Chapter 432 Chapter 432: You Were The One Acting, Not Me
Estelle couldn’t help but recall the words Mr. Mysterious had spoken three years ago. On that night, he had said those very words, repeatedly calling her name with a husky voice and pleading eyes.
Cristofer brought her back to the present, saying, “Don’t feel torn. I understand my place in your heart. I won’t demand that you stay with me forever. After Grandpa passed away, I won’t hold you back if you choose to leave.”
Estelle’s lips tightened, and she nodded, finally responding, “Okay.”
When Cristofer heard her definite reply, the expectation in his eyes disappeared. Without saying anything else, he nodded and smiled with self-mockery. And he said to himself, ‘What were you expecting, Cristofer? Were you expecting that Estelle would say, “I won’t leave you”? Stop daydreaming. She will definitely leave you.’
Cristofer took a deep breath and spoke quietly, “Let’s go talk to Alexander. We can sign the contract later.”
Estelle was curious, “Are you signing the contract here? It’s a significant order. Shouldn’t you do it at the company?”
Cristofer explained, “Alexander isn’t concerned about the location or timing of signing contracts. He values the character and sincerity of his partners. Given our performance today, he should be pleased. It’s a good opportunity to finalize the contract here.”
As they discussed this, Alexander approached them through the crowd. He playfully draped his arm around Cristofer’s shoulder and said with a grin, “You’re quite the deceiver. Why didn’t you mention you’ve been married to Estelle for years when I last visited? You even have three children!”
Cristofer chuckled at Alexander’s comment and explained, “Sometimes, it’s good to stay low-key.”
Alexander teased him, “Then why did you decide to go public with your marriage today?”
Cristofer sighed playfully, “I had to do it because of you.”
Alexander laughed, “Exactly! If I hadn’t insisted on having a married partner, I wouldn’t have known about your marriage. I’ve brought the contract with me; you just need to sign it later.”
With a raised eyebrow, Cristofer joked at him, “Aren’t you worried I’ll get divorced right after signing it?”
Alexander burst into laughter and replied, “Haha, impossible. I can see how much you love Estelle. Even if the Pacific Ocean were to dry up, you two wouldn’t divorce!”
Standing beside Cristofer, Estelle just smiled and listened to their conversation.
“How about we sign the contract right now?” Alexander asked while wearing a huge smile.
Hearing this, Cristofer chuckled and said, “I was anxious to sign the contract before, but now it looks like you are more anxious to sign it.”
“Hey, hey. I trust you, so I want to establish a partnership with you. Cristofer, I envy you so much. I also want to have a sweet relationship.”
“You have never been in a relationship before?” Cristofer asked in confusion.
“I’ve had girlfriends before, but they were mostly interested in my money and gemstones, not me. I’ve always wanted a love like yours with Estelle. Cristofer, can you give me advice on how to find a girlfriend like her?” Alexander asked eagerly.
Cristofer turned to look at Estelle and cleared his throat before offering advice, “Be brave and express your feelings to her until she agrees to be your girlfriend.”
Alexander was surprised and asked, “Is that all?”
“No, there’s more to it. You also need to be patient and prioritize her needs. When you go out together, take care of her and bring her favorite snacks,” Cristofer explained.
Alexander responded, “That doesn’t sound too difficult.”
“The most important thing is trust. No matter what others say about her, you must believe her without any doubts. Otherwise, you’ll regret it,” Cristofer emphasized.
“That sounds straightforward,” Alexander replied with a chuckle. “I’ll remember that. I’ll trust my future girlfriend wholeheartedly.” He then took two copies of the contract from his assistant and handed them to Cristofer.
Cristofer accepted the contracts with a warm smile and signed his name at the bottom, officially sealing their partnership.
Alexander added, “By the way, I want to clarify that I won’t offer free shipping. You’ll be responsible for the shipping fees when you buy gemstones from me.”
“Okay, understood,” Cristofer agreed.
“I’ve gained a lot during my visit to Hadale. I’ll return to Africa tomorrow. I hope your business skills and Estelle’s design talents can turn my gemstones into the most beautiful jewelry on the market,” Alexander expressed.
Cristofer asked, “Why not stay here longer?”
Alexander waved his hand and replied, “I want to get back as soon as possible and follow the advice you gave me to pursue the girl I like. Seeing you and Estelle so happy together has inspired me to find love, too.”
Just now, when the two of them were about to sign the contract, Estelle walked away at the thought that they might talk about trade secrets. Seeing that they talked happily and signed the contract from afar, she felt much relieved. ‘It’s good that Alexander finally agrees to cooperate with Cristofer. Now we just need to act in front of Grandpa Gary.’
Estelle had expected to feel awkward and uncomfortable around Cristofer, but she didn’t. She noticed that Cristofer had changed quite a bit, and she wondered if it was his attempt to be more like Mr. Mysterious that had made him gentler.
While lost in her thoughts, Cristofer approached and asked, “What’s on your mind?”
Estelle looked up and met his affectionate gaze. She shook her head and replied softly, “Nothing. I saw you sign the contract with Alexander just now. Congratulations.”
“Thanks to your help, I was able to convince him to get the contract done,” Cristofer said with a smile.
“Even without my help, you could have done it by marrying Mila,” Estelle said with a faint smile.
Cristofer explained, “Alexander has a keen eye. If I had married Mila as part of a fake marriage, he would have seen through it.”
“But he didn’t see us through. Does that mean we’re good actors?” Estelle asked.
Cristofer responded, “You were acting, but I wasn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
Cristofer clarified, “You were the one acting, not me.”
At dusk, the birthday party came to a happy end, and the guests started to leave. Cristofer and Estelle held hands and personally bid farewell to each guest. By the time the last guest left, it was dark outside.
At that moment, Luke approached them and handed each a glass of juice. “Mr. Hans, Estelle, you must be tired. It’s been a long day.”
Cristofer asked, “Uncle Luke, where’s Grandpa?”
“Old Mr. Hans was quite exhausted, so he went to bed. The kids were tired too, and I believe they’ve fallen asleep in their room.”
Cristofer nodded understandingly and said gently, “I see. Uncle Luke, we have something to attend to and need to go out. Please take care of the children and Grandpa.”