Chapter 48

The smile on Daniella’s face stiffened slightly. Getting into Halden Group had been a point of pride for her. After all, the company’s design brand had a strong reputation both domestically and internationally.

That was, actually, until the day she saw Abigail there.

At the thought of Abigail, a flicker of resentment flashed through Daniella’s eyes.

“Dani said her supervisor really appreciates her and recommended her to represent the company in the upcoming design competition in Cobridge. I hear it’s going to be broadcast live with official sponsorship,” Bianca said with pride, clearly basking in reflected glory.

Elena was surprised, but her smile only grew warmer.

After a few pleasantries, Cillian got to the point. “Has Ralph been told about the competition? He didn’t go to work today. He went to Green Garden to visit his grandfather. I’ll call and have him come back. Young people should spend more time dating.”

Daniella lowered her eyes, playing shy, but her gaze was filled with anticipation as she looked at Gabriel and Bianca.

Bianca patted her hand gently in reassurance.

Gabriel cleared his throat and spoke, “There’s no need to call Ralph just yet. Actually, one of the reasons we came today was to discuss something important.

“Dani and Ralph have known each other for years now. Our two families are close, and they’re clearly fond of each other. Don’t you think it’s time we formalized things?”

Being from the girl’s side, Gabriel tried not to speak too bluntly, not wanting to seem overly eager.

No one present was oblivious to the implication.

Cillian and Elena exchanged a look, hesitating. “That’s something we’d need to discuss with Ralph and my father,” Cillian replied.

Gabriel and Bianca’s expressions turned slightly awkward.

Since the Fletcher family was going to play it vague like this, they couldn’t force the engagement.

Gabriel stood to leave, but Daniella wasn’t ready to let this go. She had no intention of letting the engagement slip through her fingers.

She spoke up, her voice sweet and delicate, “Mr. Fletcher, Mrs. Fletcher, my parents and I were actually planning to visit Adam today. Since Ralph is already there, why don’t we all go there together? I’m sure Adam would love to see you both.”

Gabriel and Bianca gave Daniella a look of disapproval. They thought it wasn’t proper for a young woman to be so forward.

But Daniella looked at Bianca with pleading eyes, tugging lightly at her arm, pouting with charm.

Bianca sighed in resignation and glanced at Gabriel. “Since we’re already here, we should at least pay Adam a visit.”

Meanwhile, Abigail had returned to the chess table. Adam was still seated there, but Ralph was gone.

Sensing her unspoken question, Adam said, “Ralph went to the gate to greet our guests.”

His expression grew a little complicated. Before Abigail could ask more, he continued, “Abby, your parents and Ralph’s parents arrived. If you’d rather not see them, you can stay upstairs for a while.”

Abigail was a little surprised, but she shook her head. “It’s fine, Adam. I’m sure they already know I’m here.”

As she’d guessed, Gabriel and Bianca had already learned from Ralph that Abigail was at Green Garden. The topic was subtly guided by Daniella, and Ralph, still upset by his earlier conversation with Abigail, didn’t hesitate to show it.

Daniella bit her lip and said in a soft, sugary tone, “Abby didn’t even tell us she was visiting Adam. I was looking everywhere for her this morning.”

Ralph remained silent, still stewing over what Abigail had said earlier.

Elena, never fond of Abigail to begin with, added with a smile that barely hid her disdain, “Well, she wasn’t raised with you. Of course there’s no real bond. She could never compare to Dani.”

Daniella lowered her head, playing the part of the shy, modest daughter.

Bianca felt a twinge of irritation at Elena’s words—not because she disagreed, but because Abigail’s presence always managed to embarrass her. Daniella, on the other hand, always made her proud.

Bianca chuckled. “Oh, don’t flatter her too much. But yes, Dani is always so thoughtful and caring when it comes to family.”

They continued exchanging pleasantries, and the atmosphere was briefly warm and amicable. That lasted until they arrived at the chess table.

They saw Adam and Abigail, facing each other over a chessboard. On the board, five white pieces had already been laid out.

Adam looked at Abigail with a subtle smile. “See? You’re rushing.”

Abigail lowered her gaze and said nothing.

Adam didn’t make his next move. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the group approaching.

“Mr. Adam Fletcher,” Daniella called in a sweet tone, “we came to see you. Are you playing chess?”

Adam, who disliked being interrupted, merely gave a small nod.

Daniella bit her lip and added, “Abby, when did you learn how to play? Adam is quite skilled. You’re just a beginner. Maybe you shouldn’t bother him.”

Stephen, who always echoed whatever Daniella said, immediately chimed in, “Yeah, don’t make a fool of yourself in front of Mr. Adam Fletcher.”

Bianca added in a gentle tone, “Abby, don’t distract Mr. Adam Fletcher.”

Elena chuckled, though her words were laced with mockery. “To be fair, only Ralph can really keep up with Adam in a match.”

Ralph opened his mouth to speak. He had seen Abigail playing earlier. He came a bit late, so he only saw the outcome. Abigail lost but not embarrassingly. In fact, from the state of the board, it was possible Adam went easy on her.

Still, the thought made Ralph subconsciously start to underestimate Abigail. He said to her, “Abigail, chess is quite a difficult game to master. If you’d like some practice, you could always ask-”