Filed to story: The Heiress Rises From Ashes Book PDF Free
Despite her question, she was fully aware of what was happening.
Isabella pouted. “I just wanted to take the stage and introduce Brenna, but Audrey wouldn’t let me,” she said.
Rosie turned to Audrey with a faint smile. “Why not let her? What harm could it do?” she said.
Audrey responded with a dismissive snort, “The event’s agenda was fixed well in advance. We’re not making last-minute changes.”
Rosie’s voice stayed calm and gentle. “Come on, it’s not that serious. Let her go up there.”
Isabella flashed a sly grin at Audrey as she straightened her skirt and made her way toward the stage.
Audrey narrowed her eyes and followed, deliberately stepping on the carpet and wrinkling it.
Unaware of the misaligned carpet, Isabella stumbled and fell spectacularly, landing face-first. In the process, her dress slipped down, and her padded bra fell out, leaving her chest completely exposed in front of everyone.
“WOW-“
“Oh my God…”
“Look how flat she is.”
A wave of astonishment swept through the crowd.
Audrey paused to ensure everyone witnessed Isabella’s disheveled state before approaching her.
She said, “You were warned not to go up, yet you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve embarrassed yourself in front of everyone.”
Looking down, Isabella saw her exposed chest, heard the surrounding laughter, and felt a deep flush of humiliation.
Quickly covering herself, she stood and hurried away, her head bowed in shame.
“Completely useless. She couldn’t even handle a simple task!” Rosie muttered under her breath, her anger clear as she watched Isabella rush away.
On stage, Brenna exchanged a look with Audrey and then coldly watched Isabella walk away, clearly not intending to follow up on the incident.
Alec, Ruby, and Mack all witnessed Isabella’s embarrassing moment and felt ashamed for her. They averted their gazes, pretending not to see her disgrace.
The group felt deeply embarrassed on her behalf, internally criticizing Isabella for her carelessness in falling and causing a scene. Why hadn’t she been more cautious?
It seemed unbelievable that such a major mistake could happen at such a critical moment.
Isabella appeared inexperienced and seemed unable to handle the pressures of such a grand event.
Meanwhile, Brenna commanded the stage with elegance, her delivery smooth and assured. She was undoubtedly the highlight of the evening.
Ethan, seated prominently in the audience, was captivated by Brenna’s voice, considering it the most enchanting sound he had ever heard. As Brenna scanned the crowd, her eyes briefly connected with Ethan’s before she quickly diverted her gaze.
Ethan experienced a hint of disappointment, feeling overlooked by Brenna; to him, she did not see him as someone she was going to marry.
Fingering the engagement ring he had prepared in his pocket, he felt his nerves fray. Despite rehearsing his proposal repeatedly at home, he found it difficult to bring himself to do it.
Brenna’s speech soon concluded, and the room burst into applause. Amid the clapping, Ethan confidently approached the stage, knelt on one knee, and presented the engagement ring to Brenna.
“Brenna, will you marry me?” he said.
Caught completely off guard, Brenna looked at Ethan, uncertainty flickering across her face as she wondered whether she should extend her hand to him.
This man stood as the most successful and accomplished person in the world, the wealthiest man alive.
On top of that, his eyes were brimming with love for her.
Many women admired and chased after him, but his heart remained devoted to her.
Brenna felt touched but romantically indifferent toward Ethan. She was conflicted about accepting his proposal.
She was at a loss for what to do.
Rejecting Ethan in public might embarrass him, but she didn’t want to accept his proposal because she didn’t have feelings for him.
What was the best course of action?
Seeking guidance, Brenna looked to her parents.
Giselle softly advised, “Trust your heart, dear.”
Ethan, interpreting Brenna’s hesitation as shyness, gently took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger.
Brenna tried to withdraw her hand, only to find Ethan’s grip firm, their fingers tightly intertwined, leaving her unable to pull away.
From her seat in the audience, Rosie watched the scene in disbelief. Ethan’s swift and romantic proposal to Brenna had taken her by surprise.
She had subtly expressed interest in Ethan several times, yet he had never responded.
She had harbored no illusions about Ethan proposing to her; she had simply hoped for a glance, a touch, or a shared moment.
What she had yearned for, Brenna had seemingly achieved effortlessly, and now Brenna even appeared reluctant to accept it.