I Stopped Waiting and Started Loving novel Chapter 23

Bonnie froze for a second.

She looked at the sleek, high-end phones surrounding her, then down at the one in her hand, feeling completely unbothered.

She smiled, her tone entirely casual.

"I'm just sentimental. Plus, my work involves a lot of herbal prep. I'm constantly dealing with dirt and plants, so expensive phones are way too fragile for me. This one is perfect. I've had it for three years, and it still worked after I dropped it in a puddle."

Hearing words like "herbal prep" and "dirt," the expressions around her grew even more peculiar.

Someone couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

"Bonnie, you don't have to save face for him. We're all family here. We all know the truth."

A young man in a tailored suit walked over, sighing with an air of condescending pity.

"When Quentin was exiled abroad by his family, we all knew how rough he had it. If Grandfather hadn't secretly sent him money, he wouldn't have even been able to pay his tuition."

"Now that he's back, the family tried to arrange a marriage so he could secure a piece of the inheritance. Instead, he acted tough and turned it down."

The man shook his head, looking at Bonnie with patronizing sympathy.

"If you guys are really struggling with money, you need to ask us for help. Don't play pretend. Wearing haute couture when you can't even afford a new phone—if word gets out, it's embarrassing for the entire Vance family."

Bonnie listened in absolute bewilderment.

Exiled?

No one cared for him?

So broke he couldn't afford tuition?

Her mind flashed to the multi-million-dollar penthouse in Riverstone Heights and the black card sitting in her purse with a five-million-dollar limit.

This was... struggling financially?

She was just figuring out how to respond when she looked up and spotted a tall, imposing figure walking out of the main house.

Quentin stood with one hand tucked into his suit pocket, watching them with a cold expression.

Bonnie immediately let out a breath of relief. She hurried over to him, seamlessly linking her arm through his, and tilted her head up with a sweet smile.

"Honey, did you finish talking with Grandfather?"

Quentin looked down, giving her a faint glance.

Bonnie maintained her upward gaze.

"Nora and everyone else were so welcoming. They even asked me out for afternoon tea."

Arthur's gaze swept subtly across the table, the amusement in his eyes deepening.

For the entire dinner, he kept Bonnie engaged in conversation.

When he asked if the food suited her, she smiled. "It's wonderful. The food here is more refined than outside, and it feels like a real home-cooked meal."

When he asked if she felt awkward, she answered honestly. "A little bit at first, but you've taken such good care of me that I'm not nervous anymore."

In just a few sentences, she had the old man beaming with joy.

Initially, he hadn't been thrilled about this sudden marriage.

Quentin was cold and ruthless; it looked exactly like he had grabbed a random woman just to shut the family up.

Furthermore, Bonnie had an unknown background and lacked the polished refinement of the women in their social circle.

But after spending time with her, Arthur realized her eyes were clear, her manners were elegant, and most importantly, her intentions were pure.

The more he looked at her, the more he liked her.

Halfway through the meal, Arthur suddenly announced, "You two shouldn't go back tonight. Stay here and keep this lonely old man company."