Chapter 45

Christina was straightforward and decisive.

On the other end of the phone, Chloe sat beside Finnley, growing increasingly anxious. "Grandpa, look at her attitude! What about the people you sent to get her? Why are you letting her make phone calls? What if she tells Gabriel? Just have your people bring her back directly."

Finnley raised his hand, signaling her to be quiet.

"Chloe, what I admire most about you is your composure in business. But if you behave like this in other matters, I’ll have to question whether that composure is genuine."

"But Grandpa, you promised to help me."

"I'm helping you, but not just helping you. You need to understand the difference." Finnley's authority needed no anger. "What have you actually done well among the things I asked you to do?"

Chloe fell silent.

Seeing her settle down, Finnley gave the butler a glance.

The phone's mute button was turned on.

Christina understood what the silence on the other end meant.

She didn’t rush. Instead, she waited patiently.

Finally, Finnley's voice came through. “Christina, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. I simply want to meet you.”

"I can do that, but not today."

"Let's make it today. I'm old and not in good health. I don't have this kind of energy every day."

“Today, the collaboration project between the Stone Group and the White Group is finalizing. I have three meetings and several major decisions to make.”

"Postpone them!"

"This concerns the mutual interests of the Stone Group and the White Group." Christina interrupted and emphasized without backing down.

She could meet Finnley, but not now.

Many people were watching this collaboration between the Stone Group and the White Group.

This wasn't like the previous gossip news where being talked about didn't matter.

If she postponed today’s meetings, it would spark speculation and none of it favorable to either the Stone or White families.

Besides.

She just didn't want to be summoned to see Finnley like this.

“Give me a couple of days to finish my work. I’ll prepare a proper gift and come visit you. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Gabriel. I’ll come alone.”

This was a compromise.

Of course, if Finnley didn't accept it, there was no point in negotiating further.

Meanwhile, the White family’s bodyguards had already driven over, ready to escort Christina. Upon realizing the situation, they surrounded the area.

The bodyguards who had been resting at the house the White family specially arranged for bodyguards also received the news and rushed over.

The two sides faced off.

Finnley fell silent again.

He didn't want to compromise.

But he had watched Christina grow up from childhood.

He knew her temperament—gentle on the surface, but firm and unyielding beneath.

"Then I'll wait at home for you to come see me."

After hanging up, Christina looked at the man across from her.

The man stepped back respectfully. “Sorry for the disturbance, Ms. White. Please take care.”

Christina got in the car and left.

By the courtyard wall, Juniper used the bushes to hide herself.

In her hand, she tightly gripped the shovel the gardener used to remove weeds.

If those people had tried to force Christina away, she had been ready to strike at the right moment.

Fortunately, nothing happened.

After the White Manor returned to calm, Juniper's hand went limp and the small shovel fell to the ground. "This is even scarier than Harborview City."

Juniper swallowed hard, truly frightened by the confrontation. "I really haven't experienced enough."

Juniper rarely appeared in public, so she didn’t even have bodyguards.

Feeling it was inconvenient was one reason.

Not appearing in the public eye and being less likely to be targeted was another.

But this also made her realize again that the Stone family and the White family's power might be more than what she saw on the surface.

......

Austin's trip to Aurora City was delayed.

Mary wasn't adapting to Azure Valley's weather and got sick and hospitalized.

When Mary hugged his arm and said, "Austin, I'm in a strange place with no one I know. You're all I have," Austin softened and had to stay to take care of Mary.

Even married people get divorced.

Naturally, an engagement could be called off too.

As long as he got to Aurora City before Christina and Gabriel's engagement, everything should be fine.

Even so, his thoughts were with Christina.

“So you want me to keep an eye on Christina for you, but you’re still in Azure Valley traveling with Mary?

Gregory was disappointed. At this moment, he suddenly thought: forget it, Christina and Gabriel being together is pretty good too.

If before he could still confirm that Austin liked Christina, now he couldn't be sure anymore.

"I know you're angry, but she's sick, in a strange place, and I'm the only one she can rely on. If I leave now, am I still a man!"

Gregory fell silent, choosing not to argue. He was afraid that if he spoke, his words would be too harsh.

"Since that's the case, there's something you probably haven't seen yet." Gregory said, sending Austin a screenshot.

"Gabriel went on a business trip, and coincidentally, Nora went too, and even went to the same restaurant as Gabriel. Now netizens are all guessing it's not a coincidence. Some are criticizing Nora for interfering in someone else's relationship, some say it's a coincidence, some gossip that Christina is ugly and Gabriel doesn't like her. Of course, most importantly, Christina is very angry after seeing it."

After Gregory finished speaking, he hung up.

He had done his duty, telling Austin all this news.

Though, in truth, what upset Christina most was people calling her ugly.

Christina's exact words were, "Does beauty matter? I'm not someone who cares about appearance. Why does everyone's focus always get pulled to looks? Isn't the important thing that they went to the restaurant at different times?"

Of course, he wouldn't tell Austin these things.

There was no point anymore.

No matter what he said, Austin always had that annoyingly confident attitude.

He might even say Christina was just being stubborn if he told him.

Gregory held his forehead, suddenly realizing Austin had serious brain problems, but what could he do about it?

Gregory thought about it and even touched his own head.

They say birds of a feather flock together—his brain was okay, right?

"Time to go to Aurora City." After a long while, Gregory stood up.

This day was three days before the engagement party.

Many people in Aurora City were already preparing to attend this event.

At this time at the White Manor, Juniper had been playing in Aurora City with friends for two days and was getting bored.

She lay sprawled across the living room sofa, utterly uninterested in anything.

"Should I start a career too?" Watching Christina busily coming and going every day, Juniper had the illusion that she was useless.

The matter with Gabriel and Nora ended with the trending topic being removed and someone digging up that the two had gone to the restaurant at completely different times.

After it ended, Nora received a call from Chloe. When Chloe learned that Nora couldn't get close to Gabriel at all and could only use this cheap method to spread rumors, she cursed her out as useless on the phone and gave up on her directly.

As the engagement party drew closer, Christina still hadn’t gone to see Finnley

After being told by Finnley that she couldn't keep her cool, the emotions she had suppressed for so long finally couldn't be held back anymore.

She clung to Finnley’s arm, acting coquettishly. "Grandpa, if we really wait until after Gabriel's engagement to call it off, my reputation won't sound good. Plus, Christina said herself she'd come see you, but Gabriel's engagement day is almost here and she still hasn't come. Isn't that too disrespectful to you?"