Chapter 46

Finnley glanced at her, "Cut the act in front of me. I'll stand up for you when the time comes."

Chloe deliberately smiled cunningly, her eyes showing a hint of "nothing gets past you" admiration.

"I knew Grandpa could see right through me. I'm not scheming—I'm just being playful with you."

When Finnley sent someone to invite her again, Christina didn't refuse.

Even when she stood at The Stone Mansion and saw Chloe beside Finnley, Christina's eyes showed no emotional reaction whatsoever.

Marc, standing behind her, presented the gift.

Christina said, "I heard you've taken up oil painting in recent years. I hope you like these paints."

Finnley didn't even glance at the paints.

What kind of paints couldn't he get if he wanted them?

He didn't need Christina's gifts.

"In three days, it'll be your engagement party with Gabriel." He got straight to the point.

"Yes." Christina remained composed. Finnley deliberately didn't ask her to sit, so she found herself a seat.

Finnley's eyelids twitched. Why did it feel as though Christina was even more shameless than when she was younger?

He tapped his cane and continued, "But you've been back for so long, and with your engagement day approaching, you still haven't explained to me what you were doing these past three years!"

"Didn't Gabriel tell you? I went to grow up."

"Growing up requires three years without contacting your family? Three years cutting off all relationships with everyone in Aurora City? I think you ran away from the marriage!" Those old folks might not say it out loud, but Gabriel's explanation wasn't convincing. Privately, everyone was laughing at the Stone family.

Christina didn't care though.

"Ran away from marriage? Aren't we getting engaged in three days?"

"But everyone knows about the marriage arrangement between our families!"

"So who was it that spread the word about something our families only mentioned casually and hadn't officially confirmed?" Christina looked at Finnley. "The Stone family holds significant influence, and your connections reach far and wide. You should be able to find out about such a small matter, shouldn't you?"

Finnley was stumped. Who else could have spread it?

Of course it was him.

The Stone family was too large, but the current business market structure had also become stable.

For the Stone family to advance further, the fastest way he could think of was acquisition.

But those small families were really too small for the Stone family.

Acquisitions required a great deal of effort, and the returns would be minimal.

Finnley had then set his sights on the White family.

The White family was perfect.

The White family's only heir was Christina.

As long as Gabriel married her, it would only be a matter of time before the White Group became the Stone family's property.

Plus, the Stone family and the White family had a good relationship, and Gabriel and Christina got along well too. It wouldn't be hard to make this happen.

After that, things went unusually smoothly. When he proposed the engagement with Christina, Gabriel—who was usually serious and whom he thought would be the hardest to convince—agreed right away.

That was even better.

For a family like the White family, genuine feelings were the most persuasive.

He just hadn't expected that while everyone else was happy about this, the only one who wasn't was Christina, who had followed Gabriel around since childhood.

After Christina left, he came up with a new plan.

Christina's personality was hard to control. Her return actually put him in a difficult position.

And just after Christina came back, his plan failed.

Christina seemed to have sensed something—her words seemed to carry hidden meanings, which left Finnley speechless and afraid to bring up the engagement again.

"Christina, no matter what, I hope you'll be happy."

"Don't worry, we'll be very happy."

Christina turned and left.

Completely ignoring Chloe, who was standing nearby, clearly angry but not daring to say anything.

"Grandpa, look at her!" After Christina left, Chloe finally spoke up, furious.

Finnley sighed, "Steady, smart, and capable—you can't compare to her. What a shame."

What a shame—for what reason,they both knew.

Chloe was unconvinced but didn't dare show it.

Finnley was clearly dissatisfied with her lack of composure.

But it didn't matter. As long as Finnley's plan remained unchanged, Christina would be the one not chosen.

Even if she couldn't do anything openly, she had to do something to make Christina's life less comfortable.

Having made up her mind, Chloe got up to leave.

One look from Finnley made her freeze.

"You, stay at The Stone Mansion. Don't go anywhere, and don't do anything lately."

If Christina really had sensed something, making any moves now would only be walking into a trap.

Chloe pressed her lips together, took a deep breath, and only said "okay" under Finnley's watchful gaze.

……

"You suddenly asked me to clear my evening schedule just to bring me here?"

On the highest mountain in Aurora City.

Christina followed Gabriel off the helicopter.

Right after leaving The Stone Mansion, she received Gabriel's call and came here with him.

The scenery here was beautiful, overlooking all of Aurora City, as if holding everything in your hands.

The mountaintop had already been set up. Gabriel had clearly made plenty of preparations.

"Camping?"

"Yes, don't you love camping? The night sky is beautiful tonight, and there's a meteor shower."

"Really?" Christina's already lifted spirits rose even higher.

She'd been too tense lately, afraid of making a wrong move that would disappoint Joseph or make the company shareholders doubt her ability to run the company.

"You've worked hard." Gabriel pulled Christina to the telescope.

"I've finished all the remaining arrangements for the engagement party. There are three days left, and I want you to rest well."

"I can't. There's still a lot to handle at the company."

Gabriel knew her concerns and told her to relax and enjoy the stars.

"The company matters aren't difficult for you, are they? Without other things bothering you, you can rest and work properly."

Christina laughed, "You mean preparing for the engagement party is interfering with my rest and work? Sounds like the engagement party isn't that important after all."

"It is important. Christina, you know I dream of marrying you." Holding Christina, Gabriel rested his head on her shoulder.

"No, I don't know." Gabriel was too direct. Whether he dreamed or what he dreamed about, she had no idea. Christina's face turned red.

"Meteor shower!"

The meteor shower came a bit earlier than predicted. No time to tease her—Gabriel quickly told Christina to look. He fumbled in his pocket, pulled out the ring he'd prepared long ago, and knelt on one knee.

He didn't rush to call Christina or ask her to close her eyes and make a wish—that would prevent her from seeing the meteors' trails.

After kneeling, he looked up at Christina with the meteor shower as her backdrop. Under the sky lit by shooting stars, he burned this moment into his memory.

"Gabriel, thank you. This is the most meaningful meteor shower I've ever seen," Christina said.

But she received no response for a long time. Finding it strange, she turned around, and unexpectedly—no one was there!

Gabriel was so tall that Christina instinctively looked up when she turned.

While she was puzzled, Gabriel spoke, "Christina, marry me."

Seeing Christina freeze, he repeated, his tone even more firm, "Marry me, will you?"