Chapter 304: Make you mine

The blinding white spotlights hit Yuki with such intensity that her long lashes fluttered. Her vision swam for a second and she almost squinted into the haze. She forced a flawless smile onto her face instead, slender fingers still linked with Xavier’s as the applause swelled around them.

“Don’t forget to breathe, Yuki,” Xavier teased softly into her ear. His warm breath fanned across her temple.

Yuki let out a soft, shuddering breath. Her posture eased a fraction as her gaze swept over the vast glittering crowd gathered down in the grand ballroom. From up high on the balcony landing, it was nearly impossible to make out individual faces beneath the harsh glare of the lights.

“Are you ready?” Xavier asked. His crisp baritone carried a gentle nervous edge, and it was not the first time he had asked that evening.

Yuki’s smile widened. A mischievous spark lit in her eyes.

“If you ask me that just once more, Xavier, I swear I will turn right around and walk off this stage,” she teased back in a hushed murmur.

Xavier let out a low, warm laugh that sounded completely natural. His shoulders dropped as he squeezed her hand tighter.

Before another word could pass between them, Alexander Ravencourt’s authoritative voice cut through the crystal sound system and carried across the entire hotel hall.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the pack, noble elders, and distinguished guests,” Alexander announced. The room fell into pin-drop silence under the weight of it. He gestured up toward the top of the marble staircase. “Tonight, I present to you my daughter, Miyuki Ravencourt, and the sole heir to the Velmore family, Xavier Velmore!”

Thunderous applause erupted at once. Flutes of champagne were lifted high into the air as the crowd cheered.

Yuki and Xavier remained standing side by side at the landing as Alexander and Gamma Reed Velmore slowly climbed the carpeted stairs to join them. Reaching the top, Alexander offered Yuki a rare soft smile and inclined his head slightly.

“You look utterly lovely tonight, my dear,” he murmured.

Beside him, Reed stepped forward and clapped Xavier firmly on the shoulder with a broad, proud grin.

Turning back to face the sea of expectant faces below, both heads of house reached into their fine tailored jackets and pulled out two ceremonial golden scroll cases.

Alexander spoke first, stepping up to the microphone. His voice carried the unyielding weight of ancient authority as it moved through the hall.

“Tonight is a deeply joyous day,” he declared, sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd. “I never imagined a day like this would come, when my good friend Reed and I would finally have the honour of seeing our families united as one. Tonight officially marks the binding alliance between the Ravencourt and Velmore houses through our children, Miyuki and Xavier.”

He paused, resting a heavy hand on the golden scroll.

“And as a result, to protect our daughter’s interests and honour her place within our home, the Ravencourt family will be bestowing this formal dowry.”

With a swift, practised motion, Alexander unrolled the heavy golden scroll. High above the stage, the massive LED screens flashed to life and displayed the official stamped ledger of assets.

A collective audible gasp moved across the vast ballroom. The listed properties, rare heirlooms, and vast land grants were astonishing. Alexander was being far too generous for an adopted daughter who did not carry Ravencourt blood by birth.

Over on the far side of the ballroom floor, standing near the towering entrance doors, Eloise watched the screen with a sharp glint in her eyes.

“My, how wonderfully generous,” she sneered softly under her breath. The sarcasm sat thick on her tongue. “He certainly treats his little charity case like true royalty.”

Beside her, Kaden offered a faint unbothered smirk. His golden eyes never left Yuki’s figure on the stage.

“The dowry is luxurious,” Kaden drawled softly. His voice stayed low and cool. “Nothing short of what a true daughter of the Ravencourt house deserves.” He said with a sarcastic smile on his face as he thought, ‘ Even so, it still does not match the value of the mine.’

The crowd below was still buzzing with low whispers when Gamma Reed Velmore stepped forward to the microphone. His heavy voice boomed out and silenced the hall again.

“And on behalf of the Velmore line,” Reed announced proudly, “we present our formal betrothal offerings.”

With a crisp snap, Reed unrolled his golden scroll.

