?Chapter 263:


    “Then you must distance yourself from her.”


    With a scoff, Anthony thrust the documents into Kristopher’s arms and remarked, “Consider Belinda. She is gentle and virtuous, generous and respectable. Above all, she is healthy and vibrant. She’s capable of caring for both you and me, an old man. On the other hand, Cathy struggles with her health and mental well-being… She is unfit to be my granddaughter-inw!”


    Kristopher’s face paled at Anthony’s words. “But Grandpa, you must have seen the news tonight… Even though Cathy wrongly believed I was going to propose, she has already made a spectacle of herself in front of everyone… Her current emotional instability is tied to that incident.”


    “I will not allow it!”


    Anthony pped the arm of his wheelchair emphatically and dered, “I want no one but Belinda for you! Since you have divorced Belinda and don’t want to remarry her, then you should remain unmarried for the rest of your life! I will never approve of you marrying anyone else. And I certainly do not like Cathy!”


    “Grandpa!” Kristopher called out, his voiceced with urgency and dismay.


    Observing Anthony’s unyielding demeanor, Kristopher’s brow furrowed as he tried to rify. “I’ve already exined that my intention is simply to engage Cathy and lend her a hand. It’s just a formality, not a realmitment. I have no intention of marrying her. This arrangement won’t harm anyone.”


    Yet, Anthony remained skeptical. “A pretend engagement? How can I be sure you’re not deceiving me? Now you’re using the excuse of an engagement to ‘help’ her. What’s next? If a simr situation arises, will you marry her under the guise of assistance? Or, even worse, will you im it’s a sham marriage after the fact?”


    His gaze hardened as he addressed Kristopher. “I didn’te to the hospital to be fed lies. I came here for your apology to Belinda. You promised her a birthday celebration, yet you did nothing. After your divorce, you even messed up the dates. What a spectacle… Three years of marriage and you can’t even recall her birthday!”


    Kristopher remained silent, his gaze downcast. He had made the hotel arrangements over a month earlier, recalling that Belinda’s birthday fell on the 15th. However, when he asked Marc for help, Marc corrected him, stating that it was the 17th. Trusting Marc’s correction, Kristopher changed the booking, only toter realize his initial memory had been urate.


    “Given Miss Miller’s severe illness, I shouldn’t stay any longer,” Anthony dered, noticing Kristopher’s reticence. He waved dismissively and added, “This hospital specializes in treating serious conditions like tumors and cancer. It’s not suitable for someone of my age to linger. I’m heading back now. As for your engagement scheme, I strongly advise against it. Let it go. And don’t forget to apologize to Belinda!”


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    With that, Anthony directed his wheelchair toward the elevator. Kristopher watched as Anthony rolled away, the silence hanging in the hallway before he finally spoke in a hushed tone. “Grandpa…”


    He hesitated, his voice uncertain. “If… I mean, if Belindaes to you and pleads for me and Cathy, would you consider it?”


    The quiet in the corridor deepened at Kristopher’s words.


    Anthony, who had been navigating his wheelchair, halted abruptly and turned, his eyes widening in astonishment.


    Meanwhile, Belinda, hidden at the stairway, clutched the doorknob, her heart racing. What was Kristopher thinking? Did he really expect her to approach Anthony and ask for his approval of his engagement to another woman? Was he out of his mind, or did he think she was?


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