A solemn look crossed Kolten's face, and he replied, "That's right! The only way the Stone family can be accepted into the Connoisseurs is if Ms. Celena Stone signs the agreement on behalf of all of you!"Reginald's expression darkened at this. Just a few minutes ago, he and the rest of the Stones had been considering banishing Celena and Liam from their family, and now Kolten had shown up with such a request! Reginald did not know what to do about this. He turned to glance at the rest of his family, and finally, his gaze landed on Yafe, who had his brows furrowed in deep contemplation. Yafe considered this for a moment, then inched closer to his father and whispered, "Why don't we just say yes first? After all, to be invited to join the Connoisseurs is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We can do something about Liam and Celena in the future! What's most important is to grab the opportunity now before it slips away! Everything else can wait!"Reginald nodded in agreement, and then
With that, Reginald and the entire Stone family, including Yafe, Walter, Hayden and their respective families, rushed to the hospital.At that moment, Liam had already tucked Jovie into bed and was now sitting by Celena's bedside, talking to her. All of a sudden, the door flew open, and in rushed the entire Stone family, who soon filled every square inch of the floor space. Celena was alarmed to see everyone appear out of nowhere. She immediately sat up, clinging to the bed's railing for support. "Grandpa, Dad, Uncle Walter, Uncle Hayden, what are you all doing here?"Celena was so nervous by this that her forehead was now covered in beads of sweat, and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest. She was worried that her family were here to confront Liam and punish him!She glanced at Liam, who was busying himself by peeling an apple for her. She reached out to surreptitiously tug on his shirt, then whispered, "Liam, my grandfather is here…"Liam ignored her and minded his ow
Liam's tone was so harsh and hostile that everyone, Reginald included, scowled at this. However, at the thought of Kolten's request, Reginald tried his best to stifle his anger and instead forced out a sheepish smile. "Nothing in particular. We're all just worried about Celena and Jovie and decided to come visit them!"Liam raised his brows and scoffed. "How kind of you! Why would you take an interest in Celena and Jovie all of a sudden?""Enough!" Walter could not stand it anymore and pointed at Liam, seething with rage. "How dare you speak to us like this? My father is the head of the Stone family, and you're not allowed to speak to your elder this way!"He could not believe how rude and arrogant Liam was! Cheryl could not help but agree, her face etched with disdain as she added, "Uncle Walter is right! Look at this, everyone. Look how Liam treats us! He does not respect Grandpa or any of us! He thinks that just because he conquered the Hughes that it makes him a hero!"With t
Everyone sneered when they heard this and cast looks of contempt at Liam and Celena. Not only this, but Celena's expression darkened when she heard what Sherah said. However, she could not deny the truth; in Drunham City and Biskeland, a marriage without a wedding where their loved ones could bear witness to their union was not considered a proper marriage!Everyone began to murmur and whisper. "Sherah is right! Only Celena would be so naive as to devote herself to a man who's not even her proper husband! What a joke!""This is hilarious! What do you think they're considered, then, if not husband and wife? Are they still boyfriend and girlfriend or just two people who sleep with each other?""Of course! They had registered for their marriage without their parents' approval or the blessings of their friends and family, so it doesn't count even if they are legally married in the eyes of the law! Their marriage certificate is nothing more than a piece of paper with words on it!""They
Celena kept her head lowered, staring at her toes. Her bandaged fingers kept fumbling at the edge of her hospital gown nervously, her hair falling over her face and obscuring her expression.All of a sudden, a hand reached out to grab hers, the warmth surging through her skin and into every fiber of her body. Celena lifted her head and came face-to-face with Liam's soulful eyes. Her face was etched with disbelief and sorrow. The next moment, Liam turned to the crowd and said, "Listen up, everyone! Celena Stone is my wife, and I vow to protect her with my life! Do you honestly think I'd put up with your disrespect and rudeness if it weren't for the fact that you're her family? I will give her the wedding of her dreams! I'm going to make her the happiest, most beautiful bride in the entire country on the day of our wedding! I will make the entire city and country bear witness to our love!"The Stones all gazed at him in shock, and even Celena was staring at him in disbelief. The enti
All of a sudden, Jovie stirred from all the commotion and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing, Dad, Mom?"Celena's first instinct was to reach out and hold her, but she was so frail that a single step made her feel so dizzy that she needed to stop and hold her forehead to ease the discomfort. Liam immediately helped her sit back down on the bed and said, "Lie down, Celena. I'll get her instead."With that, he picked up Jovie in his arms, not forgetting to lightly pinch her cheeks, then brushed a finger against her nose playfully and said, "Mom and Dad were just talking about how adorable you are, Jovie. Dad is going to make you the prettiest princess this world has ever seen."Jovie was so delighted to hear this that she put her arms up in the air, crowing with glee. "Dad said I'm a princess!"The Stones were all staring at the three of them with expressions of disdain and amusement. Cheryl, on the other hand, shot Celena a cold look and scoffed. "I don't even kn
Cheryl looked triumphant at the sight of Celena's disappointment and defeat. She stepped forward with a stuck-up look and said, "You're just deluding yourself, Celena! What kind of majestic wedding do you think you and that b*stard can put on? It's going to be nothing more than two candles and a table full of cheap food! We Stones are one of the most prestigious families in Drunham City, so don't expect us to show up at such a lowly event!"With that, Cheryl paused, lifting her chin haughtily, and continued, "Let me tell you this, Celena; I'm going to be marrying the heir of Abbott Group, Wasyl Abbott, next month, and you'll get to see what a truly extravagant wedding is like! This will teach you that you should keep your eyes peeled when choosing a husband, and not settle for a good-for-nothing like Liam!" The rest of the Stones all froze for a moment, then erupted into cheers and applause. "Cheryl, you're getting married to Wasyl?""He proposed to you?""That's splendid news! Ch
Besides, with the Abbott family's clout, they were pulling out all the stops for their bash, roping in Drunham City's elite and big businesses and even reserving the city's three TV stations to broadcast the wedding live all day. That kind of show takes deep pockets and a towering reputation, two things Celena just did not have, and Liam? Even less so.Liam had blown through his entire military severance on Celena's new ride!Hearing Cheryl's spiel, Celena's confidence shriveled. She hung her head, cheeks burning with embarrassment, and murmured, "Cheryl, congrats on your engagement to the Abbott heir. I'm... I'm just not in your league..."While Celena was desperately searching for the right words, Liam yanked her aside, stepped up like a shield, and gave Cheryl, a proud peacock beside the venerable Reginald, a frosty stare."You want to throw down the gauntlet? Fine, let's do this! You're asking for it, so we'll take you up on that challenge. Our wedding, Celena's and mine, is on