CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 88: HE’S GOING TO PROPOSE?

The next evening, the Sterling Family’s residence was resplendent with lights.

Vivi Sterling’s birthday party was held with great grandeur, inviting over a hundred outstanding young talents from various fields.

As Vivi Sterling and Stella Grant held hands and slowly descended the spiral staircase, the entire hall fell silent.

Under the lights, the two of them were like two dazzling pearls, radiant and captivating.

Only then did everyone realize that the Sterling Family had a young lady who followed Mrs. Sterling’s surname, Grant, and was an adopted daughter of the Sterlings.

Moreover, she was so beautiful!

In the center of the crowd, Damian Hawthorne, in a black suit, stood tall as he raised his phone towards the direction of the staircase.

In the lens, Stella Grant wore a light blue cocktail dress, her delicate features and serene demeanor perfectly complementing Vivi Sterling’s vibrant and radiant presence.

He smirked, casually sharing the video in their small group chat.

[Damian Hawthorne: Look, the princesses of the Sterling Family.]

[Damian Hawthorne: Enchanting, right?]

The chat exploded instantly, and everyone started tagging Aiden Fordham and Abraham Grant.

Neither the Fordham Family nor the Grant Family were on the guest list for this grand event, which only heightened the fervor of the discussion in the group chat.

Aiden Fordham had just finished an international meeting and, upon opening the group chat, immediately noticed the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the video.

It was Stella Grant.

She looked stunning today, so much so that it struck him to his core.

Today, he was determined to take this little woman home!

Aiden Fordham grabbed his coat, his eyes dark and intense, and drove directly to Stellaria Restaurant.

Inside the banquet hall.

Damian Hawthorne’s gaze unconsciously followed the petite figure lingering in the dessert area.

Claire Norton, like a little hamster, held a small piece of cake, taking tiny bites, her eyes curved in satisfaction.

Watching her, Damian Hawthorne felt inexplicably uplifted.

She was very pretty, her smile radiant, but unfortunately... she couldn’t speak.

Just then, a man with slicked-back hair suddenly blocked Claire Norton, pointing to an indiscernible stain on his suit, loudly accusing her of accidentally dirtying his clothes, his attitude arrogant.

Claire Norton was a bit flustered, her face pale, only able to wave her hand, uttering an anxious "ah-ah" sound.

Damian Hawthorne frowned, his long legs striding forward, and pulled Claire Norton behind him.

He cast a cold glance at the man, signaling the bodyguards beside him.

"Throw him out."

The man still wanted to shout but was already being dragged away by two bodyguards.

Claire Norton tugged at Damian Hawthorne’s sleeve, pointing to the door, then at him, and made a gesture of gratitude with her hands, still making the "ah-ah" sound.

Damian Hawthorne watched her eager gestures, chuckling softly.

He was about to speak when Claire Norton turned to pick up a pink macaron from the dessert table, offering it to him, hinting for him to eat.

Damian Hawthorne raised an eyebrow, "I don’t eat sweets."

Unyielding, Claire Norton stood on tiptoe, insistently shoving the delicate macaron into his mouth.

The sweet taste melted in his mouth.

Damian Hawthorne was slightly taken aback but then started chewing helplessly as he looked into her triumphant, glittering eyes.

In another part of the scene,

Stellaria Restaurant, having opened today, already made headlines in Meritopia.

Located in the golden area of downtown where every inch of land was worth gold, it was outrageously lavish.

A standalone three-story circular building covering 5000 square meters, with its ivory-white exterior gleaming warmly under the lights, its design sleek and grand.

Even before approaching, one could smell the faint floral scent wafting through the air,

It was more than just a restaurant; it was a meticulously crafted garden palace, with unique swing chairs, moonlit fountains, heart-shaped crystal lamps visible everywhere...

The real highlight was on the third floor, where the mere sight of it made people unconsciously hold their breath.

Astounding.

Looking up, the entire ceiling was crafted into a deep, realistic starry sky.

