floated through the restaurant, smooth and lively, making Lydia lift her eyebrow in surprise. She glanced at the grand white piano in the center of the room, just as the pianist looked up and caught sight of her. The moment his eyes landed on Lydia, his hands slipped, hitting a wrong note.

Oh, no. Was that... his teacher?

Lydia almost laughed to herself. Seriously, she couldn't even go out for lunch without running into one of her students. And by the sound of it, he hadn't been practicing much lately.

"You like the piano?" Connor asked, following her gaze.

Lydia nodded. "It's alright."

Connor looked a little surprised. "You play too?"

"A little."

"Play for me sometime."

Maybe, Lydia replied, a hint of teasing in her voice.

Connor grinned, clearly intrigued. "Lydia, what other secrets are you hiding? I feel like you keep surprising me."

She smiled, just a little. You'll find out, eventually.

On stage, Richie, the pianist, started playing even more carefully after spotting Lydia. He'd been slacking off with his practice lately, and today the Royal Hotel had called him in last minute, saying their big boss was hosting a VIP and wanted a live performance. Now, he'd been caught by his teacher, right in the act. He could practically hear the scolding coming. Great.

Come to think of it, since when was his teacher so close to the boss of the Jefferson Group?

Back at the table, Lydia leaned in slightly. My pendant. Did you actually bring it?

Lunch was almost over and Connor still hadn't shown her the pendant. Lydia was starting to wonder if he'd just been joking around.

Connor gave her a mysterious little smile and finally reached for a dark sandalwood box. "Of course I brought it. It's right here."

Lydia eyed the polished box. Even the box itself looked expensive.

Connor opened it, revealing a pair of pendants about the size of silver coin. The

crystal was clear and bright, the craftsmanship so detailed that it was obvious these weren't ordinary pieces.

"This..." Lydia started, a little taken aback.

Connor explained, "These are family heirlooms from the Jefferson family. My brothers and I each have a pair. When one of us meets the right person, we give them one half."

Lydia fell silent for a second. So... what about her pendant? Not that hers was worth much.

Connor seemed to notice the doubt in her eyes and chuckled softly. "Don't worry. I'll hold onto your pendant for a while. I promise I'll give it back in perfect shape."

He could tell how important it was to her, and if she was carrying it all the time, it had to mean a lot. Honestly he just felt better knowing it was with him gave him a Indle peace of mind. When he was sure Lydia wasn't going to just walk away, he'd return it to her.

"That pendant means a lot to me. Please take care of it," Lydia said quietly.

Connor's eyes lit up, a spark of happiness flickering there. Did she just agree? He almost performed a magic trick, pulling her pendant out from his pocket and holding it up III keep it safe, I promise."

Lydia stared at him. So he'd had it on him all along?

The truth was, Connor had worried that if Lydia got mad and demanded it back, he'd need to hand it over right away and calm her down. But now, it seemed she was letting him keep it.

Meanwhile, across town, Lucinda

was still waiting for a reply from

Connor When he didn't answer, she

tried again, sending a careful.

message Connor, are you busy? I

really need to talk to you.]

What popped up on her screen a moment later was something she never expected.