Chapter 296: A Stolen Wife, an Irreconcilable Hatred

As they spoke, the others had already gathered around them.

The Leogryph darted right in front of them and placed its paw on their clasped hands.

“ROAR!” ‘We’re all one big happy family now!’

Yvonne Lowell ruffled its mane. “So *this* is what you two were secretly plotting in the back garden? Whose side are you on, anyway? Even you were keeping secrets from me?”

“ROAR!” ‘I don’t know! I don’t know anything! I’m just a cute widdle wion! What could I possibly know?’

‘Besides, didn’t you say it yourself? You said this guy is loaded. If we stick with him, I’ll have all the meat I can eat for the rest of my life.’

Mr. Grant craned his neck like a giraffe, trying to get a clear look at his dear son’s face. ‘Can’t let him be the only one embarrassing himself in front of everyone, can we?’

But to his disappointment, Yvonne Lowell had already wiped the tear stains from Leo Grant’s face.

In the dim light, you could only just make out that his eyes were still a bit glossy.

‘Damn it! So frustrating! I missed the perfect chance to make fun of my dear son!’

Wendy Sutton stepped forward and stroked her daughter’s hair, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

There was tenderness, a touch of reluctance, a wave of sentimentality, but most of all, there was joy.

In the end, she didn’t say much more, simply pointing to a small, four-inch cake.

“Go on and cut the cake. Leo made this small one for you himself.”

Beside it stood a massive, six-tiered cake, which was why Yvonne Lowell hadn’t even noticed the smaller one at first.

A flicker of surprise crossed Yvonne Lowell’s eyes. She looked to the man beside her, seeking confirmation.

A barely perceptible hint of bashfulness appeared on Leo Grant’s face as he gave a slight nod.

“Yes. It was my first time, so I couldn’t make a very big one. You can try it in a little while and tell me what you think.”

Hearing this, Nolan Crawford pursed his lips. ‘Was it that he *couldn’t* make a bigger one, or that he *wouldn’t*?’

‘He probably made the cake sized perfectly for Yvonne’s appetite. God forbid she have a single bite left over to share with anyone else, right?’

‘If he’s got such nerve, he shouldn’t have shoved that pile of failed cake attempts from the kitchen down our throats!’

With a smile, Yvonne Lowell stepped forward and served the large cake to everyone before taking the small one aside to share with Leo Grant.

Watching the lovebirds beside them feeding each other cake, everyone tactfully looked away.

It was too much to watch. Simply unbearable.

They felt like they were intruding.

Harrison Lowell bit down hard on his fork.

“Bro,” he said, “I still don’t feel right about this. When this party winds down, let’s go to Comet. We’ll call everyone and drink that guy into bankruptcy!”

Caleb Lowell’s expression was indescribable. ‘He was afraid they’d destroy their own stomachs long before they managed to drink Leo into bankruptcy.’

He shot him a cold glance. “I still have work to do. You go with the others.”

Harrison Lowell pouted and muttered under his breath, “Workaholic. Going back to work, even on a day like today.”

He then turned to round up the others for a night out. Bankruptcy or not, they at least had to go.

After all, he’d already thrown down the gauntlet. His plan might go sideways, but he couldn’t back down now.

When the party was finally over, everyone left Falling Valley Mountain Villa.

Only Leo Grant and Yvonne Lowell remained, planning to “tour” their new marital home.

Before everyone left, Yvonne Lowell called out to Caleb, “Big brother, tomorrow sounds good.”

“Alright. I’ll arrange it.”

Caleb understood her meaning and agreed at once.

…

Silas Lynch, having gotten the password to Leo Grant’s personal account, had just posted the photos as instructed. He also immediately had the official company account share the post.

Gossip blogs quickly caught wind of it and reposted the content verbatim; after all, none of them dared to alter it.

It quickly shot to the top of the trending topics, and the internet instantly erupted.

#PresidentGrant’sSuccessfulProposal #Viral

#LeoGrantI’llNeverForgiveYouForStealingMyWife! #Viral

#ARundownOfTheGrantLowellShip’sLoveStory #Viral

#TheFatedFeelingOfTheGrantLowellShip #Viral

[HOLY CRAP? NO WAY?! HE PROPOSED?!]

[Didn’t President Grant just post a picture of them yesterday? He sure knows how to keep a secret…]

[I could handle the big-shot president I knew turning into a romance blogger, but now the romance blogger is saying he successfully proposed?! And he proposed to MY girl?!]

[How long have they even been dating? Sis, what are you thinking! How could you let him get his way so fast!!]

[Haha, haha, haha, my wifey is about to get married, but the groom isn’t me, haha…]

[I’ll say it again: LEO GRANT, I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR STEALING MY WIFE!!!]

[But these pictures are so well-shot, especially the first one. It just gives off this fated, meant-to-be vibe, you know?!]

[YES! I was about to say that! The photographer did an amazing job. She looks like a goddess descending from the heavens!]

[You can tell from the decorations that President Grant spent a ton of money and effort. And even though our girl isn’t short on cash herself, he doesn’t just have a lot of money to give her—he has a lot of love, too.]

[All I can see is that massive diamond ring, the size of a quail’s egg! I wonder if I could afford it if I sold myself…]

[Waaah, the comment above, I didn’t even notice until you said it… She didn’t let him put the ring on right away; she kissed him first… She’s so in love, I’m crying…]

[Oh, get lost! Take your sappy romance-addled brain somewhere else! [Fires blindly]]

[I respect it, I wish them well, I understand it… but I do not accept it! I’m the one who should be by her side at night!]

[Hehe, speaking of who’s by her side at night… don’t you all think that when those two get together, the bed’s gonna collapse? [Drool]]

[A person of culture! I’ve been thinking that since I first saw them together on that reality show! Any fanfic writers out there? Get those keyboards fired up!!]

[Huh? I don’t think so. They’re so rich, their bed must be really high-quality. How could it collapse?]

[Are you the sappy one I was just talking about? My bad, kiddo, I take it back… Turns out you don’t have a romance-addled brain, you’re just an actual child!]

[Hey, phone algorithm, can you sort your channels out? One second it’s the kids’ channel, the next it’s the revenge channel, then the congratulatory channel. You think I can keep up with all this whiplash?]

…

「In a high-end bachelor apartment.」

A man stared at the trending topic on his phone, his face a mask of bone-chilling frost.

He suddenly exploded, hurling his phone against the wall. With a furious sweep of his arm, he sent everything on his desk crashing to the floor.

“Happy? By what right?! What right do you have to be happy?! You don’t deserve it!! You’re supposed to be like me—scum that has to hide in the shadows forever!!”

“Our lives were supposed to be the same! You have no right to have a better life than me! You didn’t before, and you certainly don’t now!”

A thought seemed to strike him. The man strode to a cabinet, pulled open a drawer, and stared at its contents.

He suddenly burst out laughing, his face twisting into a sinister grin. He looked like a madman who had lost all reason.

“Why did you have to show up? Wouldn’t it have been better to just let me go on thinking you were dead?”

“I didn’t want to have to use this so soon, but you’re forcing my hand. So don’t blame me. Let’s all go to Hell together! And we’ll take everyone you love with us. At least then we’ll have some company on the road…”