With those words, the woman shot Eden a contemptuous look, eyebrows raised. "Right, Eden?"

  "If you don't know the difference between a detective and a patrol officer, you can look it up online. No need to flaunt your ignorance in front of me."

  "You—!" The woman's face flushed with humiliation and anger.

  But Eden's expression remained utterly indifferent, his features cold as he regarded her. "Next time you see me, don't bother saying hello. I have nothing to say to you. My girlfriend will be here any second. You two can leave now."

  "Girlfriend?" The woman let out a derisive snort. "A guy like you actually found a girlfriend?"

  No sooner had the words left her mouth than a slender, jade-like arm slipped through Eden's.

  Grace pressed close to Eden's side, her expression innocently pleasant as she looked at the woman. "And who might this auntie be?"

  The woman's eyes bulged like copper bells. "Who are you calling auntie?!"

  "You. Aren't you an auntie?" Grace feigned ignorance, blinking. Then, with mock apology, "Sorry, your makeup is so thick I couldn't quite tell your age. I was just guessing based on that Dior bag you're carrying—looks like an older model."

  The woman's face cycled from red to white with rage. But before she could erupt, Grace spotted something else, gasping dramatically as her gaze landed on the woman's wrist. "Oh! Is that a Cartier limited-edition bracelet?"

  Apparently, Grace had sharp eyes—she'd recognized the astronomical accessory instantly.

  The woman's fury subsided, replaced by smug satisfaction. "Well, someone has taste. Yes, this is one of only two thousand worldwide. My boyfriend gave it to me."

  She directed this at Eden, trying to catch a flicker of envy or regret.

  But Eden remained impassive, utterly unmoved.

  The boyfriend beside her puffed up with arrogance, though his eyes kept drifting to Grace—unable to hide his appreciation. Fair-skinned, beautiful, both innocent and alluring—a stark contrast to his heavily made-up girlfriend, who relied on sex appeal. Any normal man would look twice.

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  "What a coincidence, auntie. I have the same one." Grace flashed her own wrist, bracelet glinting. Then, with a puzzled tilt of her head, "But yours looks a bit... off-color compared to mine. You don't think yours might be fake, do you?"

  The woman's expression hardened. "Impossible! My boyfriend brought it back from Australia!"

  But the color difference was undeniable. Grace's was bright silver; the woman's was noticeably duller, almost reddish.

  The woman refused to believe it. She sneered at Grace. "Yours is the fake one, isn't it? Did Eden give it to you?"

  "Come to think of it, I suppose a stingy guy like him would never spend a hundred dollars on such an expensive gift."

  "Wrong again. I never need a man to buy me things I like." Grace smiled sweetly, her gaze dismissively sweeping over the woman. "Unlike some people who think they've landed a generous sugar daddy, only to discover the items he gives them are fakes."

  "I bought this last month at a flagship store. With a little effort, you can figure out which one's real."

  "I'm not mocking you, really. I just hate to see you proudly wearing a fake, oblivious to how many people with actual taste have secretly laughed at you. Must be tough."

  With a radiant smile, Grace concluded, "You're welcome. We'll be going now."

  Arm in arm with Eden, she swept past the livid woman without a backward glance.

  The woman trembled with rage. She'd come to provoke Eden, only to be humiliated by his new girlfriend.

  "Honey, don't listen to her. I'd never give you a fake!"

  The man's felt a pang of guilt, but he kept up the act. The woman whirled on him. "You said they didn't have it domestically, so you bought it in Australia! Then how did she get one from a flagship store? I'll find out if it's fake soon enough!"

  "Come on, why would I lie about a bracelet? Hers is probably the fake—she's just messing with you!"

  He was panicking. This couldn't withstand scrutiny. He'd chosen this fake precisely because the real one was a limited edition—rare enough that running into the genuine article was unlikely.

  And yet, here they were.

  The woman was vain, not stupid. The argument over the bracelet escalated into a full-blown fight in the mall.

  Meanwhile, Grace and Eden had already entered the restaurant.

  Seated, Eden looked at Grace with unprecedented tenderness in his eyes. He knew she wasn't usually this sharp-tongued. She'd done it for him—to defend him.

  He hadn't shown much reaction, but inside, he was overjoyed.

  Grace met his intense gaze and snorted lightly. "Your taste used to be pretty terrible, huh?"

  The woman wasn't bad-looking, objectively. Grace had just called her "auntie" and criticized her makeup to get under her skin.

  But that woman was clearly malicious. As a cop, Eden had sharper instincts than most—surely he'd seen through her?

  Eden explained, "I was fooled at first, briefly. But I figured her out quickly and ended it decisively."

  He paused, hesitating, then asked, "Baby, why don't you ever ask about my personal circumstances? You've never seemed curious."

  "Like what?"

  "Like... I'm just an ordinary police captain, yet I always take you to expensive restaurants. Haven't you wondered about my income?" Eden put it bluntly. He was genuinely curious.

  "And my family background, history—don't you want to know?"

  In his past relationships, women always probed these things indirectly. Grace never had.

  Grace laughed. "You're conflicted yourself, aren't you? If I did ask, you'd be upset."

  She elaborated, "If you want to tell me, you will. If you don't, I don't mind. I'm dating you, not your family background. To me, relationships are simple: mutual attraction, emotional resonance, physical chemistry. That's enough."

  "I don't need a detailed report on your situation. Fancy restaurants or cheap dives—I don't care, as long as it's within your means."

  "And I can pay too. All that matters is that we're happy together!"

  The more simply and honestly Grace spoke, the more unsettled Eden felt. Finally, he admitted, "I'm worried you'll be upset that I haven't been upfront about things."

  "Don't worry. My own situation is complicated too, and I haven't told you everything, have I?"