Steven?
I was shocked.
Didn't he say he was afraid I'd run away and refused to help me?
Why did he change his mind?
I stared at the skyscraper, my brow furrowed and my feelings in turmoil.
Did this mean he no longer cared if I ran away, or... did he actually want me to get what I wanted?
With the paperwork finished, I just had to wait for the certificate to be issued.
I sat on a chair, waiting. Nearby, a couple snuggled together sweetly, clearly also waiting to process their paperwork.
The woman had smooth skin and blue eyes; she wasn't from around here.
She looked at me with envy, hugging her husband and whispering playfully.
"Honey, look at the pink diamond on that woman's hand. It's so big and beautiful! The design, like a sparkling pink star... doesn't it look familiar? It's the 'Eternal Star' we saw at that auction abroad. What did the auctioneer say? That its color represented love and symbolized eternity, and that it was the finest pink diamond in the world, bar none!"
"The buyer paid one point three billion for it back then. I thought they would lock it away as a treasure, but to think they'd make it into an engagement ring! Oh my god, she's so lucky! I wonder who she is. Do you know her? If we knew who she was, we'd know the identity of that mysterious buyer."
Her husband glanced at my ring, then at me. "Her husband must be incredibly wealthy to afford such an expensive ring. There's no way I'd know them. But she is very beautiful and elegant, so she's probably rich, too. Don't be so envious. No one would wear a ring that valuable just walking around. It's probably a replica..."
I tuned out the rest of their conversation.
I looked down at the diamond on my hand. I knew a pink diamond of this quality was priceless, but I never imagined it would be this expensive.
One point three billion.

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