Amelia was aware of Emily’s identity but had kept it from Kevin, leaving him with a sense of loss. Eric finally saw through the situation that night when the woman was desperately claiming her best friend had betrayed her, referring to the two of them.
The lady in the white dress seemed tough, and his own companion, a tomboyish woman, hardly a match for someone so cunning. Unsure of his feelings, Eric wrapped his arm around Emily’s waist and cheerfully introduced himself, “I’m Emily’s boyfriend, Eric Montgomery. You must be friends of my Emily, right?”
His sudden cooperation surprised Emily, especially when he called her name with such a magnetic voice that it almost melted her heart. Amelia and Kevin looked visibly upset; Eric’s appearance and stature were far superior to Kevin’s.
Especially since Eric mentioned his last name, Montgomery, which connected him to the prestigious Montgomery family, a status far above Kevin’s. Amelia’s frustration was palpable, having schemed so hard to catch a man who now seemed inferior to Emily’s catch.
“Wow, Emily, just a few days apart and you’ve already found a new boyfriend? You move fast.”
“Fast? I think it’s slow, certainly slower than you two, dear. Suddenly, I find them quite an eyesore, let’s go over there,” Emily said, feeling triumphant after her successful jab. Eric, playing the part of a perfect and considerate lover, escorted her away. Although it was just an act, Emily’s heart raced with his touch-a sensation she never felt with Kevin, who had always been just a buddy to her.
Behind them, they faintly heard Kevin’s voice, “She’s a daughter of the Langdon family, you knew that already, didn’t you?”
“So what if I knew? You never asked me,” Amelia retorted coldly, still upset about Emily finding such a fine man.
As Eric and Emily moved out of sight, he planned to let go of her, but just then, Aurora was spotted nearby. He quickly released Emily, causing her some disappointment, “Is she your girlfriend?”
Eric did not answer but walked towards Aurora, who stood alone without Julian.
“Aurora, look… she and I are nothing,” Eric struggled to explain.
He had no real connection with Aurora but didn’t want her to misunderstand him as a womanizer. He was about to say that Julian had drugged him, leading to an unintended entanglement with this woman, and now she needed his help again.
Before he could finish, Aurora interrupted, “We have nothing between us, you don’t need to explain anything, Eric. I think this girl suits you well, treat her nicely.”
Aurora had noticed this unusual girl before, who seemed uncomfortable in high heels and had quietly sat in a corner earlier. Her walk was unsteady, supported by nearby objects, her large eyes lively, always looking for something tasty.
Aurora had clearly seen the scene Eric and Emily had staged. When Eric embraced Emily to leave, the woman’s cheeks were flushed, clearly touched. Indeed, this girl and Eric seemed very well matched.
She still hoped that Eric would give up on her and find a girl truly suited for him, like the girl in front of them, at least that was Aurora’s first impression.
“Aurora, you know my heart belongs only to you,” Eric’s voice came softly.
“Eric, then you should also know that my heart doesn’t belong to you, but to him. Let go,” she said without another glance, turning away to leave.
The crowd in the hall was growing, and suddenly, the music shifted to a very romantic piano piece. It was not unusual for the music to change, but suddenly the chandelier overhead began to unfold bit by bit.
Rose petals fell from above, fluttering through the dimly lit hall, “Wow, look at the roses!”
“Where are these petals coming from?”
“And there are bubbles too!”
As the rose petals danced in the air, Aurora caught one, wondering if it was her imagination, but it seemed the rose did not smell of roses but rather of a perfume she often wore.
Bubble machines around the room started to fill the area with bubbles, mixing with the rose petals. Aurora then noticed that the flowers arranged around the hall were also her favorites, like hydrangeas and lilies. Amid everyone’s surprise, the lights overhead went out, plunging the hall into brief darkness.
Before panic could set in, the floor lit up beneath them; it wasn’t tiles but transparent glass. This was a special feature of the hotel, well-known to those who had visited before, though nothing extraordinary. However, today, the glass beneath and around them was filled with jellyfish.
As the lights inside changed to romantic hues, everyone mused that Oswaldo’s birthday was turning out to be more festive than some weddings.
Many children happily lay on the ground, trying to touch the jellyfish, when suddenly all the jellyfish converged beneath Aurora, slowly forming a heart shape.
“Someone’s coming down!”
someone shouted.
All eyes turned upward, just to see a man descending amidst the rose petals and bubbles, landing next to Aurora and kneeling on one knee.
“Aurora, marry me.”
The moment was so sudden and the scene so beautiful that Aurora was momentarily speechless.
Julian had already proposed to her once, and although she didn’t always wear the engagement ring, it was always in her heart as a symbol of their engagement. She had given him her heart long ago; everything else was just a process and ceremony. She could never have imagined that Julian would prepare such a unique proposal for her.
“Marry him, marry him!”
the crowd began to chant, moved by the enchanting scene. Every woman wished to be the protagonist of such a romantic proposal.
In a long, trailing white dress, Aurora appeared ethereal in the Luminary, her feet surrounded by colorful lights that made her seem like a dream, utterly enchanting.