Only as he opened the lid, did Arthur remember about the hairpin he presented her for her birthday and expected it to be in there but was a bit disappointed to see it not there in the last compartment.
There was a yellow gold locket with the Lockhart family coat of arms carved in it.
Cyrus' locket!
Arthur picked up the locker and traced his thumb over the carving. That intricate carving of the coat of arms in that timeless yellow gold was the one thing that saved Iris' life that day.
But is this the only reason the Lockhart family backed away? If they really wanted revenge, they would have stolen this locket from her before killing her saying she didn't have it with her and so their family rules doesn't protect her anymore.
Arthur remembered her wearing this locket on her neck when she barged in their mansion that day and she was wearing this on the day of their wedding too.
Why did he give it to her?
Arthur has seen Cyrus wearing it all the time and it seems odd that he decided to give it to Iris one day and oddly that was the same day he was killed by her out of nowhere and for some reason, his family decides to let her go. Everything becomes more confusing if one thinks about it and there are more questions regarding this than answers.
He opened the locket to see a picture of a five year old Cyrus sitting on his mother's lap in a grass field and there was another young woman in the picture. The picture had a orangish shade to it since it was old and Arthur looked deeply at the young woman who seemed familiar.
Is this Iris' mother?
There must have been at least fifteen years difference between Iris' mother and Cyrus. And it seemed like his mother and Iris' mother were close friends. Is that why for the sake of his mother, Cyrus decided to protect Iris?
Back in high school, Cyrus would mock him as just a little boy who doesn't know anything and would tease him relentlessly in the absence of Iris.
So one day deciding to get back at Cyrus, Arthur asked him about that day her mother died. When his elder brother Roderick threw Iris into the ice cold water of the creek, Cyrus wasn't inside the water but some other men. Cyrus just stood by the shore shooting at his men and shooting at the other side.
"If you really cared about her and worried for her, why didn't you jump in the water? Scared of the cold?" Arthur asked one day.
"See... This is why you are the dumbest who have no common sense, boy. And this is why you cannot marry her, " Cyrus laughed mockingly, "Tell me who'd have warmed her if I got inside the water and got wet too? "
Arthur really was impressed by Cyrus that day. The water was plenty cold that day and it was a wonder her heart didn't stop by the cold water. And he remembered the moment the other men got her out of the water, Cyrus undressed her and wrapped her in his warm coat and hugged her close in his chest and ran to the car to bring her to the hospital.
Even in that stressful situation, with bullets flying around and seeing her thrown into the cold water, Cyrus could think rationally holding back his emotions and could wait for her by the shore thinking of the next steps that needed to be taken to save her life. Just like he protected her a hundred other times.
"Oh,Cyrus! What happened that day? Why did you die putting her through hell? You know what, I hate you! I hate you for letting her go through all that... Where did all your smartness go? Didn't you know what your death will do to her? Bastard!" Arthur mumbled and closed the locket and threw it back inside.
Her really was mad at Cyrus. If only Cyrus was alive everything would have been different now. And she wouldn't have to be in pain all the time.
Only then he noticed a ring in there. It was a men's ring with a big gemstone in the middle that seemed like a Ruby in the light from the nightstand. But it had a little purple hue to it and that made him a bit doubtful.
Arthur became intrigued as he had a suspicion and picked the ring and walked to the window and looked at it in the sunlight and amazingly, the gemstone changed colour and became greenish blue.
It's Alexandrite! More valuable than a diamond!
He knew about it be sue when he searched for a gemstone for her engagement ring recently, he came across a lot of valuable stones and learnt a lot about them. He heard about a rare alexandrite discovered a couple of years back and before he could claim it, someone else already bought it. He was a bit disappointed but he soon found a much rarer and mush better stone for her and so he forgot about it.
Could it be this stone? And she was the one who bought it?
That stone was oval shaped and it seemed natural than synthesised. It must have cost a fortune since a stone this size and with this clarity is extremely rare.
'Whose ring is this? Or... Who was she planning to gift it to? Her grandfather? Or... That David?'
