At Alexander's signal, the room came alive.

Eager hands tore into the gift boxes.

A wave of excited murmurs filled the air.

"I have wine!"

"Mine is red wine too. The bottle looks so premium."

"And I got perfume. The scent is amazing. The bottle is gorgeous."

It was clear now. The gifts were sorted by gender.

Perfume for the women. Red wine for the men.

Every item, however, screamed luxury. No brand names were visible.

But a few people in the crowd knew their stuff. They recognized the brands instantly.

Both the wine and the perfume were from exclusive, high-end labels.

The kind that cost a fortune. Most people could never afford them.

Alexander gave a slight, humble nod to the group.

"I know this gathering was arranged last minute," he said smoothly. "So I just grabbed some small tokens. I hope they're acceptable. It's the gesture that matters, isn't it?"

His casual dismissal of such extravagant gifts only heightened his appeal.

The room hummed with appreciation. There was a clear undercurrent of envy for this combination of generosity and grace.

"Not at all! We're thrilled!"

"Mr. Blackwood, this is too much! We love them!"

Evelyn was quickly surrounded by a cluster of perceptive women. Their compliments were effusive.

"Evelyn, your husband certainly knows how to make a statement! You both have impeccable taste."

Rebecca stood apart. Her hands were conspicuously empty.

She felt acutely awkward. Isolated amidst the laughter and chatter.

Her gaze was pinned with envy on the others. They were all happily examining their lavish presents.

It had never occurred to her that Alexander would go this far for Evelyn. That he would spend so lavishly to win over the entire group on her behalf.

The sting of being left out was sharp. Among all the smiling faces, she was the only one forgotten.

He had deliberately excluded her.

As this truth settled in, irritation boiled inside her. She tried to cloak her jealousy with a mask of scorn.

Rebecca scoffed loudly, forcing a tone of superiority. "What's there to be so proud of? These baubles might impress people with no taste. But to me, they seem cheap. It's not surprising, coming from the Blackwood family's black sheep." Her voice was laced with bitterness.

Yes, she knew that perfume. It was only for the highest tier of society. Only the truly elite used this brand.

Her eyes darted to the gift boxes in their hands. That distinct logo was unmistakable. A definitive symbol of extreme wealth.

A powerful wave of regret washed through Rebecca, overwhelming her senses.

She clenched her fists, struggling to contain the storm of emotions brewing within her.