Chapter 204 Shocked, Three CEOs Confess on Stage
Standing beside Emma, Luke spoke in a soft voice, slowly uncovering the hidden past. "It was the White family’s political enemies who abducted you all those years ago."
"Mother wept until she could no longer see for the first two years after losing you. It took a full five years before her vision returned."
"Eventually, she ceased her tears and dispatched everyone she could to find you, yet no trace was ever discovered." She gave to more than 430 orphanages nationwide, always wishing that if even one of those children were you, you would have enough to eat and a place to stay warm."
"It was only a few months ago, during her visit to the Skyview City orphanage to see the children, that an elderly caretaker mentioned a care worker named Karen who, eighteen years earlier, had cared for a six-year-old girl."
He recounted the whole story, and Emma was already weeping without restraint.
Every ounce of resentment she had for being abandoned, every pang of loneliness from growing up on her own—at this moment, it was utterly broken.
Finally, Luke reached out and gently embraced her trembling shoulders.
"Tonight was always meant to be your celebration. Did you see all the white lilies throughout the garden? And that Princess Elle's Crown that Nicholas brought—it was all prepared for the White family's little princess."
"If you just leave like this, it would be such a shame."
"The elders are all waiting inside. They just want to see that you're well. Whether or not you want to return to the White family in the future, the White family will always be your support, and I will always be your brother."
These words completely broke down Emma's defenses.
She collapsed against Luke's shoulder, crying like a child.
Evelyn moved forward, lifting her from Luke’s arms and embracing her tightly. "Okay, okay, no more tears. You can’t cry now—you can’t let your emotions take over."
The remark only confirmed Luke’s earlier suspicions. She gently patted Emma’s back before lifting her gaze to Luke, her eyes blazing with intensity.
"We'll just play along with their little drama. What White family princess, what elite family feuds—let's just treat it like an immersive murder mystery game, okay?"
She glared at Luke and barked, "What are you standing around for? Get her upstairs to get ready! The White family isn't so poor they can't afford a proper gown, right?"
Luke observed her intense expression and couldn’t help but smile. "Of course we do. It’s been prepared for a long time."
The group, with him at the forefront, made their way upstairs through a hushed side entrance.
Meanwhile, in the dim garden, a pair of piercing eyes tracked the direction Emma had vanished.
Twenty minutes later.
Every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on the elaborate spiral staircase on the second floor.
As Luke arrived with Emma’s total transformation, the entire ballroom froze in silence, as though the world had been momentarily paused.
She was clad in a dazzling gold off-shoulder haute couture gown, sculpted to her flawless curves with impeccable precision.
The golden fabric shimmered with delicate sequins that sparkled with every movement, casting a breathtaking display of light.
The hem was adorned with golden tassels that flowed like liquid metal, drifting and shimmering with each movement.
Her beauty was intense, almost fierce—so striking that it could make hearts quake and leave onlookers utterly speechless.
Though she wore no jewelry, she exuded an air of priceless elegance. And there was still one final moment to come tonight—the crowning ceremony.
Any unmarried young man in attendance could offer her a gift, and as long as she accepted it, each could be regarded as a potential son-in-law of the White family.
She descended the stairs with Luke, arm in arm, each step deliberate. Her face remained composed, yet it radiated a subtle, ineffable grace.
Her breathtaking face echoed Luke’s striking looks, with four or five notable similarities in their bone structure.
The crowd's minds buzzed. This was the real White family heiress!
Amid the crowd, Nicholas stood at the base of the staircase in his evening attire, his dark eyes fixed solely on her.
His whole world revolved around that elegant figure. He lifted his eyes slightly, his deep gaze brimming with emotions too powerful to fade.
Focused, devoted.
It was as though he had waited centuries for his princess to arrive at his castle.
At his side, Charlie carried a velvet box holding the Princess Elle’s Crown, a symbol of everlasting true love.
Beneath the dazzling crystal chandelier, light sparkled like scattered diamonds. Emma made her way down the icy steps, one careful step at a time.