Arthur wondered and he took a closer look at the ring. There were irises carved in the sides of the ring and around the gem.
Don't tell me... She got this ring for me..? She should have, right? Why would she buy a men's ring with iris carved in it? Only I call her Iris! '
Arthur couldn't hold back his joy as a happy chuckle escaped his lips and he wore that ring and it fit perfectly in his right ring finger. It suited him too.
He couldn't help but do a little dance.
"What are you doing?"
Talia's voice that was stern like his elementary school principal's voice but he was so delighted he wasn't scared.
"What the..." her voice became impatient as she saw the box on her bed and Arthur walked towards her and he couldn't wipe hie smile off his face even when he saw her face getting red with anger. And she was wearing her bathrobe and her hair was dripping wet and she looked so beguiling.
"Arthur you blackguard! How could you behave this... Crass? You... Rotten... Ruffian!"
Talia was furious her privacy was invaded and she still couldn't find demeaning words to describe his behaviour.
The moment she saw the opened puzzle box on her bed, she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole for herself and hide forever.
He must have figured out that I still keep the gifts he gave me! How shameful!
" You bought this ring for me?"
Talia saw Arthur walking towards her and his eyes were gleaming with joy and his thin lips had a smile that made her remember the past when he'd walk with her with the same smile. He has grown tall and his face has changed a bit but his smile was still the same as ten years ago.
And geez! How handsome is he? And his walk... It is so manly and his voice.... It is hot!
Arthur saw her eyes filled with various emotions as she was looking at him starry-eyed and held out his hand to touch her face. Realising what was happening, Talia with a gasp, stepped back.
Talia! Now is not the time to be losing yourself!
Ring? Did he say ring? He got that ring? That ring I felt like buying for him?
She heard from one of her contacts about the alexandrite and immediately got it. She had saved a lot of money and she didn't spend much. She got a good designer to design the ring and she made the ring for him. She wanted to give this to Fred for one of his birthdays in the past couple of years but she just didn't have the guts to give it to him.
She always was intrigued by that stone that is a emerald in the morning and Ruby by night. Her grandfather had a ring with that stone and that colours always reminded her of him... His red hair and green eyes.
'But why is he wearing that ring without my permission? ' Talia was fuming. It wasn't an anger stemmed from hate but was because of her embarrassment as she felt like a thief who was caught red-handed even though she doesn't have to feel that way and it was he who invaded her privacy who should be ashamed of himself.
'That ring does suit him well,' Talia's anger immediately got doused as she saw the ring on his finger. She thought she made the ring bigger so it would fit his index finger but it seems like it is fitting his ring finger. But it is better this way too.
Well, whatever!
"Yes. That ring is for you... You can have it," she said calmly taking a deep breath. She bought that ring for him and he got it himself. It's no big deal. She need not lose her composure for this little thing.
"Now get out. I need to change"
She walked to the closet to get herself something to wear. She went to the bathroom without even a clean set of undies and now she needs to get dressed.
But as she got in, she noticed his clothes inside and her eyebrows twitched.
What is he doing?
"When did you buy it? Is this a birthday present? Did you chose the design yourself? Your taste is pretty good. I should let you chose everything for the rest of my life..."
Arthur talked nonstop and followed her inside and that cramped up the space.
"What's all this?" Talia asked pointing at his clothes and Arthur still in his joy didn't notice her face darkening.
"Or will crumple in my bag and so I transferred here. But Iris the ring... Did you buy it as a birthday gift?" he still stayed in the topic.
Talia felt a lot empty in her heart as she saw everything around her changed.
Why?
Just days before her life was perfect and like she wanted and now why has everything changed?
She felt suffocated like someone was stuffing brussel sprouts in her mouth even though they knew she hated it. There was a limit to everything she can bear with. And she felt like now it has exceeded the limit.
It's one thing he barged in without permission. But it's another thing if he damages her plant, screams at her, scares her, opens up her drawers and looks at her stuff and he even filled her closet with his things.
And what's with this tone he is speaking as if he is genuinely happy that I bought a ring for him?
What does he want?