The old man turned to Sophie, clearly wanting her verdict. “Well, do you accept his apology?”

Before Sophie could respond, the sunglasses man broke down, his voice trembling as he begged, “Miss, you look so compassionate! Please, have mercy! My eighty-year-old mother is bedridden at home, and my newborn son needs me. My whole family relies on me, and if I’m gone, what will they do?”

Sophie was at a loss for words. When he started to bow in front of her, she quickly stopped him. “You really don’t have to do that. I never said I wouldn’t forgive you.”

Only then did he manage to pull himself together, turning anxiously to the old man for his fate.

The old man’s gaze grew steady. “You’re lucky this young lady is willing to let things slide. Still, letting you off with nothing would be far too easy.”

A heavy note entered his tone as he added, “So here’s what you’ll do: you’ll spend a month sweeping every corner of the Binya Bazaar. No gemstone hunting, no quick deals. Instead, you’ll keep the peace and make sure no one else gets pushed around. Can you handle that?”

Shock flickered across the sunglasses man’s face at the unexpected mercy. He nodded so hard it was almost frantic. “Yes! Absolutely, I promise—I’ll do every bit of it!”

The old man gave a satisfied nod. “All these people here saw what happened. They’ll make sure you don’t forget.”

Without sparing the sunglasses man another glance, the old man let out a silent sigh of relief.

His attention shifted back to Sophie. He walked over and gently pressed the valuable emerald into her hand.

Sophie flinched, instantly shoving the emerald back at him. Putting some distance between them, she took a few quick steps away and blurted, “Sir, what are you doing?”

The old man’s eyes twinkled as he smiled. “Have you forgotten already, young miss? You were the one who bought this stone.”

“That wasn’t my intention!” Sophie waved her hands in a frantic gesture. “I only wanted to give it to you as a gift! Once it was yours, I never thought of taking it back!”

But the old man shook his head gently. “All I did was reveal the treasure hidden inside. The ownership belongs to you.”

Sophie protested, still shaking her head. “You were the one who carefully picked that stone, and you saw its true value long before anyone else. I just paid for it. I can’t take credit for what you achieved.”

She faltered, realizing how awkward this must seem. Her five hundred dollars had only been meant to give him a shot at his dream. She never expected he would turn out to be wealthy, nor had she thought the stone would be worth so much. Now it almost looked as though she had planned to snatch the prize if it turned out valuable.

A booming laugh escaped the old man. “Don’t worry, I know you never had that in mind. It’s me who wants you to have it.”

Sophie’s refusal was instant. “I can’t. That stone is far too valuable.”

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she brightened. “How about this? You just repay me the five hundred dollars, like it was a loan—just as you offered before.”

After all, with the emerald now worth millions, five hundred was hardly anything.

The old man paused for a moment, then let out an even heartier laugh. “You really are one of a kind, young lady.”

He was ready to argue further, but the determined look in Sophie’s eyes, unyielding and sincere, made him change his mind. At last, he gave in with a resigned sigh. “In all my years working with gemstones, I’ve never met anyone like you. Even when holding a fortune, you’re still unaffected.”

While speaking, he rummaged through his satchel, pulled out a business card, and handed it to her. “Let’s call this my IOU. If you ever need help, just dial that number.”

Sophie took the card and examined it. It was simple—nothing but a phone number and a single name printed on it.

Sophie’s jaw dropped. “You’re Victor Hale? The legend in gemstone hunting?”

Victor stroked his white beard, a soft chuckle escaping him. “I’ve gone through withdrawal. I’m surprised anyone still remembers.”

A rush of excitement swept over Sophie. In Maripore, hardly anyone hadn’t heard that name. Every book about gemstone hunting always ended up talking about him. His life was a legend—he had clawed his way up from the slums, turning stone bets into a fortune and building an empire. Rumor had it he could turn any rock into gold. Every single stone he picked ended up hiding something precious. But years ago, he had stepped away from the spotlight and vanished from the world of bets.

Unable to hide her curiosity, Sophie asked, “What brings you here?”

The question lingered, her eyes taking in his simple clothes and his presence among the stalls in the cheapest part of the market.

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