Chapter 238

Chapter 238

The entire venue fell silent, then erupted into thunderous applause.

His words contained no trace of personal bias, only absolute respect and recognition. Equals in their careers, partners in love. This was the truest reflection of who they were now.

Night fell over Garden Vista Estates and soon enough, Henry was already fast asleep. On the second-floor master bedroom balcony, Christina held two glasses of red wine, handing one to Ethan who was leaning back in a wicker chair. He took the glass and smoothly grasped her wrist, pulling her to sit across his lap.

"Doesn't your leg hurt? You're overdoing it again." Christina shot him a playfully annoyed look.

"How could it hurt when I'm holding my own wife?" Ethan chuckled softly.

The night was gentle, yet it easily stirred up buried memories.

"Christina." Ethan's smile faded, his voice low and hoarse. "It's been ten years."

Christina's body stiffened slightly.

Yes, ten years.

From when she became part of the Carter Family through that humiliating accident, to being tormented by Emily and Rachel, then the devastating divorce, giving birth to Henry, being diagnosed with kidney cancer, kidnapped by Zack...

These ten years had been filled with too many obstacles between them.

"These ten years, I was an arrogant fool." Ethan buried his face against her chest, voice full of regret. "I loved you so much, but didn't know how to show it. I thought giving you the title of Mrs. Carter and wealth was love, but I let Emily's cruelty go unchecked and failed to protect you. That was my fault."

His arms tightened around her involuntarily.

"When I was imprisoned by Zack in Blackthorn Fortress, all I could think about was you."

Christina listened quietly, tears silently sliding down her cheeks. She had hated him once, but when Ethan willingly fell into the deep sea to save her and Henry, when she saw him tortured, all that hatred had vanished without a trace. Christina cupped his face, gently wiping the moisture from the corners of his eyes.

"Ethan, that cold, arrogant version of you died in that deep sea long ago. Between us, there's no debt, no resentment. All the misunderstandings have been cleared up."

She pressed her forehead against his, whispering softly, "Ethan, I forgive you."

A wild joy flashed in Ethan's deep eyes. The next second, he pushed away from the wicker chair without hesitation and dropped to one knee.

"Ethan! What are you doing? Get up!" Christina turned pale with shock, rushing to pull him up.

"Don't move, let me kneel." Ethan held her hand, trembling as he pulled out an exquisite velvet box from his suit's inner pocket.

The box sprang open, revealing a dazzling five-carat pink diamond ring resting inside. It was the wedding ring he had custom-made for her in Novaria two years ago. After all the twists and turns, after facing death, it had finally found its owner.

"Christina, ten years ago, our marriage was full of misunderstandings and resentment. I owe you a proper proposal."

Ethan looked up at the woman crying in the moonlight, his voice shaking. "I'm not a perfect man. I might not be able to carry you up mountains, and on rainy days you might need to take care of me. But I, Ethan, swear that as long as I'm alive, all my wealth, even my life, belongs to you."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he held up the diamond ring with utmost devotion. "Christina, will you... marry me again? This time, only for love."

Christina covered her mouth, sobbing, and nodded without hesitation.

"I will. Ethan, I will."

As the ring, warm with his body heat, slowly slid onto her ring finger, their hands intertwined, and no force could ever separate them again.

The wedding was set for the following spring. When the grass would be green and birds would fly, when flowers would bloom in the warm weather—the perfect season for a wedding, and it gave them plenty of time to prepare.

The wedding dress and suits were delivered half a month before the wedding, custom-made in Novaria and specially air-shipped back to Celestria. When the dress shop called, Ethan had wanted them delivered to the house, but Christina had already scheduled an appointment that day to pick out everyday wedding rings at a jewelry store.

Since the two shops were very close, he decided to go directly to the shop for the fitting, which would also prevent any damage to the delicate garments during transport. Ethan accompanied her throughout.

Since the AI launch event, he had gradually handed off some of the company's major projects to the capable Lincoln and other talented people selected from within the company.

Joshua was also promoted from Ethan's assistant to head of the AI division. This gave Ethan more time to personally prepare for his wedding with Christina.

The day she tried on the dress was a warm, sunny spring day. The dress shop was tucked away in a quiet corner of the busy downtown area. When Christina walked out of the fitting room in her dress, all the waiting staff were instantly stunned.

This main wedding dress was made with silk as the base, accented with lace, following a simple classic style. Ethan had specially invited Diana, a renowned wedding dress designer from Harmony City, to design it personally.

Christina was already beautiful, and now past thirty, her temperament had matured even more while her face remained as youthful as someone in their early twenties. This custom dress showcased all her advantages perfectly, like a princess from a fairy tale.

"You're so beautiful," a shop assistant couldn't help but exclaim.

At that moment, Ethan had also changed into his formal wear—a black custom suit that exuded elegance and refinement with every movement. Hearing the assistant's exclamation, he looked up and met Christina's eyes as she stood there in her wedding dress. Christina lifted her dress hem and walked toward him with a gentle smile.

"This dress suits Mrs. Carter's temperament perfectly. Mr. Carter, you two are truly a match made in heaven," an assistant rushed forward to compliment them.

Ethan's lips curved slightly as he stood and walked toward Christina with long strides, naturally taking her hand and leading her in a gentle spin, drawing more exclamations from the surrounding staff.

"How is it?" Christina asked with a smile.

Ethan leaned down, kissed her lips lightly, then whispered in her ear, "My Mrs. Carter is the most beautiful woman in the world."

His voice wasn't loud, but just loud enough for those nearby to hear.

Someone covered their mouth and whispered, "That's so sweet."

Christina's ears turned red as she gently pushed him. "I meant the dress!"

"Alright." Ethan chuckled, looking her up and down, then walked behind her and led her to face the mirror. "It suits you perfectly."

Ethan took Christina's hand and sat her on a single sofa, then knelt on one knee and removed her shoes, replacing them with diamond-studded heels brought by a staff member. "You'll be standing for a long time at the wedding. These are more comfortable."

Everyone present marveled at his thoughtfulness.

Just then, a staff member brought over a black velvet jewelry box. "Mr. Carter, your necklace."

The box opened to reveal a full-diamond necklace that sparkled brilliantly under the lights. The necklace had an intricate, elaborate design with three overlapping layers on the front. Each layer featured a teardrop-cut diamond in the center, with the bottom one weighing 30 carats alone. The total weight was 160 carats, dazzling throughout.

Ethan placed the necklace on Christina, and her gentle demeanor instantly transformed into one of commanding presence.

"I saw this necklace at an auction in Harmony City last month. It sold for forty-two million dollars. So, Mr. Carter had me buy it as a wedding gift for his wife."

A staff member recognized the necklace and couldn't help saying, "This isn't the only jewelry Mr. Carter has bought for his wife. Two years ago, there was a pink diamond necklace set worth over a hundred million."

This was true. Even when their relationship had been cold in the past, Ethan had never been stingy with jewelry for Christina.

"Mrs. Carter is so lucky."

Christina looked at their embracing reflection in the mirror, her fingers touching the necklace as she said softly, "Thank you."

"Do you like it?"

"I love it."

No woman in the world doesn't love jewelry, especially a treasure worth forty-two million dollars.

Outside rumors claimed the Carter Group's strength had greatly diminished after internal turmoil, but judging from Ethan's lavish wedding preparations, the so-called crisis didn't seem to exist.

At that moment, Shirley walked into the dress shop with a young man on her arm. In the lobby, she immediately spotted Christina and Ethan in the VIP fitting area, surrounded by a dozen staff members and dress designers providing attentive service.