Her form, drenched in cascading light, resembled a goddess emerging from a masterpiece. As she approached him, the entire ballroom felt suspended in a moment of stillness.
Nicholas delicately lifted the crown and set it on her head himself. Then, he brushed a tender, feather-light kiss against her lips.
The crown’s gems flared brilliantly in the light, sparkling with dazzling intensity. In that instant, she appeared as the most regal woman on earth.
"My God, that's Princess Elle's Crown—am I seeing this right? I heard it was Novaria's royal family's most treasured piece. I can't believe Mr. Harrison acquired it. He must be incredibly wealthy."
"So breathtaking. Ms. White looks more radiant in that crown than any fairytale princess. This journey was completely worth it."
Gasps and whispers from the guests rolled through the room like a rising tide.
Nicholas heard nothing else, his gaze fixed solely on her, his devotion almost spilling over. "Emma, thank you for allowing fate to lead you to me."
His voice was deep and rough, tinged with a faint quiver. "Through the darkest moments, you’ve dragged me back from the edge time and time again."
"You didn’t merely save my life—you rescued the purpose that kept me going." The years he had failed her weighed heavily on his heart, each breath a reminder of lingering pain.
"Right now, all I can think of is spending every remaining minute, every single second, loving you, cherishing you, and keeping you safe."
"My world was once pitch black, and you brought me the first ray of dawn. I hope that in the future, I can shield you from thorns, and spend my lifetime making up for past regrets."
His confession was unwavering, every word piercing hearts and bringing tears to the eyes of every woman present.
"This crown is more than a gift—it's a solemn vow. I wish to exchange it for every morning and night of the life we have ahead."
He dropped to one knee, gazing up at her with the unwavering devotion of a true believer.
"Will you stay by my side for the rest of our lives?"
Emma gazed at him, her eyes misted with tears.
That stunningly handsome face was etched with tension and vulnerability she couldn’t decipher. She wanted to nod, yet her throat felt constricted, preventing any sound from escaping.
Her heart thrashed wildly in that instant.
Nicholas noticed her hesitation, and the brief silence tightened his chest with a sharp ache.
He understood that those ancient wounds were far too deep—so deep that even an entire lifetime might not suffice to mend them completely.
"Emma."
He clasped her hand with urgency, his palm scorching and slightly damp. He held it firmly, as though letting go might make her vanish.
At that moment, a calm voice pierced the ballroom's chaos. "Mr. Harrison, you've completed your proposal, but you cannot claim Ms. White for yourself. Others deserve an opportunity as well."
All eyes fixed on the speaker, hearts racing as they wondered who would have the courage to confront Nicholas.
The strikingly handsome Louis stepped slowly from the shadows of the crowd.
His assistant trailed close behind, carefully holding a polished velvet box.
Nicholas felt his chest tighten as he rose, a sudden, lethal anger flaring in his eyes as he locked onto the man.
He dared to try stealing her away?
Louis paused in front of Emma, his eyes fixed on hers with a warmth so genuine it could soften anyone's defenses.
"Olivia, I'm Louis. Do you remember? I promised that when you grew up, I'd marry you. You've been missing for eighteen years. I've waited eighteen years, searched eighteen years, missed eighteen years of your best times. Only today, with your return, has my world finally regained its color."
Louis's look was as soft as a spring breeze, yet it held a clear, steady resolve.
"I hope for a chance to be by your side, to fill those eighteen blank years with the colors of our future, stroke by stroke."
His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone with a calm, steady clarity.
"I don't want to miss any more important moments in your life, and I don't want my world to remain only black and white. Olivia, let me re-enter your world, will you?"
He gracefully opened the velvet box his assistant held.
A translucent purple jade bracelet lay quietly inside, its interior seemingly holding flowing starlight under the illumination—understated yet undeniably precious.
His gaze never left Emma's face.
"This is the coming-of-age gift I prepared for you. Though it's many years late, I finally get to give it."
"It's also Grandmother's dying wish—she hoped I could personally place it on your wrist."
