Bound by Magic, Married by Fate Novel

" I once worked as a janitor at a martial arts academy , " Valerie said lightly . " I picked up a few self - defense tricks by watching the instructors . " Jonah stared at her . " Self - defense tricks ? " " You worked at a martial arts academy , too ? " Noah asked in surprise . " Poor kids do whatever they must to survive , " Valerie replied . Noah fell silent . On the other hand , Jonah clearly didn't buy it . " What kind of academy produces skills like yours ? " Valerie's tone didn't change . " A private school back home . They only took children between five and eight .

" Jonah fell speechless at that and didn't press on . gave a small bow and said politely , " Apologies for earlier . I hope you'll both forgive the Valerie offense . " Noah chuckled . " Offense ? Don't make it sound so formal . Any friend of Kieran's is a friend of mine . " Honestly , when I saw those two women giving you trouble in the jewelry store , I was about to step in . Who could've guessed they'd end up tearing into each other instead ? It wasn't the ending I expected , but it was one hell of a free show . " " It was quite the spectacle , " Valerie agreed with a nod .

" So , " Noah asked , " that actress - what's she to you ? " The word " actress " brought a flash of amusement to Valerie's eyes . " She's my biological father's current wife - Sonia Woodward's mother . " Noah blinked , confused . " Wait , you and Sonia are sisters ? That woman's your yom ? " Jonah cleared his throat and stepped in . " Logically , this young lady is the ex - wife's daughter , while Sonia is that of the current one . They share the same father but have different mothers . " Valerie shot him an approving look . " Exactly . " Noah's face lit with sudden clarity .

" No wonder I couldn't stand Sonia . Figures she was raised by that stepmother of yours . " If not for Lucius , Noah wouldn't have bothered giving Sonia the time of day . Chapter 66 212 On this point , he and Valerie shared common ground . His own mother had died young , and his father remarried . His stepmother and her son treated him like an intruder under their roof . Ever since , Noah had held no fondness for stepmothers or half - siblings born of them . This encounter stirred something in him - an interest in befriending Valerie .

" Since fate put us in each other's path , why not find a quieter place to talk ? " he suggested . Valerie wasn't keen on mixing with Lucius ' circle of friends and was about to decline when Noah gestured upward . " The mall's top floor is for wholesale rough emeralds . Jonah's grandfather has a birthday coming up . Mr. Gray Senior loves collecting stones , so I came along to help him pick out a few pieces . " Suddenly , he remembered his manners . " By the way , this is Jonah Gray , my friend . And this is Valerie Collins . She's connected to Kieran's side .

" Valerie and Jonah exchanged greetings , though her attention had already been caught by the mention of rough emeralds . The old mansion , soon to be signed over to her , was in a rare and valuable location , though parts of its layout needed reinforcing and adjustments to make the most of its design . High - quality emerald , prized for its strength and rarity , was one of the essential materials for the setup . It might be a good chance to secure a few pieces . Valerie smiled and said , " I've never seen real raw emeralds before .

Might as well take advantage of your generosity and broaden my horizons , Mr. Jensen . " " Don't call me Mr. Jensen , " Noah said quickly . " Noah will do . " The mall's top floor was just as Noah had described . Large , uncut stones of all shapes and sizes were laid out in neat rows , imported from across Southeast Laysia . Customers chose whatever caught their eye, paid the marked price , and could then request cutting or delivery . Unlike the crowded lower levels , the top floor was nearly empty . Noah was clearly a regular .

The moment he appeared , the staff greeted him with warmth and deference . Valerie idly twirled her pen between her fingers as she wandered among the stones , her gaze calm and unreadable . Chapter 67 1/2 Chapter 67