Not the cheap kind of lighting effect, but a dynamic scene where you could see nebulae flowing, constellations shifting.

Profound, vast, indescribably beautiful.

At the center was a specially designed small, exquisite round stage, not large, but enough to capture all attention.

The sides of the stage were surrounded by fresh bouquets of white, pink, champagne-colored roses, and lisianthus, layered and fragrant, filling the air with a rich sweet scent.

The sole entrance to the stage was an enormous moon-shaped archway.

The archway shimmered with a pearl-like soft sheen, its edges embedded with tiny crystals, sparkling brilliantly under the starry sky ceiling.

The design was beautiful and romantic.

Clearly meticulously prepared for some significant occasion.

A proposal?

It had to be.

This feel, this craftsmanship, this taste, this level of extravagance...

The extreme romance built with money could indeed be this direct, this heart-stirring.

Most of the guests dining were drawn to the third floor.

"Wow, is someone proposing?"

"It’s so grand! How much effort must have gone into this?"

"I heard Stellaria Restaurant was funded by President Fordham. Whoever can have the first proposal here must be wealthy or noble."

The crowd gathered outside the caution tape, chattering, their curiosity piqued.

Suddenly, the starry ceiling, like a battleship in Star Wars, was split into hexagonal sections, then slowly opened, revealing the real sky, the night breeze pouring in, followed by a fleet of drones performing a technologically advanced light show above.

Everyone was stunned!

Shortly after, a server respectfully led a woman onto the small stage.

She came from the other side via a VIP passage, dressed in a pink-purple strapless gown, outlining her graceful figure.

She faced away from the crowd, looking up at the drone show in the sky ahead.

At this moment, Stella Grant also rushed up breathlessly.

She squeezed into the crowd, and seeing the meticulously arranged scene before her, couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

The scene was too beautiful.

She believed no woman could resist such a romantic gesture.

Rewinding time to half an hour ago, in the Sterling Family’s banquet hall.

Stella Grant was eating cake with Vivi Sterling when Damian Hawthorne approached, casually handing her a folded note.

Curious, Stella Grant opened it.

It bore the familiar and sharp handwriting of Aiden Fordham:

[9 PM, Stellaria Restaurant. If you want a divorce, come have this farewell dinner with me. Otherwise, I guarantee you’ll never escape the Fordham Family in this lifetime.]

"Bang!"

Stella Grant felt her blood pressure skyrocket instantly!

Aiden Fordham, that bastard!

Trembling with anger, she found an excuse, not even changing her clothes, and ran out immediately.

She took a cab to Stellaria Restaurant, only to find everyone heading to the third floor.

Hearing people nearby say, "It’s so beautiful upstairs! Someone’s proposing!"

She followed the crowd up.

Returning to the present.

Just as everyone was eagerly anticipating, a commotion erupted at the restaurant entrance.

Aiden Fordham emerged.

He was dressed in a well-tailored white suit, holding a large bouquet of white lilies symbolizing pure love, looking divinely handsome.

His gaze unwaveringly landed on the figure in the pink-purple gown at the center of the stage.

He was very familiar with that gown; he had seen her in it in the group chat before, and she had looked breathtakingly beautiful in it.

His heart raced uncontrollably, a confident and determined smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

The scene instantly erupted into loud exclamations!

"My God! It’s Aiden Fordham! Magnate Fordham!"

"So, the one planning to propose is President Fordham?!"

"Who’s the leading lady? Could it be Best Actress Kensington?!"

"This is too romantic! A real-life prince and princess!"

"I heard a long time ago, this Stellaria Restaurant was specially built by Magnate Fordham as a token of love for Best Actress Kensington, which is why it’s called ’Stellaria’!"

The media journalists who were already in position were instantly excited, their cameras and equipment all aimed at Aiden Fordham, with numerous viewers flooding the live streams on major platforms.

Stella Grant stood amidst the crowd, watching the scene unfold in a daze.

Aiden Fordham... he’s going to... propose?

Her mind went blank with a buzz!