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 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 Ralphie is already there , why don't we all go there together ? I'm sure Adam would love to see you both . " ཞུ་ ནན་ ཞུ་ ཚོ 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 1/2 21:00 TO JU ༥.89 % ཟླ +38 Chapter 48 Ralph , still upset by his earlier conversation with Abigail , didn't hesitate to hide 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- " 2/2