Loyce studied it, then chuckled lightly. “The soldering on the circuit board is quite good.”
She looked up at Yorick, whose eyes had instantly lit up. “But I don’t want this. I’d rather you owe me a favor. If I ever need your help, you have to provide it.”
A favor was a much heavier debt than a gift.
Yorick’s bright expression dimmed with disappointment as he looked at the rejected charm.
Sybil couldn’t believe Loyce was being so ungrateful. The Winslets had turned a family heirloom into a custom beacon for her—wasn’t that a clear sign they wanted her as their daughter-in-law? The connection she had worked so hard to build with Yorick would be usurped by Loyce!
“Well, I think it’s lovely,” Sybil said suddenly, stepping next to Yorick and gazing shyly at the charm. “It’s obvious so much thought went into it. Loyce may not need it, but I do. Yorick, why don’t you give it to me instead?”
Hearing this, both Yorick’s mother and grandmother frowned. Sybil’s desperate attempt to ingratiate herself with Yorick was deeply unappealing. Besides, anyone could see that Loyce was the true heiress of the Lonsdale family, and the girl Yorick was interested in. Sybil was being completely tactless.
Elise’s brow furrowed, and she tapped her cane sharply on the floor. “Sybil, Yorick made this specifically for Loyce as an apology. It’s not something to be passed on to someone else.”
Sybil’s face paled, but she persisted. “But…”
“That’s enough!” Victor cut her off, his stern gaze sweeping over the Seabrook mother and daughter, seeing right through their scheme. “Today, we are here only to apologize to Loyce, not to discuss personal matters.”
Alicia, realizing things were going badly, quickly tugged on her daughter’s sleeve and hissed, “Sybil! Stop this nonsense!”
But Sybil’s eyes were already red with unshed tears. She bit her lip, refusing to back down. “I just feel that such a heartfelt gift shouldn’t be rejected…”
Yorick, seeing the girl was on the verge of tears, felt a pang of irritation. But since she was trying to help him, he felt compelled to speak up. “Dad, it’s just a charm, nothing more. If you like it, Sybil, you can have it.”
Yorick handed the charm to Sybil. “It’s yours.”
He then turned back to Loyce. “I owe you a favor. If you ever need anything, just contact me.”

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