The guy nodded politely. "And you, Ma'am?" His eyes drifted off to my finger. I immediately took my hand off the counter.

He stared at me with a weird look on his face, as if he was trying to remember something.

I laughed. "You must probably be wondering where you met me, right? Actually, I came here before, I asked you to look at my engagement ring, and you told me it was a fake."

He nodded. "Oh, yes." He smiled sheepishly. "I remember. Well, I can see your fiance was quick to make amends." He said looking at my ring.

"Oh, no. No." I shook my head. "We... didn't get back together." I showed him my ring. "This... came from somebody else."

He smiled. "Then I suggest you marry this one before he gets away!" Something about his voice told me that he was so gay. I can see Dannie staring at him with so much interest now.

"Well, thanks, sweetie." I smiled at him. "Actually, I dumped my fiance before I even found out that the ring was fake! At least this new guy... didn't make this ring pass up as a diamond."

He stared at me with narrowed eyes. "But that is a diamond. And it's a Harry Winston." He said pointing at the Harry Winston poster of the ring that looks like mine, only it was in gold. Mine was in silver.

"No, no. This is just a good imitation. Besides, that's in gold. Unless they make this ring in silver or white gold too." I laughed nervously.

The guy shook his head. "No, but they make in platinum."

I stared back at him, completely dumbfounded. Then I insisted. "Sweetheart, you don't understand. There is no way the guy who gave this to me can afford the real Harry Winston. This is a fake! Probably a cubic zirconia or a moissanite. And it can't be platinum."

He shrugged. "Well, the inside should say PT 950, if it's the real thing."

I sighed, getting a little irritated now. This guy is so meticulous and so nosy that I wanted to prove him wrong now. "Alright, I'll prove it to you." I said, taking off my ring and looking at the inside of the band. There was no inscription. I turned it around and then suddenly, my heart actually dropped to my toes, when I saw PT 950 inscribed on it. I swallowed hard.

"This... this can't be right." I whispered.

Dannie took the ring from me and had a look.

"Oh my God!" He breathed.

We both stared at the guy in the counter who was beaming a big I-told-you-so at us.

"Would you like to have the rest checked for its authenticity?" He asked although I think he already knew our answer.

I nodded silently and gave him the ring.

We waited for him impatiently. My heart was pounding inside my ribcage, I can feel my temperature rising.

I stared at Dannie.

"Well, if it's real then you can pawn it!" He teased.

I shook my head. "If it's real, I'm going to hunt Ryder Woodson down and shove it down his throat!" I muttered.

The guy came back. I raised a brow at him. "Well?"

He smiled at me widely. "It's the real thing. Harry Winston, emerald cut diamond, two carats on a genuine platinum band."

I swallowed hard.

"Doesn't this ring cost about twenty grand?" Dannie asked.

The guy shook his head. "The one on the poster does. It's twenty-two carat gold. This is platinum. This one actually retails for more than thirty."

I felt my knees turn to jelly at that instant.

"You can trust me on this. I heard you mention Mr. Van Woodsen? He's been buying jewelry from us at least once a month. I heard his mother is quite a collector of diamonds." He winked and something in his look made me feel like he thought I was damn lucky to be receiving a ring from Mr. Van Woodsen.

I shook my head, taking my ring back from him. "No. You misheard me. I don't know Mr. Van Woodsen. But I do know a certain Mr. Woodson who I will hunt down and kill." I said in a serious tone that the guy actually stopped smiling.

"Thank you for your time and your... assessment of my friend's ring. If I can just get your calling card, we'll give you a call once we have some... requirements for jewelry." Dannie said. The guy couldn't help smiling and immediately handed him a calling card.

"Thank you, Garrie." Dannie said reading his name out loud.

Then he dragged me out of the place before I start hyperventilating.

"Oh my God!" I breathed. "I cannot believe this!"

"Yes! You're wearing a thirty thousand engagement ring!"

"How? I don't know how Ryder could have afforded it!" I asked. Somehow things do not make sense. "God, I hope he didn't steal this or something."

Dannie raised a brow. "God, I hope not! With his looks... he'll be a hit in prison!"

"Even if he did... acquire this in illegal ways... why would he give it to me? Why not pawn it and take the money?"

"Only one way to find out." Dannie said as he headed towards his car.

Thirty minutes later, we were at Oil Rig. I kept staring at the bar, keeping an eye out for Ryder. John and Nicole joined us a couple of minutes later.

"What?" Nicole asked, grabbing my hand and examining my ring. "I knew this couldn't have been a fake! It's too beautiful!"

"How could he afford it?" I asked. "And why would he give it to me?"

Did he pity me because for my first engagement, I had been given a fake ring? Did he feel sorry for me? But still... no one can be that sorry! Thirty grand! Maybe even more!

What could I have done to him that would make me deserve to keep this ring?

I snorted to myself. I did give him my virginity. And I wanted to laugh at myself for that until I realized...

If this ring was a payment for going to bed with him, then that would make me a...

"Shit!" I muttered under my breath. I won't rest until I find him! Until I talk to him again.

I dialed his number. His phone was off. I tried again. Still off. I stood up from my seat and marched to the counter.

"Where are you going?" Dannie asked.

"Ending this mystery!" I murmured.

There was a bald bartender who saw me approaching.

"How can I help you, Madam?" He asked.

"I'm looking for a co-worker of yours. Ryder Woodson?"

He gave me a confused look and then he shook his head, "I don't think I remember working with anyone that goes by that name, Ma'am."

I shook my head. "Maybe you're new. I met him here at this exact counter, a couple of months ago."

He smiled at me. "Sorry, ma'am. I've been here since opening. I'm telling you, there is no bartender by that name here. Never been."

"Maybe... maybe he was a temp or something and you were off the night he was on duty." I insisted. John came up beside me.

The guy shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. We have a strict policy here. No one temps for us. The owner has very... distinct policies. Everybody must be trained for months before facing a customer. So, no temps."

I sighed. "It... it can't be."

"I wish I could help you, Ma'am." He said apologetically.

I thanked him quietly. And then I turned my back on him, still confused.

Just then, I remembered what Garrie from the jewelry shop said. I turned back to the bartender.

"How about Ryder Van Woodsen?" I asked him.

He stared back at me for a while and then he said, "I'll call the manager, Ma'am. He can help you with that."

I watched him walk away. And then I stared back at John, who just raised a brow at me.

A minute later, we were joined by a tall blond guy dressed in an expensive suit.

"Yes, Ma'am. How can I help?"

I took a deep breath and said, "I... I'm looking for a guy who works here. Ryder."

"Mr. Van Woodsen is out of the country right now. May I ask what this is about? Maybe I can help."