Elena’s POV

Two days later, the brooch base was finally completed.

The metal framework lay on the velvet pad beneath the bright workshop lights, its lines clean and fluid, every curve matching the koi design I had revised countless times. The craftsmanship was flawless. All that remained was the final and most critical step—the setting of the sapphire.

Once that stone was mounted, the piece would be finished.

Xue Man arrived personally that morning. She rarely came down to oversee ...