No Divorce? The Billionaire's Love Chase! novel Chapter 564

A large-carat pink diamond. It must be worth a fortune.

For the sake of the Ferguson family, for his own reputation, and to bide his time until he could be with his beloved Ann James, he had truly pulled out all the stops.

Claudia took a small step forward.

York's expectant eyes shone with emotion. "Claudia, marry me!"

She was a gift from the heavens, his belated salvation, the one he was meant to be with for his entire life.

Claudia looked down, their eyes meeting.

She shook her head.

The expression on York's face slowly froze, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.

But he remained stubbornly on one knee, holding out the ring, refusing to get up.

Claudia said, "York, I meant everything I said. My feelings for you aren't romantic love. I can't marry you!"

If she hadn't been reborn, she would never have understood why, out of all the heiresses from wealthy families desperate to marry him and forge an alliance with the Fergusons, he had so resolutely chosen her.

Only after walking through hell did she finally understand.

He had chosen her only because she loved him to the point of losing herself, making her easy to manipulate. With the Watkins family bankrupt and her own family powerless, he could control and suppress her without any effort.

Seeing that York wouldn't get up, Claudia turned her back to him.

The moment York saw Claudia turn away so decisively, he felt as if he was shattering.

With his eyes red, he slowly got to his feet and blurted out, "Have you fallen for someone else?"

After thinking it over and over, that was the only possibility he could come up with.

Mentally exhausted, Claudia took several deep breaths.

In her past life, she had said at York's grave that with his death, all the debts between them were settled.

She wouldn't cling to the past. But she also wouldn't repeat her mistakes and marry him again.

Claudia turned back to face York and went along with his assumption, nodding.

Losing control, York pulled Claudia into a tight hug. "I don't want to be your brother! I want to marry you!"

Feeling her struggle intensely in his arms, York carefully released her.

He forced himself to stand still, to remain as calm as possible.

His hands, now empty, clenched helplessly in mid-air, the ring digging painfully into his palm.

He fought the urge to pull her back into his arms and kiss her.

He forced a difficult smile. "Claudia, until everything is truly settled, I'll always be your York."

Faced with Claudia's rejection, York compromised, retreating to the position of a childhood friend.

He would compete fairly with that man.

He would make Claudia see his true feelings.

No matter the cost, he would win back the girl he had lost.