From Broken to Beloved-Chapter 179- I do

The next morning before work, Bert asked Catherine to dress more formally, to look especially nice—and even insisted that she put on some makeup.

Catherine looked at him in confusion. Bert stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting his tie.

"There’s an event this morning. You’re coming with me to Channing."

Dressed in a tailored suit, his lean, upright figure radiated masculine strength and confidence, making it impossible not to be drawn to him.

Catherine walked over and helped him straighten his tie, then said softly,

"But I’ve never been involved in your company’s affairs..."

She wasn’t used to attending such formal occasions. Although he had made their relationship public at Gerald and Lucca’s wedding some time ago, Catherine usually kept a low profile at work, focusing only on what she was supposed to do.

As for his business matters, she never interfered. So why was he suddenly asking her to accompany him to a Channing event?

Bert enjoyed her gentle hands fixing his tie.

"You don’t need to attend the other events—but this one, you must."

The acquisition press conference for Channing—and the proposal. Of course she had to be there in person.

Since he said so, Catherine didn’t argue further. She dressed as he asked. When it came time to put on lipstick, he took the vivid red tube from her hand. One hand gently cupped her face while the other carefully traced the shape of her lips.

Catherine gazed at the man before her, his eyes soft and focused. Her heart began to race faster and faster...

She had never imagined that a man like him would stop for her.

In the past, she had felt resentment and anger toward fate—why, when she was kind and sincere, had life given her so many hardships?

But now she understood.

Fate was saving the very best for her at the end.

The two of them went to the company together, handled their own work for a while, and at around ten o’clock, Catherine followed Bert out to attend the "event" he had mentioned.

She had assumed it would be a banquet, but when they arrived, she realized it was actually a press conference. Many reporters were present, and what struck Catherine as strange was how lavishly the venue was decorated—fresh flowers everywhere, their fragrance rich and intoxicating the moment one stepped inside.

Weren’t press conferences supposed to be formal and serious? Why did this one feel so... romantic?

Still, this was not the kind of place where she could ask questions. She quietly followed Bert onto the stage and took her seat beside him. Before long, Catherine noticed that Channing had also arrived, along with several senior executives from the Channing Group, and they too came up onto the stage. She felt that Channing’s gaze toward her carried a trace of resentment, leaving her confused.

She wondered if he was angry because she had refused to help him ask Bert for the four million. If that was the case, so be it—she would never have agreed to something like that anyway.

After everyone was seated, Bert’s assistant announced that Bert Technology had officially acquired the Channing Group. Then, in the same breath, he declared that Catherine would become the new owner of Channing.

Catherine was so shocked she couldn’t say a word. For a moment, she even thought she must have misheard.

It was unbelievable. She could understand Bert buying Channing—but handing it over to her? What was going on?

Before she could recover, Bert, who was sitting beside her, stood up and extended his hand to her. Catherine, still in a daze, placed her hand into his.

Her mind had completely stopped working, yet she chose to trust him and let him lead her.

Holding her hand, Bert pulled her to her feet. With his other hand, he took a small box from his pocket.

He slowly opened it. Inside was the ring Catherine had once drawn in her design sketch—the same one she had imagined in her dream wedding scene. Catherine was completely stunned.

Bert held the ring out to her, his expression solemn.

"I bought the Channing Group because I wanted to give it to you as my proposal gift."

"So... will you marry me?"

He did not kneel on one knee.

There were no overly tender words, no dramatic display of passion. Even his tone and expression were calm, almost casual.

For Bert, anything too sentimental had never come naturally—especially not in front of so many people. That simply was not his style. In public, he was always restrained and cool. But buying the entire Channing Group and giving it to Catherine was more than enough to represent his feelings.

He truly loved her to the depths of his heart—so much so that he was willing to spend such a fortune without hesitation.

Catherine was already in tears.

For her, he did not need to kneel or speak sweet, flowery words. His love was already carved into her heart. She never needed those outward gestures—let alone such a grand, high-profile proposal.

Yet he still chose to arrange all of this, just so she could walk into their marriage with confidence.

Catherine knew he had done everything for her. In the eyes of the world, it was she who had "married up." By proposing to her in such a magnificent and public way, by giving her both a proposal and a wedding worthy of celebration, he made his devotion unmistakable. It was the strongest answer to silence all rumors and doubts.

"I do."

She answered through her tears.

After Catherine accepted Bert’s proposal, he gently took her hand and solemnly placed the ring on her slender finger. Then his strong arms wrapped around her, and Catherine’s eyes filled with tears once again.

Applause, cheers, and congratulations erupted from the journalists and guests below. Catherine turned to look—and only then did she realize that Riley and the others had arrived at some point, including Lilian, Morrison, and Dave Laurent. Even Karl, Marylin, and—most surprisingly—Renata were there.

Almost everyone in Burg Eltz whom Catherine knew, who had treated her like a friend and a part of their lives, had come to witness her happiness at this moment.

Catherine knew this, too, was Bert’s arrangement.

They all stood below the stage, smiling at her, sincerely blessing her. Riley was so emotional that she was laughing and crying at the same time—more excited than if she herself had been proposed to.

Beside her, Ford took advantage of the moment when Riley was overwhelmed and pulled her into his arms. He was touched by her sincerity and innocence—such a foolishly genuine girl. She would probably not even cry like this if it were her own proposal.

Riley, completely immersed in Catherine’s happiness, did not even realize she was leaning against Ford. She simply stayed in his embrace, tears streaming down her face.

Over the years, Riley had known better than anyone how hard Catherine’s life had been. Now that Catherine had finally found happiness, how could Riley not feel moved, joyful, and relieved? She was crying from sheer happiness.

Bert had chosen such a public setting for his proposal because he wanted to broadcast his love for Catherine through the media—to make those who had once hurt her feel bitter and envious. That included Lucca, Tracy and her daughter, Gerald and his parents, and all those who had kicked Catherine when she was already down, spreading rumors and cruel words.

Of course, Bert had another purpose: to make any eligible men who might appear around Catherine in the future give up any improper thoughts about her.

At the same time, it was also a clear warning to the women who coveted him—to stay away and stop dreaming of gaining anything from him.

There was also one person in the crowd whose heart was filled with complicated emotions—Channing. No matter what, he was unwilling to see his company end up in Catherine’s hands. But with all the external pressure bearing down on him, he could only put on a mask of congratulations.

After the noise and excitement finally faded, Bert and Catherine returned to the company. In Bert’s office, once Catherine had calmed herself, she looked at him and said,

"Why did you give Channing Group to me? I don’t even know how to run a company..."

Catherine had never imagined that Bert would buy Channing Group and give it to her as a proposal gift. It was far too valuable for her. First of all, she was not ambitious or eager to become a powerful businesswoman—she only wanted to do her current job well.

Second, she had absolutely no experience managing a company. She had only just started working—how could she dare to take over Channing Group, especially when it was something he had saved with such an enormous investment?

Bert, however, didn’t take it seriously. He poured her a cup of warm water, handed it to her, and spoke softly to reassure her.

"You still have me, don’t you?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"If I didn’t take Channing Group, how could I make Lucca and Tracy suffer even more? They schemed for half their lives just to seize Channing Group—dreaming that your father’s company would one day belong to them and your so-called brother. Now all their plans have come to nothing. They must be furious."

Everything Catherine was worried about, Bert already knew. Yet he still insisted on acquiring Channing Group. Part of the reason was to take ruthless revenge on Lucca and Tracy. In truth, the blows he had already dealt Lucca were more than enough—but to Bert, it still wasn’t enough.