Chapter 3
Antonio was fast. By the next evening, his assistant flew a private jet straight to my home, bringing a bunch of beautiful rings for me to pick from.
Antonio walked up to me, standing in the sunset, and made a big gesture with his hand.
"So, which one do you like?" he asked.
I stood there, dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.
"All of them?" Antonio guessed.
He studied my face, trying to figure me out.
"Then keep them all. Switch them up whenever you want," he said.
I thought he was being way too extra, so I had to say something.
"Seriously, Mr. Sampson, who wears an engagement ring without actually being engaged?" I said.
I assumed he'd lost his mind.
Antonio suddenly realized what he was doing and laughed out loud.
"Yeah, that's right. I got carried away," he said, grinning.
As he spoke, he reached for my hand.
"I'm so happy I get to marry you," he said.
I watched this six-foot-three guy hang his head in front of me like a sad puppy, and couldn't help but laugh.
My mom cleared her throat, arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe.
"I haven't agreed yet. If you want to marry my daughter, you need to show me something," she said.
Antonio nodded.
"I get it, Mrs. Shelton.
"I've come prepared. I brought everything with me," he replied.
As soon as he finished, his assistant handed him a pile of contracts. I could clearly see "Land Transfer" written on top.
"These are all mining lands I own. They're not fully used yet, but trust me, I've checked every piece. They're all good mines," Antonio said.
He held out the contracts to my mom.
Then he clapped his hands, and more private jets landed right outside our house.
Endless boxes of gold, silver, and shining jewels were brought inside.
Soon, the whole house sparkled like it was daytime in the middle of the night.
No wonder he was a mining tycoon.
This was seriously bright.
Even my dad, who always had sharp eyes, quietly put on sunglasses when he got home.
Antonio asked, looking at our parents, "So, is this enough for you all?
"This is just part of what I have. I really want to marry Elena and take her home. Please, help make it happen."
With that, he dropped to his knees with a thud in front of the three of us, his head down.
I stood frozen next to my parents, not even knowing where to begin.
My mom and dad were staring in shock at everything happening.
After a long moment, my dad finally spoke up, calm as ever.
"Alright, come on, get up," he said.
I hurried to help Antonio up.
"Mom, Dad, is it a yes?" I asked.
My mom's eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked through the contracts, unable to hide her amazement.
"Looks good to me. I agree to this marriage," she said.
"What about you?" she asked, turning to my dad.
My dad kept a straight face.
He said, "Why are you in such a hurry to get married, Elena?
"I'm not saying yes that fast. Get back to your room and wait for our answer."
I could tell Dad was basically ready to say yes. He just needed one more night to think.
Our family's business was far from the northwest, but if we could break into that market, we'd move up big time.
No one would turn down money.
Plus, I was happy with this arrangement, and that made it perfect.
The next day, Dad announced that our family was ending the engagement with the Lawson family. And he used the picture of all the gifts Antonio had stacked up in our living room.
With a hint that obvious, everyone instantly knew our family was teaming up with Antonio, the self-made billionaire.
When I found out, I was still at a restaurant with Antonio.
I eagerly pulled at his sleeve and showed him my phone with excited eyes.
I blurted, "Look, my dad said yes!
"You can start planning the engagement party now."
Antonio dropped his fork and knife, rushed over, picked me up, and spun me around. His eyes sparkled with tears.
He said, "This is amazing!
"I finally get to marry the one I've dreamed about every single day."
Then he pulled me close, his eyes fixed on my lips.
His face said it all: he wanted to kiss me.
I grabbed his neck and pulled him down, kissing him first.
Ten minutes later, we were both breathless, sharing the same air.
Antonio couldn't wipe the smile off his face, and his tan skin made his eyes shine even more.
"Elena, I'm so happy," he said, his voice full of joy.