Chapter 300: The Ring

Isobel’s gaze fell to the diamond ring glittering inside the velvet box before slowly lifting to Kristoff’s face.

I’m still so young. There’s so much I haven’t experienced yet. And marriage...

The thought alone made her chest tighten.

She had never imagined herself standing in the middle of a ballroom while a man knelt before her, asking her to spend the rest of her life with him. Least of all Kristoff Dalton—the very man who had once made it painfully clear that he wanted nothing to do with her.

How could she be certain that the man kneeling before her now wouldn’t change his mind someday?

Could she truly entrust her future to him?

Could she believe that his feelings would remain unchanged once the excitement of this moment had faded and reality began to set in?

She wanted to believe him. But wanting to believe and being ready to take that leap were two entirely different things.

And with hundreds of eyes fixed on her, waiting for her answer, the pressure was becoming unbearable.

Just as Isobel struggled to find the courage to speak, Morgan finally reached his limit.

He strode toward the stage, each step measured and purposeful. His expression darkened as he approached Kristoff, his patience wearing thinner with every passing second.

The guests gradually fell silent as they noticed the Foster heir making his way toward the stage.

"Why is Morgan Foster going up there?" a woman whispered.

"Is he against the proposal?"

"Could he possibly be interested in Isobel himself?"

Not everyone in the ballroom knew that Isobel was Morgan’s younger sister. To those who were unaware of their relationship, Morgan’s sudden intervention was open to all sorts of interpretations.

After all, rumors had once circulated accusing Isobel of seducing Morgan. And now, here he was, stepping in just as another powerful man was about to put a ring on her finger.

"Isn’t she something else? How does she manage to get so close to two influential men?"

"I don’t understand it. I’m prettier than she is, aren’t I? So why can’t either of them look at me instead?"

Jealousy, curiosity, and speculation rippled through the female guests. Some watched with undisguised envy, while others leaned toward their companions to exchange whispered theories.

For them, the scene unfolding onstage was far more entertaining than the carefully orchestrated birthday celebration.

Morgan paid them no attention.

He climbed onto the stage and moved straight to Isobel’s side, positioning himself between her and the man still kneeling before her.

Then he lowered his gaze to Kristoff.

"Isobel is still young," he said firmly, his voice carrying clearly across the stage. "She doesn’t have to get married simply because you’ve decided to propose to her in front of an audience."

His words were neither loud nor aggressive, yet there was an unmistakable authority in them.

Morgan briefly turned toward his sister. The moment his eyes met hers, his expression softened, as though silently assuring her that she didn’t have to face this alone.

"She deserves the time and freedom to make this decision for herself," he continued. "Without feeling that she owes anyone an answer just because they’re watching."

We haven’t even had enough time to make up for the years we lost, and now you want to take her away from us?

Not a chance.

Morgan turned back to Kristoff, his expression hardening once more.

"If you truly care about her, then give her the space to decide. Don’t put her in a position where saying no makes her look like the villain."

The ballroom fell silent.

This time, even the guests who had been eagerly trading gossip seemed reluctant to utter another word.

Kristoff’s fingers tightened around the velvet ring box. For the first time since he dropped to one knee, his composure showed the slightest crack.

He had anticipated objections. He had even prepared himself for Isobel to hesitate.

But he hadn’t expected Morgan Foster to step forward and challenge him so openly.

Worse, Morgan’s objection was not something he could easily dismiss.

Whatever their differences, Kristoff could hardly argue that Isobel shouldn’t be forced into a decision she wasn’t ready to make.

Before he could respond, Julian, Henry, and Mary also began making their way toward the stage.

"Kristoff, why don’t you stand up first?" Isobel finally said.

Relief washed through her at the sight of her brother standing protectively beside her. She was grateful that Morgan had intervened because, for all her efforts, she still hadn’t known what to say.

She wasn’t ready to accept the ring. But neither did she want to humiliate Kristoff in front of so many people.

Morgan had given her a way out without forcing her to make a decision she wasn’t prepared to make.

Kristoff looked at her for a moment before slowly rising to his feet, the ring box still in his hand.

"Morgan is right about one thing," Julian declared, his stern gaze fixed on Kristoff. "Isobel is still young. Let her enjoy being single for a while before anyone starts talking about marriage."

His tone was sharp enough to make his displeasure obvious. Yet when he turned toward Isobel, the hardness in his expression melted away.

He had already missed so much of her life. Now that he had finally found his daughter, he had no intention of watching her rush into marriage before she had the chance to enjoy the family she had only recently discovered.

Kristoff drew a measured breath.

"It’s only an engagement," he replied calmly. "I have no intention of marrying her immediately."

It was a reasonable defense, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his frustration.

He had meant the proposal to be a declaration of his sincerity—a promise that he was serious about Isobel and wanted a future with her.

Instead, he had put her under a spotlight she had never asked to stand in.

Kristoff’s eyes darkened as he turned toward Isobel. Beneath his composed exterior, disappointment flickered in his gaze.

"I only wanted you to stand openly beside Alexander," he said, his voice low but firm. "Without excuses. Without having to hide behind the arrangement between us. Just as his mother."

Morgan’s expression hardened.

He understood what Kristoff meant, but that did not change the fact that Isobel had the right to decide when she was ready to take that step.

He opened his mouth to respond, ready to challenge Kristoff’s words.

But before he could utter a single syllable, someone beat him to it.