Chapter 1603

Stella was momentarily stunned, and she turned to look at Keegan.

He kept his gaze lowered, and his voice was soft but clear.” Even though it was you who initiated the idea of getting married on Valentine’s Day, I believe that men should still be the ones to propose.”

“We didn’t really know each other well when we first met. Our marriage started hastily, and I wasn’t mature or attentive enough at that time. I failed to notice the underlying issues in our marriage back then, leaving you feeling anxious and insecure, which ultimately led to a tragic end.”

“I used to think that marriage was simply about two people living together. I provided you with respect and everything you wanted. I was faithful to our marriage, thinking we could just grow old together. But, later on, I realized that my feelings for you were more than that. I realized I can’t live without you, Stella. I’ve always hoped that you’d only have your eyes on me and that your heart belongs to me,” he added.

“I-I’ve been scared ever since I found out about my mother prescribing you alternative medicine. I was afraid you wouldn’t forgive me and that you would no longer see me as a partner. Have I ever told you how happy I was when you agreed to start over with me?”

Keegan held Stella tightly and whispered, “You’ve always been braver than me. Every step forward between us has been a gamble on your part. I won’t let you lose this time.

Trust me.”

Stella’s eyes glistened with tears.

Keegan did not slide the ring all the way. Instead, it rested on the tip of her finger. He was waiting for her response. If Stella were to reject his proposal, he would respect her decision, no matter how disappointed he might be.

Keegan had always been a confident person. This characteristic of his stemmed from his business acumen and broad knowledge. Stella had never witnessed Keegan being anxious or uneasy in a large gathering or during a speech. But, at that moment, she could clearly feel his nervousness.

His breathing was a little fast, and his ears were tinged with a deep shade of red. At the same time, his hand was sweating profusely.

That was when Stella lowered her gaze and slid her finger through the ring. It fitted perfectly. It was evidently custom- made to her finger size.

Stella raised her hand and stared at the diamond ring on her finger. “How much did this ring cost?” she asked.

Keegan was at a loss for words. ‘This doesn’t seem like an appropriate time to talk about money,’ he thought.

“Not much,” said Keegan.

“And how much is that?”

Seeing that she was persistent, Keegan had no choice but to tell the truth. “It’s about the same price as the last one.”

Stella suddenly felt a pang of heartache. “Why bother getting a new ring? You could have just brought me the old one. It makes no difference since you’re the one who bought them both.”

Keegan was silent for a moment before he said, “You’d probably complain about the ring if I did that.

You’d say that I’m not putting in much effort to this marriage and that I’m unwilling to spend my money on you.”

His response left Stella speechless. “Am I really that calculative? If you had told me in advance, I definitely wouldn’t have let you buy a new one. Grandma said you’ve invested quite a bit in the company. You shouldn’t be spending your money willy-nilly.”

Keegan chuckled and hugged her. “My, my, aren’t you frugal? We haven’t even had the wedding yet.”

Stella held her ground. “I’m just worried that our quality of life will decline once we get married.”

Keegan planted a soft kiss on her cheek and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t let you suffer.”

Stella leaned against his chest, basking in the warm sunlight. At that moment, her heart softened.

After a while, she whispered, “I haven’t used the money you transferred to me back then. I can give it back to you if you need it.”