Selina instinctively turned around, rubbing her eyes.
Strange, she thought she saw Logan!
She froze for a moment, and it wasn't until Logan stood directly in front of her that she snapped out of it.
"Mrs. Reid, are you stunned?"
Selina quickly regained her composure. "What are you doing here?"
Before Logan could answer, a thought popped into her mind, and she couldn't help but ask, "You didn't come here just to pick me up, did you?"
The man's Adam's apple bobbed as he looked away. "Don't overthink it."
He had been worried she might be mistreated at the Clark residence, and after some hesitation, decided to check on her. But clearly, Mrs. Reid didn't need his help.
Selina: "..."
Why did it feel like Logan was suddenly in a bad mood?
Logan walked over to a small house nearby and unlocked the door. "I own property here too. Just thought I'd stop by and check on it."
Selina raised an eyebrow curiously. These villas, built 25 years ago, were somewhat outdated by today's standards. Why would someone of Logan's stature own a property here?
Noticing her curiosity, Logan replied nonchalantly, "I bought it for my 18th birthday."
Selina asked without thinking, "Your 18th birthday? You were already in college then, right? But didn't you go to college abroad? Why buy a villa in City A?"
Logan narrowed his eyes suddenly. "How does Mrs. Reid know I went to college abroad?"
Selina mentally clicked her tongue. As the youngest son of Grandpa Carter, Logan studying abroad wasn't exactly a secret. Plus, Ryan had mentioned it several times before.
But Logan clearly didn't like people talking about him behind his back.
Selina blinked innocently. "Oh, I just guessed! Families like yours always send their kids abroad for education, don't they?"
Logan let out a soft scoff. "A narrow-minded notion. People think foreign education is superior. I don't."
Still, back then, circumstances had forced him to leave.
As that memory surfaced, Logan's expression darkened.
Selina felt a sudden chill in the air and shivered.
Logan glanced briefly at the villa without saying anything else before locking the door. "Let's go."
Later, back at Sapphire Valley Villa, Selina lay in bed and happened to glance at the date.
September 16th… why did that date seem familiar?
Wait, September 16th! She remembered Ryan mentioning it—this was his uncle's birthday!
Ryan's uncle was Logan, wasn't he? So today was Logan's birthday!
No wonder he stopped by the villa and mentioned buying it on his 18th birthday. How did she not put two and two together sooner?
Selina leapt out of bed, suddenly flustered.
She knew it was Logan's birthday, but what kind of gift could she give him?
With this dilemma weighing on her, she began pacing nervously outside his study.
Five minutes later, the door creaked open.
Logan leaned against the doorframe, his gaze calm. "Mrs. Reid, are you grappling with some unspeakable dilemma? Half an hour, and you're still undecided on how to approach me?"
Selina swallowed hard, her mind racing as her eyes landed on his wrist. "Logan, where's your watch?"
He glanced down at his wrist, his expression neutral. "It broke. I threw it away."
Selina's face lit up instantly.
His watch was broken—so that meant he needed a new one!
She could buy a watch as a birthday gift!
I'm a genius, she thought triumphantly.
Logan watched her shift from worried to radiant in an instant and raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
Selina swallowed again and blinked innocently. "I need to go out for a bit. Wait for me at home."
Logan narrowed his eyes as he watched Selina's retreating figure.
He hadn't lied—he had indeed thrown away his watch. That watch had been a gift from the Perry Family, and out of respect for his grandmother, he had worn it for a few days.
However, Jack had discovered that the watch was part of a couple's set, with the matching piece in Vivian's possession. The moment Logan learned that, he discarded it.
So… why had Mrs. Reid been so thrilled upon hearing that he'd thrown the watch away?
Jack, standing nearby, offered his analysis. "Sir, the madam must have figured out that the watch was part of a set with Vivian's. By discarding it, you've shown you don't like Vivian. That's why she's so happy!"
"Now that she's gone out, it's obvious she's buying you a new watch! And she might even buy a set of couple's watches!"
Jack confidently concluded, "Sir, the madam definitely cares about you a lot!"
Logan: "..."
Really? Somehow, he felt something was off.
But Jack's reasoning… did make some sense.
Couple's watches… If he and Selina wore matching watches, it wouldn't be the worst thing.
…
Meanwhile, Selina headed straight for the largest mall in City A.
She remembered that on the third floor, there was a luxury watch store. A gift for Logan couldn't be too cheap, but it also couldn't be too extravagant, or he might get suspicious.
This store primarily sold high-end watches, but Selina recalled that they also had some moderately priced yet elegant designs.
However, after inquiring, the clerk informed her that all the men's watches in her price range were sold out—only women's and couple's watches remained.
Selina froze. "..."
A women's watch wouldn't work, but a couple's set…?
Would Logan think she was doing it on purpose?
Still, she had already come this far. She couldn't leave empty-handed.
She decided she could just hide the women's watch later. As long as she didn't mention it was a couple's set, no one would know.
With that plan in mind, Selina selected a beautifully designed and reasonably priced pair of watches. "I'll take these."
The sales assistant smiled sweetly. "Miss, the set costs 300,000."
Selina nodded. That price was perfect—within her budget and unlikely to arouse Logan's suspicion.
Just as she was about to pay, the sound of approaching footsteps and a sycophantic male voice interrupted her.
"Here we are—this is our couple's watch section, Miss Clark—"
Then came a loud, mocking laugh from a middle-aged woman. "Ha! 300,000? Selina, is that all you can afford? That's so cheap it's embarrassing!"
Selina's eyes narrowed as she turned around.
Sure enough, it was Ryan's mother, Jillian.
Jillian's temper flared the moment she saw Selina. That wretched girl had humiliated her at the Celestial Feast. Today, she would make Selina pay!
Jillian's eyes gleamed with malice as she pointed to the store's most expensive couple's watch. "How much is that set?"
The store manager responded eagerly, "Mrs. Carter, that pair is 3.88 million. Would you like to see them?"
"Perfect! They'll be a lovely gift for my son and future daughter-in-law!"
Jillian sneered, "Natalia, this set is for you and Ryan. You two must cherish them."
Natalia blushed delicately. "Thank you, Aunt Carter."
Having learned that Logan wanted to meet her, Natalia was thrilled. Jillian had eagerly taken her out to shop for jewelry and clothes in preparation.
Selina might have taken her room, but so what? Natalia was about to become a guest of honor to Mr. Reid himself—something Selina could only dream of.
Jillian's gaze dripped with venom as she leveled her most cutting insult.
"Some people, you see, just have bad luck. They're not destined to join families like ours. Look at Natalia—she can casually spend 3.88 million without a second thought. And then there are others, agonizing over a measly 300,000 watch. How pitiful!"