When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him

Chapter 1932 I Hope You Will Reject Me

That struck a nerve. Miranda knew all too well how strict her uncle and aunt were. If they found out their son had blown the equivalent of an entire project's budget- eighty million on a necklace just to impress a girl, they'd be livid.

Her fists clenched. "Don't call home. I'll cover the difference."

Allen gave her a slow, easy smile. "Thanks, Miranda."

Miranda was frustrated. She doubted he'd repay her.

All she could do now was pray that Allen's meeting with Chelsea would go well, and that there'd be no surprises, no stumbles. If the two really got together, maybe all this wouldn't feel like such a waste.

The first auction item had gone for a staggering eighty million, setting a high bar from the outset. As the event continued, items worth tens of millions no longer raised eyebrows-they had been completely overshadowed.

Chelsea's parents had originally planned to use the auction to quietly evaluate the capabilities of the city's elite young heirs. What they hadn't anticipated was turning such an impressive profit. Only ten percent of the proceeds were earmarked for donation, but even that sliver amounted to a fortune by ordinary standards.

Cecilia, aiming to maintain the appearance of modest means, refrained from bidding even on pieces she admired.

Magnus, observing her from the side, had initially assumed she was exaggerating her financial constraints. But watching her now, he realized that she wasn't pretending at all.

"Cecilia, you really ought to start thinking more about yourself," Magnus said. "You're the CEO of the prestigious Jamieson Group. How can you not even scrape together a few billion?"

Cecilia felt amused. Magnus is really spoiled since birth. Not everyone treats money like pocket change. Does he think I can just throw around a few billion on a whim? Profit is important to the businessperson. I can't spend recklessly.

She ignored Magnus, leaving him feeling bored and brushed aside. Restless, he wandered over to the merchandise section, where he selected a bracelet of decent quality and made the purchase without much thought.

He planned to present the bracelet to Chelsea later. One way or another, he had set his sights on her, and he wasn't going to give up easily.

Aside from the initial excitement over Chelsea's necklace, the rest of the auction proved to be rather underwhelming.

After observing for a while, Cecilia lost interest and excused herself to find a quiet place to rest.

Meanwhile, Miranda took Allen to formally greet Chelsea and her parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Rainsworth," Miranda called out with a pleasant smile, then gestured toward Allen. "This is my cousin, Allen Leighton."

Chelsea blinked, puzzled. Allen Leighton... Alec Leighton? Their names are so similar.

Her parents also found the name vaguely familiar and were about to ask more when Miranda quickly stepped in. "Why don't we let the young people have a chat on their own?" she suggested.

ent

Miranda knew exactly what she was doing. Timing was critical-delay too long, and complications would arise. If she didn't ensure Allen made strong impression today, it would only be a matter of time before Chelsea's parents did their own digging and discovered Allen's less-than-ideal background.

In today's society, relationships weren't dictated by parental orders or matchmaking anymore. Still, Miranda believed that if Chelsea showed even the slightest interest in Allen, with the right amount of

maneuvering, it wasn't impossible to push things forward.

"All right, Chelsea, have a nice chat with Allen," Phoebe said with a gentle smile.

Chelsea hadn't planned on

entertaining the conversation. She

had no interest in marriage, let alone being matched with someone she barely knew. But with Miranda

present and her parents nudging her

along, she couldn't exactly walknoveldrama

away either.

"All right," she agreed politely, though inwardly, she was already preparing to set things straight.

Once her parents stepped aside, leaving her alone with Allen, she turned to speak. But before she could say a word, Allen spoke first. “Ms. Rainsworth," he said calmly, "I sincerely hope you'll reject me."

"What?" Chelsea blinked, caught off guard.

Since returning, she had been dragged into more than a dozen blind dates, but none had ever started this strangely.