She instinctively pulled her hand back. "I can't possibly take this; it's way too much."

"It's fine. Just take it. “ Catalina clasped Ariana's hand with sincerity, declaring, "Consider it a gift to mark our first meeting."

As those words reached Ariana's ears, a shiver ran down her spine.

What could this gesture signify? A gift to mark their meeting? Who would bestow a gift upon a friend upon their first encounter?

Shouldn't this be a gesture for a daughter-in-law, if anything?