Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 113: "Engagement.

Sean Harrison didn’t linger. He kissed the tip of her nose again and said, "I’ll pick you up after work tonight."

Rory Linden agreed.

’She figured he was picking her up today just like any other time—they’d have dinner and go home.’

「That evening.」

Rory Linden finished a surgery.

Evan Hollis was the anesthesiologist for this surgery.

A small problem had occurred mid-operation, but thankfully, it was successfully resolved.

After the two of them walked out of the operating room together, Evan Hollis finally broke the silence, asking, "Dr. Linden, are there any snacks you like?"

"Snacks?"

"We’re heading to the countryside in a few days, and I’m planning to pack half a suitcase with snacks. I’m going to buy them today. What do you like? I can grab some of your favorites while I’m at it."

Evan Hollis took off his surgical cap as he spoke.

His curly short hair sprang free, making his head look a full size larger.

"No, that’s okay. You should just buy what you like. I’ll get whatever I need myself."

Rory Linden refused.

She and Evan Hollis had been operating together frequently lately, so they had been seeing each other a lot.

However, in Rory Linden’s mind, a colleague was just a colleague.

’It’s not easy for anyone to earn a living, and she felt it would be an imposition to have Evan Hollis buy things for her.’

"Alright then. I’m going to buy a lot anyway—sunflower seeds, beef jerky, stuff like that. If you get a craving for something in the countryside, just come find me anytime."

Evan Hollis didn’t press the issue.

Rory Linden thanked him.

The two of them worked in different departments and on different office floors.

Rory Linden returned to the locker room, peeled off the compression socks from her legs, changed out of her scrubs, and put on her own clothes, ready to head home.

Before leaving, she went to the wards to check on her patients one last time.

Rory Linden took the elevator downstairs.

The elevator had just reached the first floor.

When the doors opened, Evan Hollis was standing right outside, holding his phone as if he were on a call.

He was in his street clothes, no white coat, so it looked like he was off work as well.

When he saw her out of the corner of his eye, he hung up the phone. "Dr. Linden, getting off work?"

"Yeah."

Rory Linden nodded.

As she walked toward the inpatient lobby, Evan Hollis put his phone away and naturally fell into step behind her.

The two had just reached the inpatient lobby when Sean Harrison, who had been sitting on a sofa there, stood up and walked toward her.

"Sean Harrison," Rory Linden said, hurrying over to him. "What are you doing waiting for me here?"

"I wanted to see you sooner."

A faint smile played on Sean Harrison’s lips.

His gaze first fell on the woman before him, then shifted to Evan Hollis behind her.

’Last time, it was this same man leaving work with her.’

Rory Linden, completely oblivious to his gaze, smiled and said, "Well, let’s go then."

Sean Harrison hadn’t yet looked away when Evan Hollis’s eyes met his.

The two men’s gazes locked for a brief moment.

A smile immediately appeared on Evan Hollis’s face. He waved at the couple, the dimples at the corners of his mouth showing clearly.

But behind his black-framed glasses, his eyes held no trace of a smile.

Sean Harrison put his arm around Rory Linden’s shoulders and led her away.

Once they were in the car, Sean Harrison finally asked, "What was that guy’s name again?"

"Evan Hollis," Rory Linden explained. "I told you about him before. He’s the new anesthesiologist at our hospital. We’ve been in surgery together a lot recently."

Sean Harrison dropped the subject.

After they got in the car, Rory Linden noticed they weren’t heading in the direction of home and asked, "Are we going somewhere for dinner?"

"Yeah." Sean Harrison steered with both hands. "But before dinner, we’re going to buy something first."

Rory Linden didn’t think much of it.

Until he led her into a luxury jewelry store.

The two of them were personally escorted into the VIP room by the store manager.

Then, an employee came in carrying a tray. On the tray, nestled in small individual boxes, were resplendent, flawless loose diamonds.

They came in all sorts of colors.

"This is..."

"Diamonds for a custom engagement ring. Pick one you like."

Sean Harrison explained.

