Chapter 298: A Shocking Revelation 2

The ballroom fell into a stunned silence.

It was a complete silence that even the young children sensed something was wrong. They stopped fidgeting and looked up at the adults around them, their innocent faces filled with confusion as they tried to understand why everyone had suddenly gone quiet.

Kristoff Dalton had truly dropped a bombshell.

It was one thing for the guests to whisper about the rumors surrounding him and Isobel, to speculate about their relationship, and to exchange knowing glances whenever the two appeared together. But hearing Kristoff acknowledge it himself was an entirely different matter.

His words sent a shockwave through the ballroom, shattering whatever doubts remained and igniting a hundred new questions.

Mary’s expression darkened as she turned toward Henry.

"Henry, do something," she murmured through clenched teeth, careful to keep her voice low.

Henry glanced at her helplessly.

"What exactly can I do? The words have already been spoken. He can’t take them back now."

Mary pressed her lips together, her displeasure written all over her face.

Across the ballroom, Carlos stood with Kai in his arms. His gaze moved from Kristoff to Isobel, then settled briefly on Alexander.

Powerful families really do have a lot of secrets.

He couldn’t help wondering how many more revelations were hidden beneath the polished smiles and impeccable manners of the wealthy and influential.

Perhaps, one day, he would find the courage to bring his own secrets into the light.

But for now, he could only watch as another family’s carefully guarded truth unfolded before everyone.

...

Even after several minutes had passed, the guests had yet to recover from Kristoff’s announcement. The initial shock gradually gave way to animated whispers, curious glances, and barely concealed speculation.

A group of women huddled together near the edge of the ballroom, their conversation so engrossed that they failed to notice a camera capturing their reactions.

One of them had her mouth wide open, while another kept staring at Isobel with undisguised envy.

How lucky can one woman be?

To think that Kristoff Dalton, a man who had once been so devoted to Charlotte Harris that everyone expected them to marry, had now publicly acknowledged Isobel as the mother of his son.

For many of the guests, the circumstances surrounding Alexander’s birth had never been a secret.

Kristoff had openly declared that he intended to have a surrogate carry his heir.

At the time, he explained that he didn’t want a pregnancy to interfere with Charlotte’s career. It was also widely known that his parents had insisted he produce an heir before they would agree to his marriage.

What no one could understand was why the Daltons had made that condition so important in the first place.

A lot of people had no idea that Charlotte was infertile and could never bear a child of her own. Nor did they know that, at the time, Kristoff had been so determined to marry Charlotte that he had been willing to find another way to build a family with her.

Yet, in the end, he had broken off their engagement.

And now, instead of choosing another woman from a respectable family, he had publicly acknowledged a woman whose background remained a mystery to most of high society.

That was what Mary found most difficult to accept.

She kept her eyes on Kristoff, disappointment and bitterness simmering beneath her composed expression.

What on earth is he thinking?

She had expected better from him. Even if he had decided to move on from Charlotte, there were plenty of suitable women he could have chosen. Why Isobel?

Why go so far as to make such a declaration in front of the entire ballroom?

Before Mary could dwell on it any longer, a curious voice rose from the nearby crowd.

"But Isobel looks so young. Does that mean she was already involved with Kristoff while she was still in college?"

"I read an article about her," another woman replied, lowering her voice as she leaned closer to her companion. "She had only just graduated when she applied for a position at Dalton Technologies."

The first woman blinked in surprise.

"Then what kind of job did she actually get?"

A knowing smile tugged at the second woman’s lips.

"Apparently, the surrogacy was her real job."

She delivered the words in a conspiratorial whisper, but not before casting a pointed glance at Isobel.

The remark was laced with envy, and the woman beside her immediately understood what she meant.

In their eyes, Isobel had somehow managed to obtain what countless women could only dream of—not merely a connection to the powerful Dalton family, but a place in Kristoff’s life that no one had anticipated.

Of course, they had no idea what Isobel had endured or what her relationship with Kristoff truly meant.

They were too busy imagining themselves in her place.

...

Of all the people in the ballroom, however, Isobel was perhaps the most unprepared for Kristoff’s declaration.

She stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief, as though she needed to hear his words a second time before she could accept that he had actually said them.

"Kristoff, you..." Her voice caught in her throat.

She had never imagined that he would announce something so personal in front of so many people, especially without giving her the slightest warning.

Kristoff merely smiled at her.

It was a rare, unguarded smile that softened his usually aloof features, making him appear younger and, if anything, even more devastatingly handsome.

"Yes," he said, his gaze fixed on her. "You deserve this recognition."

His tone was calm, but there was no hesitation in his eyes.

He didn’t seem bothered by the countless people watching them or the questions his announcement would inevitably provoke.

If anything, he appeared perfectly willing to let the entire world talk.

For a moment, Isobel could only look at him.

She didn’t know what to say, much less how to react to the storm he had just unleashed.

But while Isobel was still struggling to process his words, the Foster family was already fuming.

Morgan’s expression had turned grim. He could appreciate Kristoff’s desire to acknowledge Isobel, but the man’s timing and manner of doing so left much to be desired.

"Isn’t he worried about my sister’s reputation?" Morgan muttered, his jaw tightening as he watched Kristoff. "If he wanted to acknowledge her publicly, the least he could have done was propose to her first instead of announcing to the entire world that she’s Alexander’s mother."

"What would people say about Isobel? That she is that kind of woman?"