The Devil's Good Girl
Chapter 158: Lo and behold

Chapter 158: Lo and behold

Confusion was evident in everyone’s eyes as soon as they saw the person who came out of the backstage holding a gift box. Unlike everyone who came in tonight in their best dress and suits, the man right here didn’t look like he was forced to do it.

’As much as I don’t want to judge the book by its cover,’ Fil mentally sighed for the umpteenth time. ’But Jack sent this gift.’

Forget about the man Rosalind put up in here to humiliate her, but Fil was even more nervous about what was inside the box. After this, this was Jackson. Although she had faith, that Jackson wouldn’t do anything to sabotage her, it scared her!

’The fact that there are only a few who understand his dry humor is enough to scare me,’she sighed once more. ’The chairman might not understand whatever gift Jackson sent me here.’

Thinking of the gift she bought for the chairman, she couldn’t help but think she should’ve gone with it. She bought him a watch, after all. A watch that wouldn’t be so easily ridiculed since she customized it with the help of a technician in the company.

"Uhm." The host cleared his throat to get Fil and the other man’s attention. Putting away the mic, he whispered. "Mister, you can hand it over to her."

Fil smiled and nodded, just so the man wouldn’t have to cause more confusion. But the man just stared at the host with a dead expression.

"You can..." Fil took a step forward to take the gift, but the man moved it away from her. "What?"

The man assessed Fil from head to toe and sighed heavily. His reaction made Fil furrow between her brows.

’Why did he sigh as if I’m pathetic?’ she wondered, rendered speechless. ’Did Rosalind put him up to pull off such an act?’

"Gift from her to you," said the man in a loud and clear voice, making everyone hear his thick accent as if he just started learning the language. The man then jogged down the stage, marching straight to the chairman’s table.

"For you!" the man repeated with conviction.

"Haha. Miss Lovin, is this part of a show?" one executive at the table laughed awkwardly, looking at Fil for confirmation.

Fil could only smile in return. ’What am I supposed to say right now?’

When no one was looking, Fil secretly glared daggers at Rosalind. That woman and that brat of hers were still smirking arrogantly.

’Oh, god. Please let me choose calm before the murder,’ she prayed while maintaining her smile.

"Move away." The man stepped closer to the table, jerking his chin to one of the chairman’s distinguished guests.

"Uh..." the middle-aged man automatically moved his chair away, afraid this man might lose his mind. The man looked unhinged, after all. Especially up close.

What was Fil thinking?!— they thought as everyone close to the unhinged man moved away. Some even got up from their seat. If only they knew Fil had no idea as well.

After just several seconds, only the chairman and Madam Sinclair remained in their seat. They looked at the man across from them with furrowed brows. The man assessed the old man and then glanced at Madam Sinclair.

"Beauty," he said, and Madam Sinclair happily smiled.

"Thank you."

"Now, wear this." The man shoved his hand in his cargo pants, taking out protective eye goggles. "Go."

Madam Sinclair glanced at Fil, and Fil just smiled.

’I don’t know too!’ was what Fil wanted to say in a joking tone, but she couldn’t. ’I’m gonna be humiliated, anyway. Might as well blow it off spectacularly, then blame Vincent for hurting me.’

Seeing that Fil was just smiling, Madam Sinclair took it as a yes and accepted the protective goggles. She handed it to the chairman, which the chairman wore after seeing Fil’s smile. Once they were ready, the man nodded in satisfaction. He then looked at Fil.

"This gift is special, but this girl, very special," the man spoke slowly and carefully, looking at the chairman sternly. "And because she likes you very much, you are special too."

Did he just say the chairman was only special because Fil favored her?

At this point, Fil wished to melt right there and then. Her jaw dropped, wide-eyed. What was this man saying? She didn’t see the necessity of his speech! Why wouldn’t he give it to her in the first place?

’Just open the damn gift!’she mentally wept. ’Shame sounded even good for what I feel right now.’

Since the venue hall had fallen into a pin-drop silence, everyone could hear what the man had just said. Some were rendered speechless, finding it ballsy for Fil to ’make’ other people say that to the chairman. Others were amused, while many were curious.

What was the gift that required this show?

But unlike everyone, the chairman just smiled. "That is true," he said. "I feel special because that young lady admires someone like me. I can’t deny she gives me meaning in this life."

"Good for you." The man nodded. "Don’t kick the bucket."

"..."

Everyone awkwardly looked at each other while Fil grabbed her soul before it could leave her body. Even so, the crowd’s intrigue leaped to another level. Some people at the other table even stood from their seats to see better.

"Hah!" Suddenly, Valerie snickered aloud. "Filomena, I know you want to snag everyone’s attention. But did you just wish my grandpa to die?!"

’Did she have hearing problems?’Fil scrunched up her nose, not having the energy to deal with her. ’Aside from the fact, I’m too speechless to even curse her. The man clearly told the chairman not to kick the bucket.’

Although Fil had to say that was unnecessary.

The chairman frowned. "Valerie. Sit down."

"No, Grandpa. I’m sorry." Valerie raised her chin and crossed her arms underneath her chest. "Filomena is taking this too far. All your guests have to leave their seats just so you receive her gift. It’s not like it is a much better gift than what my brother got for you."

"Valerie." this time, Vincent hissed at her. His eyes went wide, hoping she would get the hint. "Stop this now. Please."

Valerie glanced at her brother, only to be reminded of how he slapped her and even made her feel like a prisoner.

"No," she huffed, looking back at Fil. "I want to see if her gift can prove anything at all. For her to do this, she should be so confident enough that her gift tonight is the best. Otherwise, she’s just disrespecting everyone."

"It’s not about the value of the gift, Valerie," the chairman let out a low growl, barely keeping himself from disciplining her in front of all their guests. "Everyone’s presents —"

"It’s about the gift," the unhinged man chimed in, agreeing with the young lady. "The young brat is right."

"Brat?" Valerie scoffed, but the man ignored her.

The man scanned everyone standing around the table, who initially sat there.

"If it’s not about that, then that only means anyone can sit at this table." The man cast the chairman a solemn look. "If that is the case, then my young prodigy shouldn’t sit here with you or with all of you. Except for the beautiful madam.."

Madam Sinclair chuckled. "I like him."

Obviously, when Madam Sinclair liked someone, the person upset many people she disliked.

"Behold, for you are lucky to see this beauty in this lifetime!" the man announced, making everyone hold their breaths at the gift that gave him so much confidence. Even Fil held her breath, watching the man pull the ribbon ever so slowly.

Once the ribbon was untangled, all the sides of the box fell on each side. Everyone was expecting something spectacular since the man was overly confident. But alas, the moment the walls of the box fell, a deeper confusion brimmed in everyone’s eyes.

"A stone? I mean, a rock?" Valerie laughed in amusement. "That is what you call a gift? A beauty we could only see once in our life? My god. Our garden has tons of those, though!"

Fil, on the other hand, felt her heart sank. ’There’s no way Jack would send a stone,’she thought, looking at Valerie, who took advantage of everyone’s shock and confusion to mock her.

’Did they... replace it? Seriously?’

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