SWNOVELS Chapter 483: The Truth
Her fingers... Via looked at her daughter. "Mina, did you really agree?" Mina stammered, and Meredith stared at her. "Miss Mina, everyone here heard you." The restaurant guests were all witnesses. Mina's face turned bright red. "Even if you didn't steal my pocket watch, you can't explain why you have it. It's a French royal item, and there are only two in the world. How did you get it? You must have stolen it; you're a thief."
"Don't be rude," Catherine scolded Mina. "Mina, apologize to Meredith. Don't disgrace the royal family." Catherine was afraid of delving into the origin of the pocket watch. This was the second time Mina mentioned that only the royal family had such a watch. How could Meredith not be suspicious? If it was true that her father gave it to her mother as a token of love, then her father must be a member of the royal family.
Meredith instinctively looked at Darcy DuMont, recalling previous suspicions and how Lucien DuMont resembled her father when he was young. She wondered again if there was any connection between Darcy DuMont and her mother. Just as Meredith was about to explain the origin of the pocket watch, Terrence Sterling grabbed her hand. "Miss Mina, as an adult, you should face the consequences of your actions. You insisted on searching the bag. It doesn't matter why my wife has this pocket watch; it's now proven that she didn't take yours. Please fulfill your promise or become a royal joke."
Terrence Sterling intentionally stopped Meredith from speaking further; some things were not suitable to discuss here, especially with Catherine clearly trying to obstruct something. Understanding Terrence's intention, Meredith remained silent.
Mina found herself in a difficult position, and Lady Via didn't know what to do either. She looked at Darcy DuMont. "Mina is young and acted impulsively. The pocket watch was my gift for her coming-of-age ceremony; she values it greatly and thus offended your guest." Her implication was clear: she wanted Darcy DuMont to mediate.
Darcy DuMont naturally didn't want his niece to lose a finger and looked at Meredith and Terrence Sterling. "Meredith, why not let Mina apologize for my sake and call it even?" Losing a finger was unrealistic; both Meredith and Terrence knew that their goal was to show their stance and teach Mina a lesson.
Meredith took the opportunity given by Darcy DuMont. "Alright then, for Mr. DuMont's sake, we'll forget about the finger punishment." This maneuver preserved their dignity while showing magnanimity.
Darcy DuMont quickly signaled Mina with his eyes. "Mina." Reluctantly, Mina said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Sterling. I misunderstood you." Meredith responded graciously, "Miss Mina has realized her mistake, so let's put this matter behind us." Catherine smiled. "Via, take Mina home first." Mina wanted to leave immediately; although Via was curious about why Meredith had that pocket watch, she prioritized taking her daughter away.
After Mina and Lady Via left, Darcy DuMont turned to Meredith and Terrence Sterling. "Meredith, Terrence Sterling, I sincerely apologize for the trouble caused by our poor hospitality. It's still early; how about we go play a few rounds?" Terrence Sterling nodded. "No problem."
A few minutes later, the four of them arrived at the bowling alley.
Darcy DuMont and Terrence Sterling changed into sportswear while Meredith and Lady Catherine sat on the sidelines watching them play.
Maintaining some distance between them, Lady Catherine smiled at Meredith. "Keep your pocket watch safe; this time it was Mina's fault, don't take it to heart."
"It was all a misunderstanding; it's over now," Meredith replied without pursuing further.
Meanwhile, Terrence Sterling threw a ball that knocked down three pins.
Darcy DuMont laughed. "Is your skill declining?"
"Just warming up," Terrence Sterling replied casually before asking, "I heard from Mr. DuMont that you've been to Auroraville before; when was that?"
"I can't remember exactly; it must have been over twenty years ago," Darcy DuMont said with a smile. "Auroraville is a wonderful place."
The timeline seemed to match up.
Holding another bowling ball, Terrence Sterling continued probing while playing. "I heard Miss Mina say that there are only two such pocket watches in the royal family-one with Lady Via. I'm curious about who had my wife's pocket watch originally."
Darcy DuMont explained, "That pocket watch was originally with me; it was a coming-of-age gift from my father to both Via and me-one each. It's quite a coincidence that my pocket watch ended up with Meredith."