Chapter 248 Let Edith Marry You
Alexander's expression darkened instantly.
"If the Hamilton family insists on marrying into the Neville family," Isabella said, suddenly glancing toward the staircase, "Edith would be just as suitable."
She raised her voice and called out, "Edith, come down."
After a brief sound of footsteps, Edith slowly made her way down the stairs.
"Mom."
She walked over to Isabella's side, but couldn't help stealing a glance at Alexander, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
"The Hamilton family has officially proposed a marriage arrangement," Isabella said.
"Are you willing?"
Edith lowered her gaze, her voice dropping to barely a whisper. "Mom... how could I possibly be the one to say something like that..."
She protested, but her eyes kept drifting toward Alexander, and the flush on her face betrayed exactly how she felt.
But Alexander's voice suddenly turned cold. "Mrs. Neville, I think you've misunderstood something."
He stepped forward, placing himself between Isabella and Caroline.
"I made it very clear from the start—Caroline is the one I want. That hasn't changed, and it won't."
Isabella's expression visibly faltered.
"As for this so-called arrangement you're referring to," Alexander's tone dropped even colder, "Caroline never agreed to marry Alan. You have no right to decide her life for her."
"I'm her mother!" Isabella's voice shot up sharply. "I gave birth to her and raised her. Of course her marriage is mine to decide!"
Alexander looked at her with icy calm. "So you're saying Mr. Neville is fully aware of this supposed engagement?"
With a hint of mockery, he pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and set it on the coffee table.
"Mr. Neville, please take a look at this."
On the screen was a file—detailed and impossible to argue with.
"Alan Simmons, the youngest son of the Simmons family, is ten years older than Caroline. He has a psychiatric history—diagnosed with bipolar disorder and violent tendencies—along with a sex addiction and a record of serious boundary violations. His personal life is a disaster. Scandals in both Grandhaven and Larywood have been quietly buried, and some people have even been seriously hurt because of him."
Alexander's gaze fell on Isabella like the edge of a blade.
"You were willing to hand Caroline over to him simply because the Simmons family, desperate to find him a wife, put a billion dollars on the table. You were using your own daughter as a bargaining chip."
Isabella's face drained of color.
"You... how do you know all this..."
"I have my own sources," Alexander said flatly.
"And I also know that even though Alan has had a terrible reputation in certain circles for a long time, that billion dollars has kept people lining up—some from very prominent families, even volunteering themselves. The Simmons family is still making their pick. This so-called engagement was never actually finalized."
Caroline stared at Isabella, stunned.
She had always known Isabella was cold toward her, and she knew Alan was far from a good match.
But she never imagined her own mother would push her toward something this dangerous.
A man with a psychiatric history, violent tendencies, addiction issues, and a documented record of disturbing behavior...
"Mom?" Caroline could barely get the words out. "How could you make a decision like that?"
Damon's face had gone ashen.
He turned sharply, glaring at Isabella.
"Isabella! You were actually going to use Caroline's marriage as a business deal?!"
"I... I never took any money!" Isabella instinctively stepped back.
"I just... I just thought I could put in a good word..."
"A good word?!" Mr. Neville shot to his feet.
"If you'd already decided to send Caroline into that marriage, didn't you bother to do any background check? You knew everything, and you were still going to hand her over to someone like that?!"
"I was doing it for the Neville family!" Isabella's voice rose just as sharply.
"Your business has been falling apart for years. Do you have any idea how bad our finances really are? All the Neville family has left is a title. The Simmons family is offering a billion dollars. That money could save us. How can you not see that?!"
"That is absolutely outrageous!" Damon slammed his hand down on the coffee table.
"Even if I went completely broke, even if I had nowhere left to turn, I would never trade my daughter for anything!"
"Dad..." Caroline's eyes were already filling with tears.
Edith stood to the side, watching the two of them fight. Finally she spoke up. "Mom, Dad, please stop—let's talk about this rationally. Alexander is still here. It's embarrassing to let him see all of this..."
She then turned to Caroline. "Caroline, if you really didn't want to marry Alan, why didn't you tell Mom sooner? It's because things got out of hand that Mom and Dad are fighting like this now."
Caroline stared at Edith as if seeing her for the first time—this sister she had always thought of as warm and cheerful.
Hadn't she made it clear she didn't want to marry Alan?
And just the other day, Edith had been right there helping to talk Isabella around. So why had she suddenly turned on her?
For the first time, Caroline realized she might never have truly known Edith at all.
"That's enough."
Alexander's low, steady voice cut through everything.
The room went quiet.
He reached out and pulled Caroline to his side, taking her hand in his.
"The facts are clear. Whatever Mrs. Neville may have been planning, I'm saying this now, in front of everyone: I am going to marry Caroline. No one has any say in that."
He raised their joined hands so the ring was clearly visible to Isabella.
"There's one more thing I should mention, Mrs. Neville."
Alexander's tone was calm, almost gentle—yet it sent a chill down Isabella's spine.
"One hour ago, the Hamilton Group's official website published a formal announcement of my engagement to Caroline."
Isabella's eyes went wide.
"If you insist on breaking this off," Alexander said with a quiet smile, "you'd better make sure the Neville family can handle what comes next."
Isabella sank back into the sofa.
The Neville family had a long history behind them, but as new money rose to power in Grandhaven, all they had left was their title. Years of poor management had cost them the confidence of most of their business partners, who only kept ties out of old loyalty.
The Hamilton family, whatever their origins, no longer had to prove anything in today's world. No one cared about that kind of background anymore. If they were to cross the Hamiltons, the Nevilles simply would not survive what followed.