When fate plays its hand

“Here, let me put it on for you.” Winter gently slid the bracelet onto Miranda’s slender wrist, making her skin appear even more porcelain like.

“I knew it! This style and color are just perfect for you!

Miranda looked down, admiring it more and more.

Winter grinned. “You didn’t think that was all, did you?”

“Hmm?” Miranda looked up in confusion. Was there more?

Winter gave a knowing smile and nodded subtly to the waiter. The next moment, “Ode to Joy” began playing in the restaurant.

Paul then entered to the sound of the soft, joyful music, all while pushing a cake toward them. It was adorned with pink and white frosting and topped with a charming fondant figurine.

The figure was a cute, animated version of Miranda with large, sparkling eyes. It also had a confident, lively expression, surrounded by pink pearl accents. The cake was simple and beautiful.

“Dr. Jefferson?” Miranda couldn’t hide her surprise.

Paul met her gaze with a slight smile.

Perhap

it was the swelling music, the warm ambiance of the restaurant, or maybe even the way his eyes gleamed under the candlelight. For a moment, Miranda found herself captivated. That was until..

“Happy birthday,” he said, stopping in front of her and handing her a blue iris.

Miranda snapped back to reality. “T–Thank you, Dr. Jefferson! The flowers and cake are lovely..”

Blue irises usually symbolized elegance and grace, fantasy and hope, as well as admiration and….

affection.

Winter noticed her reaction, and prompted with an amused look, “Mimi, take a closer look–is it only flowers and cake?”

Miranda blinked while looking down at the iris in her hand. Her eyes suddenly froze. Hidden within the bouquet was a small silver–and–pink box.

With Winter’s encouraging smile and Paul’s expectant gaze, she opened the box to reveal a necklace.

“This is…”

“A birthday gift from Paul,” Winter explained. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

The necklace featured a smooth, curved outer ring resembling the orbit of a planet, with nine diamonds arranged like celestial bodies along the orbit. Upon closer look, Miranda noticed the colors of the diamonds.

“Multi–colored diamonds?”

They weren’t just yellow, pink, or blue; under the light, each diamond displayed a mesmerizing blend of

colors!

Miranda caught her breath. “Is. Was this even possible in nature?

As if he had read her mind, Paul gently shook his head, “By natural law, multi–colored diamonds don’t

exist.”

“Then what are these?”

Winter chimed in quickly, “Paul synthesized them himself!”

The more Miranda looked at the necklace, the more fascinated she became. She took it out of the box and held it up to the light. It truly had a blend of colors!

“How did you do this?” She turned to Paul, and her eyes were bright with curiosity.

Paul explained. “There are two ways to synthesize diamonds. By HPHT, High Pressure High Temperature and CVD, Chemical Vapor Deposition.

“The process involves placing a seed crystal of natural diamond in a ceramic container, then using water pressure to create high pressure and electricity to generate high heat, allowing carbon to gradually form crystals around the seed. Typically.

Winter, who was standing to the side, grew increasingly exasperated.

This was supposed to be the moment for the giver to help the birthday girl put on such a beautiful and meaningful gift, yet somehow, it had turned into a lecture on synthetic diamond production techniques. And the crucial part was that neither party seemed bothered by this turn of events.

• One was explaining everything in meticulous detail, while the other was listening intently, fully absorbed by it.

Winter was stumped for words.

Wait… Were they both ganging up on her?”