The vast ballroom went utterly silent. The ledger on the massive screens updated instantly, highlighting a single monumental clause at the very bottom. The exclusive development and mineral rights to the Northern Velmore Crystal Mine.

Beside Kaden, Eloise’s manicured fingers slipped right off his arm. Her hand dropped to her side. A whole magic stone mine. It was the single most luxurious, priceless betrothal gift recorded in the entire pack territory in over three decades.

Something bitter twisted deep in her gut. Her teeth ground together as her eyes burned.

“Included a whole mine?” she grunted under her breath. “What on earth is so damn special about her?”

Neither Kaden nor Kieran offered a single word in reply. Standing on either side of her, both brothers kept their lips sealed. Their eyes stayed fixed entirely on the stage, each wrapped in his own quiet storm of thought.

From the side of the stage, the elderly Minister of Rites stepped up to the podium and took both unrolled scrolls into his hands. His thin formal voice rang crisply over the speakers.

“The lists of dowry and betrothal have been officially verified, sealed, and stamped under pack law,” the Minister proclaimed. “Upon the completion of the formal marriage rites, these assets will be duly transferred. Until that day, neither family holds the right to sell, leverage, or divide the listed items.”

Another enthusiastic round of applause echoed through the room. The Minister offered a respectful bow and made his way back down the stairs, followed closely by Alexander and Reed, leaving Yuki and Xavier standing alone beneath the bright white spotlights.

Yuki’s heart slammed against her ribs as she slowly turned to face Xavier. She could feel hundreds of watching eyes on her back, heavy enough to make her shoulders tighten.

Xavier stepped directly into her space and reached out to take her trembling hand into his broad palm. He squeezed her fingers softly. The warmth of his touch steadied her pulse by degrees.

As they stood face to face, the sweeping orchestral music shifted and melted into a slow intimate melody that moved gently off the high ceilings.

Xavier’s lips parted. His hazel eyes locked onto hers with a sincerity that made the rest of the room fall away for a moment.

“I know this might not be the exact engagement you imagined in your heart, Yuki,” he whispered. His voice stayed crisp and clear despite the music. “You probably wanted something simple. Something quiet and intimate. Not a massive political spectacle like this.”

Yuki remained quiet. Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him, words catching in her throat.

Without breaking eye contact, Xavier slid his free hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out the familiar black velvet box. Slowly and deliberately, he sank down onto one knee before her on the raised platform.

A quiet collective gasp rippled through the audience below.

Xavier looked up at her, his voice smooth and clear.

“I am really not very good with words, Yuki,” he admitted softly, opening the box to reveal the brilliant emerald ring sparkling against the satin cushion. “So I am going to ask this directly from my heart.”

He took a slow breath. His eyes shone beneath the lights.

“I am not just asking for you to marry me today, nor am I begging you to choose me above all others. I am simply asking for a chance to be a part of your story. A part of your life.”

His fingers brushed gently against the velvet edge of the box.

“Miyuki, please, will you give me the honour of becoming an important character in your life? To make you mine, and to show you every single day what it truly means to be chosen?”

His words were gentle, laced with a warmth that felt real even under the cameras and the pack elders watching from below. Yuki knew deep down that a large part of this grand speech had likely been shaped for the public show. Yet despite herself, her vision blurred once. A single warm tear slipped past her lashes and trailed silently down her flushed cheek.

A breathless quiet laugh escaped her lips as she wiped the tear away with her thumb.

“You really are a terrible liar, Xavier,” she murmured. Her voice carried a playful wobble.

Xavier’s brow furrowed into a slight dramatic frown. His lips twitched up at the corners.

“A liar?”

“How can you possibly claim you aren’t good with words when you say things that are this ridiculously cheesy?” she joked, her heart still pounding.

Straightening her posture, Yuki took a soft breath and slowly extended her left hand down toward him. Her fingers were relaxed and steady.

“Sure, Mr Velmore,” Yuki said softly. A genuine smile broke across her face. “I will give you a chance. Just make sure you don’t waste it.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Xavier whispered. His smile was radiant.

With a steady gentle hand, he lifted the ring from the box and slid the cold platinum band smoothly onto her finger.