I'm Your Stepping Stone but His Gem

Charles walked up to me. Not a speck of dust could be seen on his white suit, and though his presence was quiet, it carried an undeniable sense of authority.

He gently took my hand—the motion so natural it was as if we'd known each other for years.

"Apologies. I was delayed on my way here."

His voice was clear, and his gaze solely rested on me as he asked, "And these three are…"

Michael froze momentarily before anger colored his expression. He stalked forward, demanding, "Who are you? Ariel is my fiancee!"

"Is she?" Charles asked with a faint smile, but the derision in his expression was clear.

"I only know that greedy men aren't worthy of standing beside her. Please show some self-respect."

Just those few words were enough to make Michael feel like he had been struck by lightning, and his face instantly paled.

Right then, another wave of commotion stirred on the other side of the banquet hall.

Grandpa was walking toward us with the help of his assistant. Though his complexion was pale, he still looked spirited and well.

"Everyone, it seems like there are some misunderstandings that need to be cleared up," Grandpa said, his voice soft, but enough to silence the entire hall.

"Michael Leight, Howard Wilkins, and Jeremy Zadinski are merely underprivileged students whom I sponsored. I've never promised to make Michael my grandson-in-law."

Hearing this, the guests all broke out into a flurry of whispers.

The smug expressions on the three men were instantly wiped off, replaced by shock and disbelief.

"Mr. Kingston Senior!" Michael gasped out as he took a step forward, his eyes pleading.

"You promised! You said that as long as I could win Ariel's heart, then I could marry into the Kingston family!"

Grandpa's gaze turned sharp. "You betrayed Ari, and you still have the nerve to say that?"

Suddenly, Tahlia darted out from behind Michael and flung herself at Grandpa's feet.

"Mr. Kingston Senior! This was all my fault! I shouldn't have seduced Mr. Leight! Please… Don't kick him out!"

However, her actions only cemented the fact that she and Michael were in a relationship, and the guests' expressions instantly shifted.

Without even looking up, Charles slowly walked over to Tahlia.

"Miss, the wounds on your wrists look more like a mix of lipstick and foundation. You didn't even clean under your nails properly."

Tahlia's head jerked up in disbelief, and she instinctively hid her right hand behind her back.

"Also, you staged the whole so-called imprisonment, didn't you?" Charles continued, his tone very calm.

"After all, you spent 103 thousand dollars at the mall yesterday, all on luxury goods."

Howard's face went pale. "How do you even know that?"

Charles' gaze was cold as he responded, "I'm Ariel's fiance. I naturally won't allow anyone to bully her."

This only shocked the guests even more. Was this really the legendary Treyist who had renounced all worldly things? Had they really heard him correctly?

Michael, feeling indignant at being exposed, sneered. "Aren't you a Treyist, Charles? Shouldn't you be free from all desires and worldly cravings? And yet, here you are, clearly after the Kingstons' fortune."

Charles turned to me, his gaze turning tender. There was an affection in his eyes that I had never seen before.

"I'm willing to return to secular life for Ariel."

Those words echoed through the hall like a loud crack of thunder.

The hall fell completely silent, and even the sounds of breathing could be heard clearly.

Grandpa nodded, feeling reassured. He turned to the guests and announced, "Today's banquet was always meant to announce my granddaughter's engagement to Mr. Gordon."

Michael looked deathly pale, and Tahlia was so shocked that she had forgotten to keep up her sorrowful act. Howard and Jeremy also exchanged uneasy, panicked glances.

Charles' gaze settled steadily on me, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered to him—only I did.

"Ms. Kingston," he said, his voice no longer having the sharp edge from earlier, sounding warm instead.

"I want to find someone who loves me truly and wants to grow old together with me. Are you willing to be that person?"

I looked into his puppy-dog eyes that were filled with a sense of deep affection that I didn't quite understand.

This was clearly our first meeting, and yet there was a strange sense of familiarity. I suddenly found my heart racing.

Michael couldn't stand it anymore. "Ariel! Have you lost your mind?" he roared.

"You choose a devoted Treyist who's never touched a woman just to spite me? What kind of future can your marriage even have?"