The manager knelt by the low table in front of the sofa and explained earnestly, "Mrs. Harrison, these are all diamonds we’ve carefully selected for you two in advance. Their clarity and cut are both impeccable."

Rory Linden had seen some patients at the hospital wearing large diamond rings.

But every single diamond in these boxes was bigger than any she had ever seen in person on a ring.

Sherry Walsh had once told her that a one-carat diamond cost over a hundred thousand.

The value of these diamonds was incalculable.

"Why are we suddenly buying an engagement ring?" Rory Linden was a bit surprised.

"To get engaged."

Sean Harrison’s answer was concise and to the point.

’He wanted to skip all the steps and marry her directly. But then he felt that something this once-in-a-lifetime deserved a proper sense of ceremony. That’s why he’d settled for the next best thing: getting engaged first. Getting engaged first was good, too. In the year between the engagement and the wedding, he would have plenty of time to select the perfect diamond and create a one-of-a-kind ring for her.’

Luxury store managers have seen it all. They’ve encountered every situation imaginable.

Rory Linden was dressed simply, and the manager couldn’t recognize a single brand on her entire outfit.

She quickly said, "Every one of our loose diamonds has been meticulously selected. Due to the international economy these past few years, prices have dropped a bit from before. If you buy now, it can be considered an investment."

Rory Linden looked up at the manager.

The manager continued, "Smaller diamonds don’t really hold their value, it’s true, but diamonds of this purity, especially these with such large carat weights, are incredibly rare. They’re certain to appreciate in value over the next few years."

Rory Linden wasn’t interested in luxury goods.

’It wasn’t that she didn’t want to get engaged to Sean Harrison, it was just... there were still some unresolved issues.’

"Um..." Rory Linden took Sean Harrison’s arm. "We’re not in a rush to get engaged, and we don’t have to pick the ring today, do we?"

The manager quickly chimed in, "Mrs. Harrison, our wedding rings are all handmade by master craftsmen with decades of experience. The process takes at least three months, so ordering early ensures there won’t be any delays."

Sean Harrison also said, "Just pick one for now. If you don’t like it later, we can exchange it."

Rory Linden didn’t know much about jewelry, so she just asked outright, "How much... are these, respectively?"

Before they arrived, Sean Harrison had already instructed the staff not to tell Rory Linden the prices.

The manager smiled. "Mrs. Harrison, with an engagement ring, it’s really about finding the one that speaks to you. Why don’t you see which one you like, and I can tell you about it?"

Rory Linden hesitated, but her gaze eventually landed on the only Red Diamond on the tray.

This Red Diamond was teardrop-shaped.

Its color was as vibrant as blood.

Of all the diamonds on the tray, this Red Diamond looked to have the smallest carat weight, but its blood-red color drew the eye involuntarily.

"This one..."

Rory Linden pointed to the Red Diamond.

The manager beamed. "Mrs. Harrison, from the moment you walked in, I just felt you had a special connection with this diamond."

Rory Linden assumed it was just a sales tactic from the manager.

In fact, the manager was telling the truth.

Sean Harrison had only decided in the early hours of the morning that he was going to pick out a diamond for an engagement ring today.

This pigeon’s blood-red diamond had been acquired by the company from a private collector and was originally slated for auction.

Sean Harrison had sent a specialist on a private jet to transport this diamond here, just so Rory Linden could see it.

If she liked it, he would buy it at the highest market valuation.

Red Diamonds are the rarest of all jewels, truly a treasure of the ages.

They are produced in small quantities, and those over one carat are exceptionally rare.

To be precise, the price of this one pigeon’s blood-red diamond was enough to buy the entire rest of the tray of diamonds.

Only, Rory Linden didn’t know that.

She looked at Sean Harrison beside her, seeking his approval. "This one, is it okay?"

’She genuinely thought this diamond wasn’t expensive. What if... what if they couldn’t get engaged? Then his losses wouldn’t be too great.’

Sean Harrison looked back at her. "As long as you like it, that’s all that matters."