Chapter 644

Chapter 644

Clea's expression froze, feigning ignorance. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I've said my piece. Clea, if you plan on sticking around with the Ramos crew, it's smart not to cross me," Elisa stated with a sly grin.

She sauntered towards the door.

Outside the room, Gabriel, concerned about Elisa, lingered and overheard everything. Touched and reassured, he dashed to the staircase before she opened the door, pretending to have just arrived upstairs.

As Elisa swung open the door, she accidentally bumped into him. "Gabriel, we need to talk."

Gabriel's heart raced. He was resolute in siding with Elisa in any situation involving Clea and Calista.

"I've got your back no matter what."

"I want to tie the knot with Howard."

Their words almost overlapped.

Gabriel's sentence trailed off, leaving her to reconsider. "Wait, scratch that. Howard hasn't passed my test yet."

Initially elated, Gabriel was suddenly blindsided by this revelation and struggled to process it.

Disregarding Gabriel's reaction, Elisa inquired, "What's Dad's take on this?"

Gabriel responded, "Don't bother. Dad won't give his blessing."

Elisa remained noncommittal, turned, and headed to the study to seek out Nolan. Gabriel followed but found himself locked out of the study.

Ten minutes later, Elisa emerged and nodded at Gabriel. "Dad's on board."

Gabriel's eyes widened. "How did you manage that?"

Peeking inside, he caught sight of Nolan wiping away tears.

Meeting Gabriel's eyes, Nolan appeared slightly sheepish and gestured with his hand. "I'll back Elisa up. If Howard steps out of line, I'll handle him myself."

Elisa blinked at Gabriel, reaching out her hand. "Gabriel, can I borrow your car for a bit?"

"Why's that?"

"I'm going to pop the question."

"No way."

"Gabriel, pretty please?" Elisa sweet-talked in a hushed tone. "And when I propose, he'll officially become part of the Ramos clan."

Gabriel hesitated briefly, and before he knew it, he had already handed over the car keys.

Elisa dashed out happily with the keys, making a beeline for the Brown Group building.

The receptionist immediately recognized Elisa and greeted her with excessive deference. "Mrs. Brown."

"Don't let Howard know."

The receptionist nodded in understanding.

Elisa quietly made her way upstairs, following the receptionist's directions to the meeting room. It was the time when Howard typically finished his meetings and took a moment to himself.

Feeling a twinge of nerves, Elisa clutched the roses tightly, psyched herself up, closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, pushed open the door, lifted the flowers, and boldly popped the question, "Howard, will you be my husband?"

The meeting room fell into an eerie silence.

Looking up, Elisa noticed a sea of shoes and faces staring back at her in shock.

Even the presenter on stage had paused mid-sentence.

All eyes turned to Howard, the president of the Brown Group, contemplating joining a family like the Ramos, a notion that seemed far-fetched, despite Mr. Brown's fondness for Elisa.

Their assumptions were quickly proven wrong.

Howard broke into a radiant smile, surprising everyone in the room.

Blushing, Elisa muttered, "I'll come back later."

But Howard halted her. "No need."

Turning to the stunned audience, he declared, "Meeting adjourned. Carry on with the previous agenda."

Moments ago, he was giving them a hard time.

As his staff filed past Elisa with hefty files, their admiration outweighed any hint of jealousy.

Once the meeting room cleared out, Howard gazed at Elisa with a smile that spoke volumes.

Clearing her throat, Elisa had mustered all her courage for that one proposal. Now, she found herself at a loss for words.

Howard rose from his seat, approached her with a grin, and quipped, "How much dowry should I bring?"

Enchanted by his smile, Elisa stuttered, "Shares in the Brown Group."

"You're easy to please?" Howard teased, leaning in. "The entire Brown family is at your disposal."

Dazed, she simply nodded.

It wasn't until they were in the car that Elisa shook off her daze. "So, did you say yes?"

Howard gave her a look as if she were missing the obvious. "Why else would we be here now?"

Perplexed, Elisa inquired, "Here for what?"

Half an hour later, she got her answer.

Facing the courthouse, Elisa hesitated before asking, "Does it have to be this quick?"

Howard wordlessly took her hand and led her inside.

In a matter of minutes, they completed the formalities, and Howard let out a relieved sigh as he glanced at the marriage certificate.

"Now you're stuck with me," he remarked.

"It all depends on your behavior," Elisa retorted, regaining her composure.

Word of Howard and Elisa's remarriage spread like wildfire.

People admired them individually and speculated about their upcoming wedding.

Within the Ramos family, Nolan and William found themselves in a heated debate.

"I say we have the wedding here in the country. There are so many beautiful venues. Aren't you worried we won't find a suitable one?" William, favoring tradition, believed in seeking blessings on familiar ground.

"No way. Howard's previous wedding was a disaster. Let's go overseas," Nolan argued adamantly.

Owen, joining the discussion, suggested, "Let's do both and let them decide."

After a brief consensus, they quickly resumed arguing over who would take charge.

Sitting in a corner, Elisa listened quietly to their lively debate and couldn't resist commenting, "They've got so much energy."

Gabriel chuckled. "They all want to give you the best, that's why they're all fired up."

Howard, playing the role of the compliant and respectful future son-in-law, leaned in to Elisa and said, "I'll go along with whatever you decide."

As night fell and the three parties failed to reach an agreement, they called a temporary truce and departed.

Before leaving, Owen pulled Nolan aside. "Elisa is willing to return. Treat her well, manage your family affairs wisely, and don't hurt her."

He glanced at Clea and Calista.

The expressions on the faces of these two women darkened as they discussed the wedding.

Nolan got the message. "Understood."

After bidding everyone farewell, Nolan approached Clea and got straight to the point. "I've bought property overseas. If you want, you can take Calista there in the future."

Clea's expression froze. She sensed the implied threat – misbehave, and she'd be sent away.

Feeling a mix of resentment and helplessness, she forced a smile. "Why would I ever want to leave you?"

A month later, the wedding proceeded as planned.

William hosted the local ceremony, and on the big day, screens across all cities displayed well-wishes.

Even passing advertising vehicles took turns broadcasting messages.

Observing the wedding car ads, Elisa remarked, "Now the whole country knows. If you ever stray, everyone will be cursing you."

Howard squeezed her hand, his usual calm demeanor slightly trembling. His voice husky with nerves, he vowed earnestly, "I'll make sure the whole world knows you're my one and only forever wife."

"Thank you for choosing me."

End.