CHAPTER 220: CHAPTER 220: SERENA, LET’S GET ENGAGED

Serena stared blankly at the ring.

Silas Hawthorne had unknowingly arrived behind her.

"Do you like it?" His voice came from behind.

Serena looked up at him and all she saw in his eyes was her reflection.

He took the ring in his hand and extended his large palm, waiting for her to place her hand in his.

"Let me take care of you, okay?" he said, his voice broadcasted by the drone hovering near.

He knelt on one knee, looking up at her.

"Serena, let’s get engaged." His voice was clear.

He had thought about directly asking her to marry him but felt that a formal proposal required a grander, more special ceremony.

Although generally, a proposal comes before the engagement.

But their situation was somewhat unique.

They both knew that an engagement didn’t necessarily mean marriage.

This was their prior agreement.

Yet, it was a step beyond just being a couple.

And also...

Silas looked at the slightly red eyes of Serena.

He truly, truly wanted to take care of her.

He didn’t want to see her upset, wanted to protect her well.

"Serena!" Julian Lawson’s roar came from that side.

But Serena didn’t look towards Julian at all, she only lowered her eyes to look at Silas.

"Are you really sure?" Serena said, her heart pounding, her eyes warm.

"I was sure many years ago." He said.

Their gazes met, and Serena remembered that day on the hot air balloon, in the studio, what he had shown her, what he had told her.

That day, before coming out of Hawthorne Group, he watched her play with the cat in her arms and softly said, "Serena, don’t worry about holding me back, don’t worry about causing me trouble, with me, you can be yourself completely."

Serena looked at Silas; he indeed kept his word.

He had said that he could differentiate clearly between his beloved and those he owed gratitude to, and that he loved her for the person she had become, not for past gratitude.

But he also made it clear to her that without her initial help, he wouldn’t be who he is today.

Just to give her peace of mind.

He did many things, all for her.

On the other side, Julian was still struggling, and the people he called had already arrived, pushing against each other.

The crowd was frantically taking pictures and discussing.

The sunshine was dazzling, and in Silas’s eyes, it was all about her.

She was at the center of everything.

"Serena." Silas noticed her distraction and gently reminded, "Give me a chance to take care of you, okay?"

Serena snapped back to reality, smiled slightly, and then nodded.

"Okay." Serena said, with moisture in the corners of her eyes.

Then she placed her hand in his palm.

The drone broadcasted everything, and cheers erupted from the crowd.

And Silas held her hand tightly.

He slipped the ring onto her finger.

It was a blue diamond ring, dazzling in the sunlight, perfectly matching the pendant she wore around her neck.

He understood her.

He knew there were many important things in her life, like her father’s death, Seraphina, the Sheridan Family.

His priority would not come first.

But he understood her, supported her, and comprehended her.

Silas stood up, his right hand tightly grasping her ring-adorned left hand.

Julian finally arrived there.

He looked at their tightly held hands and the ring on her finger.

The sunshine was great, but he felt as if there was no warmth on him.

Very cold.

"Serena." He called her name with reddened eyes.

But she said nothing, only tightened her grip on Silas’s hand.

He wanted to say something more, but she just gazed at him.

Everything that needed to be said had already been said.

"Go back." She said, "Julian Lawson, we both already have our own loved ones."

"The road goes forward, life must look ahead."

"Don’t let loved ones grieve like before."

This was her final advice beyond which they had nothing more to say.

Julian wanted to say more, but the other people from the Hawthorne Group came to stop him.

Serena smiled, raised her eyes to look at Silas beside her, and the two held hands tightly, leaving down another path.

Julian could only watch them walk away hand in hand from afar.

The sunlight reflected on her engagement ring, its glare piercing his eyes.

Julian suddenly remembered...

He seemed never to have proposed to her properly.

No meticulously prepared ring, no proposal ceremony, no flowers, no kneeling on one knee, not even...

He never asked her if she was willing.

Back then, he just bought a pair of rings from a jewelry store in a mall, slipped one onto her finger, and considered it a proposal.

Serena and Silas had already left the sunflower field, and the Hawthorne people no longer blocked him.

Julian stood there alone, looking at the large photo frame nearby.

He reached out, touching Serena’s smiling face.

In the photo, she smiled so happily.

It seemed he hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time.

Lowering his gaze, he saw a picture of Raine by the riverside.

He recognized it from many years ago in Zetania.

"So, you’ve had your eyes on her for that long?" Julian thought.

"Ha..."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Silas Hawthorne, you really were scheming from the start."

In his mind was the echo of Serena’s words just said — "The road goes forward, life must look ahead. Don’t let loved ones grieve like before."

The sun was shining, but Julian felt like his heart was in the rain.

But the person he loved was always her, so how could he... move forward?

"Julian!" Ian Yates’s voice came from afar outside the sunflower field.

"I brought people and a car!" Ian Yates shouted loudly, "Shall we chase?"

Julian withdrew his gaze, walked to Ian Yates’s car, opened the door, and got in.

"Chase!" Julian said.

...

On the Hawthorne side, although the people at the center of the topic quickly left, the topic they left behind was endless.

"Silas Hawthorne successfully proposed!"

"Serena and Silas Hawthorne are getting engaged!"

This news swept across all platforms.

Previously rumors about Silas Hawthorne regretting pursuing Serena were utterly shattered!

He loved her; he truly, deeply loved her.

And showed it through his actions.

Because this experience center was akin to a showcase, everyone wanted to see it.

Once they saw, some would be moved to buy, especially since the new designs were excellent, the Hawthorne quality was always good, and with the venue and little stories as an added bonus, sales skyrocketed.

Especially those who entered in the second wave, they wanted to see the two prop documents Serena had placed there.

But when they got there, they found those two prop documents had transformed into shimmering gemstone sculptures.

Carved onto it was a golden dragon crouching, its claws, body, and huge wings carefully guarding something.

The crowd leaned closer to see the treasure protected by the dragon.

It was a single tear.

A lover’s tear.

As everyone speculated about the meaning, another little rumor spread.

"I heard Secretary Chaucer under Julian Lawson forced his way into The Hillside Villa, cutting off Vera Hansen’s broadcast."

"Many people saw it, there was a crowd at the door!"

"So, did Vera Hansen go in and film without permission?!"