Chapter 449:
“Christina,” Lorraine said deliberately, “isn’t it time to show Mr. Miller your birthday gift?”
The room immediately went still. Everyone already knew Christina’s gift was a modest one, barely worth eighteen hundred dollars. Several guests turned to her with amused smirks, waiting for the awkward moment. Cataloging presents beforehand was one thing—handing them over in person to Kurt was an entirely different matter. It was bound to be memorable, and the crowd waited eagerly to witness what would unfold.
The crowd buzzed with hushed gossip, many secretly delighting in Christina’s seeming blunder.
“Is it true Miss Jones gave an ornament worth a measly eighteen hundred bucks?”
“Absolutely! I saw it with my own eyes. Those of you who got into the banquet hall early missed the whole fiasco.”
“Let’s see if she’s got the nerve to hand it to Kurt herself.”
“Oh?” Kurt’s eyes twinkled as he turned to Christina with a warm gaze. “You brought me a gift? Well, don’t keep me waiting—let’s see it!”
His face radiated genuine enthusiasm, as if even a pebble from Christina would be treasured like gold. The onlookers, however, misread his warmth as mere courtesy, convinced Christina was about to crash and burn.
“I’ve brought you an ornament,” Christina said, gesturing to a waiter to fetch it. The waiter presented an ornate box, revealing a golden ornament nestled under a clear cover, unremarkable to the untrained eye. To the guests, it screamed bargain-bin cheapness. If decorum hadn’t held them back, they’d have erupted in laughter at the sight of such a lackluster gift. How could she dare present that?
Even Kurt hadn’t anticipated something so understated, caught between amusement and mild exasperation. Yet, the more he looked at Christina, the more she grew on him. In his mind, she was already destined to be the future matriarch of the Miller family.
Kurt had a hunch—call it a gambler’s instinct—that Christina could rein in his wayward grandson, Robin. If Robin weren’t so hell-bent on outwitting Ace, the legendary gambling maestro, and if the Miller family didn’t run a sprawling casino empire, Robin would probably ditch the family business without a backward glance. But Christina? She could keep that rebellious scamp in line.
Kurt’s thoughts swirled like a storm, and the smile that once lit his face had faded. His change in expression led the guests to believe he was angry, increasing the number of people eager to see Christina embarrassed. The chorus of whispers grew louder, all certain Christina was toast.
Mₒᵣₑ ᵤₚdₐₜₑₛ ᵢₙ gₐₗₙₒᵥₑₗₛ.𝒸ₒₘ
Lorraine smirked inwardly, certain Kurt would be mad over such a trivial offering. After offending Kurt in front of so many people, Christina’s fate looked grim.
“Christina, I did warn you that gift was all wrong for Mr. Miller,” Lorraine said, her voice dripping with feigned concern, “But you wouldn’t listen…”
She pivoted to…
Kurt looked at Lorraine. “Please don’t hold it against her. She just wasn’t prepared, that’s all. An eighteen-hundred-dollar ornament isn’t much, but it’s the thought that counts, right? That’s what Christina said, and I couldn’t agree more.”
Lorraine’s defense was a masterclass in sabotage, cloaked in kindness to make Christina look even more foolish.
From his elevated seat, Kurt fixed his gaze on Christina. “This ornament—is it really worth eighteen hundred dollars?”
Dylan, ever stoic, kept his eyes locked on Christina. To him, the gift’s price tag was irrelevant. If she chose to give it, even a dandelion plucked from a field would be welcomed with open arms by the Miller family—he would make sure of it. But one look at Christina’s composed expression told him she had an ace up her sleeve. It wasn’t his moment to step in—not yet.
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