"It's not a promise or a constraint, just a blessing."
"As long as you're safe and well in the future, I'll be content."
These words lacked Nicholas's blazing intensity but flowed like a warm current, silently entering everyone's hearts.
"My God, so Mr. Windsor has stayed single all this time because he was waiting for Ms. White."
"This is true childhood sweethearts."
"The Windsor and White families already had a marriage arrangement—this is legitimate."
"But Mr. Harrison's proposal was so moving too. That crown represents true love. I'm team Harrison."
"Why choose? I want to ship both couples. What do I do?"
Discussions resumed, this time clearly divided into two camps.
Emma's eyes grew redder, misting with tears that made both men before her appear blurred.
She knew about the Windsor-White family engagement. In her mind, the image of a small boy holding her hand, promising to marry her, became unusually clear.
Louis didn't give her more time to hesitate. His warm fingertips gently grasped her hand.
That wrist was slender, skin almost translucently pale.
He slowly slipped the cool purple jade bracelet onto her wrist.
The size was perfect—not too large, not too small.
The instant the bracelet grazed her skin, a sudden chill radiated through her veins, strangely quieting her frantic pulse.
He bowed his head, pressing his warm lips softly against the back of her hand in a gesture of restrained, singular devotion.
Emma's heart gave a sudden lurch, and she reflexively jerked her hand away, managing to utter only two words.
"Thank you."
Those two brief words struck Nicholas with the force of a sledgehammer to the chest.
Nicholas’s face was cast into total shadow, the air around him thickening with a terrifying, suffocating pressure as a storm brewed within the depths of his eyes, threatening to lay waste to everything in its path.
His gaze was locked onto the spot where Louis's lips had brushed Emma's hand, before shifting to the vivid purple on her wrist.
This man dared to touch his woman in front of him?
He raised his foot to move, prepared to tear the defiant Louis apart.
Yet, his feet remained anchored to the floor, as if rooted in place.
This was her moment of return, her time to shine in the spotlight. He couldn't destroy this. He couldn't.
But the fury of such a blatant intrusion upon his territory pushed his self-control to the absolute breaking point.
He could only look on, powerless, as Louis staked his claim through every soft, deliberate gesture.
However, it wasn't over yet.
Just as the guests whispered and debated whether Emma’s heart would ultimately belong to Nicholas or Louis, another deep voice cut through the air.
"Emma."
Though his voice wasn't loud, it possessed a magnetic quality that instantly silenced the entire venue.
A strikingly handsome man, clad in an impeccably tailored black tuxedo, strode confidently from the crowd.
His commanding yet measured presence ensured that every stride he took seemed to echo against the pulse of everyone in the room.
The guests were stunned yet again, never expecting that the evening's series of dramatic revelations would culminate in another challenger to Nicholas and Louis.
"That's Mr. Moore from Moore Group!"
Someone in the crowd recognized him and gasped.
"Wow, he's even more handsome in person than in financial magazines. That presence rivals Mr. Harrison's."
Upon seeing him, Emma’s pupils visibly constricted, and her body began to tremble.
Nicholas’s features darkened into a mask of severe displeasure.
Matthew!
He'd actually come too.
Fine. He'd make sure he never left.
The members of both the White and Windsor families appeared equally stunned at the sight of Matthew.
The Moore Group was a cornerstone of the international medical community, a preeminent leader in the field. No one had anticipated that such a legendary figure would appear in person.
The man before her was undeniably, strikingly handsome.
Matthew strode forward with purposeful steps, finally coming to a halt before her.
In reality, once he discovered the lengths Nicholas had gone—sparing no expense to secure Princess Elle’s Crown and transport it to Empire City—he had already pieced together her true identity.
Today was her important moment.
He had to be here.
Matthew spoke with a slow, rich warmth that resonated like the deep chords of a cello in the night.
"I promised that when you found your family, I would definitely accompany you home."
"I'm sorry I'm late."
Emma's eyes welled with tears. She had no inkling that this encounter would be their last.