“Ladies and gentlemen,” Grace’s father began, his deep voice easily carrying over the now-quiet crowd, “thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate this special occasion with us.”Every guest turned their full attention to him, their conversations halting in the moment.“Tonight, we aren’t just here to enjoy good food and fine company,” he continued, glancing lovingly at his wife, “we are here to celebrate my beautiful wife, the woman who has been my partner, my strength, and my heart for so many years.”Soft murmurs of admiration rippled through the crowd as Grace’s mother blushed, clearly touched by her husband’s words.“She has stood by me through every challenge, every joy, and every triumph. Without her, none of this would have been possible. I wouldn’t be the man I’ve become today.” He raised his glass a little higher, emotion and love evident in his eyes. “To the love of my life. May we continue to walk through this world hand in hand, for as long as we have.”The crowd e
“No, no,” Zhang interrupted smoothly, making her hand pause in its tracks. “Please, open it now. I insist.” The crowd went silent, and Grace’s mother furrowed her eyebrows. She looked up to her husband, who gave her the go-ahead to open it with a nod. She hesitated before carefully undoing the elegant wrapping. As she lifted the lid of the box, a gasp escaped the lips of everyone in the hall. Inside the box lay a dazzling deep red ruby, perfectly cut and gleaming under the chandelier light. It was clearly an antique, worth a fortune, with a beauty that could rival diamonds. “Wow,” Grace's mother’s lips formed an ‘o’ shape as she stared at the ruby in wonder. “Yes, wow.” Zhang’s voice boomed once again. “This, dear sister-in-law, is a rare ruby from the Ming dynasty, a family heirloom passed down through generations until they all died out. Its worth exceeds millions of dollars.” At this point, he cast a mocking side glance at Gerald before adding with a cruel smile, “Certainly
“My name is Dr. Li. I am a leading expert in antiques, specializing in historical artifacts.” He swept his gaze over the crowd, making sure he had their full attention. “And what this young man has presented before you is not some ‘dusty old watch.’ This is a treasure.”The crowd was in disbelief, whispering amongst themselves. Zhang and Chang furrowed their brows, wondering who this man was.“What are you talking about?” Zhang demanded, the smirk on his face faltering.Dr. Li glanced at him, then ignored him, focusing his entire attention on the watch in Gerald's hands. “This timepiece,” he began, his voice growing with excitement at each word, “is none other than the first watch ever made in the world. It once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte himself, who gifted it to his mistress! This, my friends, is a piece of history.”Silence. Then a collective gasp spread through the crowd. Grace's parents, who had just moments ago been ready to send Gerald out, were left speechless, their anger
Gerald nodded at Mr. Li with a respectful smile before turning towards Grace’s mother. The crowd was still buzzing with excitement and disbelief at the turn of events. When Gerald began to walk to the podium, they parted, giving him space as he made his way, walking with slow, confident strides.Grace’s mother stood still as she watched the man she had underestimated countless times. She began to wonder where Grace had found such a mysterious man, trying to wrap her head around who Gerald actually was.As Gerald approached, he gave her a respectful nod and carefully retrieved the timepiece. The bronze of the watch shone under the light of the chandeliers as he held it out to her.“This,” Gerald began, his voice calm, as if he hadn’t been the one ridiculed moments ago, “is for you, as a token of respect and appreciation. I hope it finds a worthy place in your collection.”Grace’s mother, still taken aback by the man before her, hesitated for a moment.“Take it, mother-in-law. This is a
"Do it, son." Zhang nodded at Chang, who smirked and stepped forward to face the crowd. The room went still, eager for another dose of chaos on this already eventful night.“Ladies and gentlemen,” Chang began with a calm voice, as if he wasn't the one embarrassed alongside his father just minutes ago. “There are things you need to know about the man my cousin has chosen as her fiancé.”Gerald's eyes narrowed. What were they up to now? What had they dug up about him? He glanced at Grace, who looked back at him with an equally confused expression, wondering what tricks they had up their sleeves this time.“You see…” Chang paced slowly, letting the tension build. “My cousin Grace has been deceived and lied to. She has allowed love to cloud her sense of judgment. She is unable to see the truth about the man she's chosen to spend her life with.”Murmurs rippled through the crowd, their attention fixed on Chang's every word. Chang paused, basking in the power he held over the room, before t
Grace stood tall, addressing Zhang and Chang. She had to defend herself. She wouldn't allow them to trample on her and take the CEO position. It was hers and hers alone.“Crossed a line?” Zhang scoffed.“Yes, you have,” Grace responded sharply. “You're using my personal life to undermine my professional capabilities. But let me remind you and everyone in this room that I didn’t get to where I am because of favors or my name alone. I earned my position as CEO through hard work, smart investments, and bold decisions.”Chang smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.“He talks about me not being worthy of the title of CEO,” Grace said, turning to face the crowd as her voice rose with authority. “Let’s talk about results, shall we? Chang had his chance to run the business before. He knows exactly what happened during his leadership—loss after loss. One of the darkest and most embarrassing times for the Zhao company. We were on the brink of financial collapse when Grandfather appointed me.
He felt a part of him empty judging from the way Ethan smiles at grace. He has intended to take her over but had to respect her parents wish. This man had a feeling something was wrong. Grace swallows hard as she took a glimpse at Gerald. Shouldn't he be with her rather than standing back? Chang scruntized him, he tried not to think anything negative if perhaps he has done a wrong thing in accepting this young man. To be sincere, chang was having a conflicting feeling about Gerald, mostly the part that Ethan has told him everything he needed to know. Grace folded her lips in disappointment as Gerald paced back to their room. Shouldn't he at least say something when Ethan offers to take her to the company. Annoyingly and not wanting to waste much time, she hurried towards the garage with Ethan. She didn't even say her goodbye to her family as she was pained by Gerald's reluctant act. Sitting in the car, Ethan attempted to say a word. He knew grace was a tough lady to try and s
Those words strucks her heart as she was heartbroken by their words but never showed it. Does that mean men always has the upper hand?How does her gender have anything to do with this? Their words were taunting and the only person she wishes to see at that moment wasn't even there for her!It hurts she must say, putting her trust in someone that only cares about himself.To a point, she was beginning to accept Ethan's words. Maybe she was just scared of learning the truth. Maybe her heart wasn't ready to accept the truth of who he might truly be.That's why she rebuked Ethan hastily.At a corner stood Fiona enjoying every bit of the show. Of course, she wasn't settled for the fact that this woman dragged her out of the house.Furthermore, Gerald was hers and no one would take him away."Did you and your criminal boyfriend plot this?" Another threw a question and she returned a glare.The florescent lights from their cameras were blinding and she felt like suffocating. A quick memory