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Chapter 312: The Most Beautiful Woman in Town

"Ambee what's the meaning of this?" Eve blinked. 

Using her thumb, she caressed the pink bead. It had been shaped differently from the red and green ones. Its color intensified and darkened near the middle while the stud of the ring wrapped around it like a crown. 

It almost looked like a diamond

"Let me take a look," Ambryan said. He gestured his hand in her direction, palm up. 

Eve stretched her arm to give it but he sat too far away. Then, she leaned over in order to close that gap but Ambryan made zero effort to help. It all happened in two seconds, Eve missed how he deliberately acted this way and stood up.

Ambryan did the same thing, snatching the key and the ring. He examined them both carefully before pulling the key off. The small chain that linked it to the ring snapped. By this time, their companions watched the commotion.

"Hey!" Eve wanted to protest but Ambryan grabbed her hand and slid the ring on her finger. 

Her mouth clamped shut at once. Now that she wore it, it became clearer to the eyes and her eyes bulged out at the stealthy way he had given it to her. "Is this what I think it is?"

"It's a ring."

"An actual ringlike an actual piece of jewelry?"

"Yes." Ambryan nodded, his hands tucked inside his pant pockets.

Eve flickered her gaze up to his indifferent face. "And?"

His eyebrows rose up. "Hm?" 

"That's it? No questions asked?" She had made a conclusion. Nothing was safe about this man before her. She had thought the second key was the last of it but no. Not for Ambryan Hathawayhe had mastered the art of being discreet. 

And he had always placed good thought in his gifts once pointed to the right direction.

He also knew her now better than before. 

Ambryan frowned at her cautious stance. "I have asked the question."

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"You have?" 

"I asked that you wouldn't return it," he reminded her.

Eve shut her eyes and exasperated a sigh. "That's not what I"

Ambryan slipped the ring off and peeked at its inner rim. Then, he stepped closer, showing it to her. The lights bathed the tiny engraving in warm incandescence. "Can you see that?"

"By accepting this ring, I hereby declare I'm engaged to Ambryan Hatha" Eve trailed off. Her brown eyes blinked numerous times. The writing never vanished from her sight. 

"And you agreed not to return it," Ambryan continued as if he didn't just drop a bomb from the sky. "So that means you had indirectly accepted it."

"W-Wh-Wha-What?" Eve struggled to regulate her breathing. How was one supposed to feel when their significant partner not only tricked her into an engagement? Should she be angry? Delighted? Shocked? 

Amused?

All of the above?

Ambryan chuckled to himself. Done with his shenanigans, he dropped down on one knee and held up the ring. He reached for her left hand, saying, "Everlee Hart, I had hidden this ring as a keychain in hopes that you'd discover it at the right time. I'm a confident man most times but to you, I am vulnerable."

"This is another turning point in our lives," he further explained. His heart pounded at the back of his ears. "As silly as it sounds, I considered that you'd run away from me again like before. And maybe that's why this became the right moment. You have nowhere to run while up here."

Eve managed a chuckle. She pressed her free hand against her lips. That moment must have left a deep impression on him. Cale had stood up from his seat to film the entire exchange. She pretended to ignore it and gripped Ambryan's hand. 

It was her way of letting him know that she was here to stay.

Ambryan kissed the back of her hand and stared straight into her watery eyes. "I would always be yours as long as you keep choosing me. So. Eve will you marry me?"

An incoherent choke caused Eve to cough. She quickly cleared her throat and placed her right hand on her chest. Her heart beat erratically under her touch. She took a deep breathand another one, calming herself down.

It was a failed mission.

Her lips grinned so wide, she blanked out. "You better buy me a new keychain because I won't be taking this ring off."

Ambryan officially slipped the ring on her finger and rose to his feet. Eve jumped into his arms, lifting her feet off the ground. He hugged her tight while everyone within reach either cheered or clapped for them. His own pain-inducing smile spread across his face.

Their heartbeats drummed in harmony, drowning everything else. 

In 5 months and 5 days since they met on their first date, Ambryan & Eve celebrated their engagement. No one could be happier by the whirlwind romance more than a retired actress waiting to greet them even before she got the news.

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"Like I told you, Aunt Avery," Eve said. "He tricked me!"

"It was all in the writing. You just didn't read it."

"No, no, no don't try to reason yourself out of this. You had admitted that you were afraid that I would refuse. That's why you created an elaborate plan as a backup."

Hands on her hips, Avery shook her head at the couple who sat on the living room couch. They had started bickering the middle of storytelling. She understood the events for the most part and let them ramble ontoo scared to speak.

It might jinx the current happy ending.

"What's all of this about?" Jackson asked as soon as he reached the last step of the stairs.

His wife flashed him a smile. "Our son is engaged."

The head of the household stopped in his tracks. 

Meanwhile, Eve bolted off her seat as if hit by lightning. She whirled around to face Hathaway Sr. who scrunched his eyebrows at her strange behavior. Ambryan sat leisurely with his arm draped over the backrest. Eve kicked his foot but he wouldn't budge.

This was her problem.

Eve's and his mother'sit had nothing to do with him.

Absolutely nothing. 

"Mr. Hathaway," Eve greeted Jackson for starters. She inched closer to Avery who also had a confused expression on her face. Only when Eve pointed to her brown eyes did the truth of the situation occur.

"Evangeline," Jackson answered back. He had resumed walking and paused beside the couch. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? And why does my wife also have the same expression?

"Well, you see, dear" Avery began to explain. Every word she knew flew out of her headexcept for a few profanities she used on herself. 

Jackson grew impatient. "Yes?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the women. "Out with it."

"Are you familiar with stage names, Mr. Hathaway?" Eve asked, struck by inspiration.

"I am. Why? Do you want one?"

"Oh, no, sir. I don't need another one." She attempted a laugh but it came out awkward. Nudging the madam by the side, she continued her story. "I picked my mother's name. It's like having her watch over me when I made a career change."

"Yes, that's right!" Avery backed up, clapping her hands. "It's such a sweet story, dear. You might want to sit down while we tell you about it."

Ambryan squinted in their direction. "I don't recall the two of you asking me to sit down for this story. I must have missed the full experience and received only 50%."

"Can you please get to the point?" Jackson reminded everyone. "I know it's the holidays but business never stops. Unless you want to tell me later, you should speed it up."

The madam tilted her head over at Eve. Her voice softened into a whisper. "Maybe we should tell him later. We'll have a few drinks too so he'd be in a good mood."

Eve didn't seem to share the same sentiment. "I don't know, Aunt Avery. I feel like if I don't do it now then, I won't ever do it. It would come from someone else instead."

Jackson gritted his teeth. It was like talking to a doormat! "Then"

"EVE!" Two high-pitched voices screamed from the top of the stairs.

The twins beelined for their older sister, rushing down to the first floor, still in their pajamas. The servants who cleaned the staircase moved out of the way and let them through. Their feet thudded on the wooden steps like drums.

Ede pumped up her legs and tackled her sister's waist into a hug. Eve caught her in the nick of time, steadying the both of them from falling. "You're back! It's an early holiday present!"

"I can't believe you didn't tell us you were coming back!" Eri accused her older sister. Unlike her twin, she stomped her foot on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought we agreed not to keep secrets from each other anymore, Everlee."

Eve and Avery stiffened at Eri's statement.

The inevitable had finally come. 

"Everlee?" Jackson questioned Eri. "What about Evangeline?"

The little girl glanced over her shoulder to blink up at him. "Evangeline is our mom's name. Evangeline Hart, the most beautiful woman who had ever lived in Cornelia Town!