Chapter 88 Is He Proposing?
The next evening, the Jackson Villa was ablaze with lights.
Evelyn's birthday party was extravagantly grand, with over a hundred young professionals and socialites from various circles in attendance.
When Evelyn and Emma descended the spiral staircase hand in hand, the entire hall fell silent.
Under the chandelier light, the two women looked like brilliant jewels, absolutely dazzling.
Only then did everyone realize that the Jackson family had another young lady, an adopted daughter.
And she was absolutely gorgeous!
In the center of the crowd, Ethan stood tall in a black tuxedo, raising his phone toward the staircase.
Through his lens, Emma wore a powder blue cocktail dress, her delicate features radiating cool elegance that perfectly complemented Evelyn's warm radiance.
He smirked slightly and casually shared the video with their small group chat.
Ethan: [Check out the Jackson family princesses.]
Ethan: [Stunning, right?]
The group chat immediately exploded, with everyone tagging Nicholas and Henry.
Neither the Harrison family nor the Garcia family had been invited to this grand affair, which only fueled the heated discussion.
Nicholas had just finished a international conference call when he opened the group messages and immediately spotted that familiar yet distant figure in the video.
It was Emma.
She looked beautiful today—so beautiful it made his heart skip a beat.
Today, he was definitely bringing her home!
Nicholas grabbed his jacket, his eyes darkening with determination, and drove straight to Galaxy Restaurant.
Back in the ballroom.
Ethan's gaze unconsciously followed the small figure lingering near the dessert table.
Nina looked like a little chipmunk, holding a petit four and taking tiny bites, her eyes curved with contentment, the picture of satisfaction.
Watching her, Ethan felt inexplicably cheerful.
She was beautiful with a radiant smile—such a shame she couldn't speak.
Just then, a sleazy-looking man suddenly blocked Nina's path, pointing at a barely visible stain on his suit and making a scene, apparently claiming the girl had accidentally dirtied his clothes. His attitude was arrogant and demanding.
Nina looked helpless, her face pale, only able to wave her hands frantically while making anxious "ah ah" sounds.
Ethan frowned, strode over in a few quick steps, and pulled Nina behind him.
His eyes swept over the man with icy contempt as he nodded to a nearby security guard.
"Throw him out."
Before the man could protest further, two security guards were already dragging him away.
Nina tugged at Ethan's sleeve, pointing toward the door, then at him, pressing her palms together in a gesture of gratitude while continuing to make soft "ah ah" sounds.
Ethan watched her earnest gesturing and chuckled softly.
Just as he was about to speak, Nina turned and picked up a pink macaron from the dessert table, holding it out to him with an expectant expression.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, "I don't eat sweets."
Nina wouldn't take no for an answer. She stood on her tiptoes and, without giving him a choice, popped the delicate little macaron into his mouth.
The sweet flavor dissolved on his tongue.
Ethan paused, looking at her bright, triumphant eyes, and reluctantly began to chew.
Meanwhile, at Galaxy Restaurant, news of today's grand opening had dominated Emerald City's headlines.
It stood on prime real estate in the heart of downtown—mind-blowingly extravagant.
The 50,000-square-foot standalone three-story circular building had ivory white exterior walls that glowed warmly under the lights, with flowing, elegant lines.
Before even approaching, you could smell the faint floral fragrance in the air.
This wasn't a restaurant—it was clearly a meticulously crafted garden palace, complete with uniquely designed swing chairs, crescent moon fountains, and heart-shaped crystal chandeliers everywhere.
The real showstopper was on the third floor. Anyone who walked in instinctively held their breath.
It was absolutely stunning.
Looking up, the entire ceiling had been transformed into a deep, realistic starry sky.
Not some cheap lighting effect—you could actually see swirling nebulae and shifting constellations in motion.
Deep, vast, and breathtakingly beautiful beyond words.
In the center, a small, elegant circular stage had been specially designed—not large, but perfectly positioned to capture everyone's attention.
Flanking the stage were clusters of fresh bouquets—white, pink, and champagne roses mixed with baby's breath, layer upon layer, filling the air with rich, sweet fragrance.
The only entrance to the stage was through a massive crescent moon archway.
The archway emanated a soft, pearlescent glow, its edges embedded with tiny crystals that sparkled brilliantly against the starry ceiling.
The design was ethereal and romantic.
Anyone could see this had been carefully prepared for some momentous occasion.
A proposal?
Absolutely.
The atmosphere, the investment, the aesthetic, the sheer luxury of it all.
This was ultimate romance built with money—so direct, so heart-stopping.
Most of the dining guests had been drawn to the third floor.
"Oh my God, this has to be a proposal!"
"So elaborate! How much must this have cost?"
"I heard Galaxy Restaurant is Mr. Harrison's investment. Whoever gets to have the first proposal here must be incredibly wealthy or influential."
The crowd gathered outside the cordoned area, buzzing with speculation and burning curiosity.
Suddenly, the starry ceiling split apart like the Death Star from Star Wars, opening into hexagonal panels to reveal the actual night sky. Night air rushed in as a drone squadron descended from above, beginning a high-tech light show.
Everyone was stunned!
Soon after, a server respectfully escorted a woman onto the small stage.
She had entered through the VIP passage on the other side, wearing a lavender strapless gown that accentuated her graceful silhouette.
She stood with her back to the crowd, gazing up at the drone performance in the sky above.
Just then, Emma came running up, breathless.
She squeezed through the crowd and, seeing the elaborate setup before her, couldn't help but marvel silently.
The venue was absolutely stunning.
No woman could resist such a romantic display.
Thirty minutes earlier, at the Jackson family ballroom.
Emma had been eating cake with Evelyn when Ethan approached, casually handing her a folded piece of paper.
Emma opened it, puzzled.
Inside was Nicholas's familiar, sharp handwriting,
[9 PM tonight, Galaxy Restaurant. If you want that divorce, come have this dinner with me. Otherwise, I guarantee you'll never escape the Harrison family for the rest of your life.]
"BANG!"
Emma felt her blood pressure spike instantly!
Nicholas, that bastard!
She was so furious her fingers trembled. Making an excuse, she ran out without even changing clothes.
She took a cab to Galaxy Restaurant and found everyone heading to the third floor.
Someone nearby said, "It's gorgeous upstairs! Someone's about to propose!"
So she followed the crowd up.
Back to the present.
Just as everyone waited with bated breath, a commotion arose at the restaurant entrance.
Nicholas emerged.
He wore an impeccably tailored white tuxedo, carrying a large bouquet of white lilies symbolizing pure love, looking like a god descending from heaven.
His gaze landed precisely on the figure in the lavender gown at center stage.
He knew that dress all too well—he'd seen it in the group chat before. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in it.
His heart began racing uncontrollably, and his lips curved into a confident, determined smile.
The venue immediately erupted in massive gasps!
"Oh my God! It's Nicholas! Nicholas!"
"So Mr. Harrison is the one proposing?"
"Who's the lucky girl? Could it be Ms. Perez?"
"This is so romantic! A real-life prince and princess story!"
"I heard ages ago that this Galaxy Restaurant was specially created by Nicholas as a token of love for Miss Perez—that's why it's called Galaxy Restaurant!"
The media crews, already positioned, immediately sprang into action, pointing all their equipment at Nicholas. Live streams on various platforms were flooded with viewers.
Emma stood in the crowd, watching this scene unfold, completely frozen.
Nicholas was proposing?
Her mind went blank!