?<strong>Chapter 559:</strong>


    “Why let her get on your nerves?” he asked.


    “I just can’t stand gold diggers like her,” Katherine replied indignantly. “When your family was in a mess, she ran off and got involved with your friend because she thought she could no longer benefit from you. What kind of person does that? It’s her fault her life is miserable now, but she’s acting like she’s the victim and we’re at fault! The nerve of that woman!”


    “Just ignore her,” Shawn said, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, his eyes softening. “In a way, I’m grateful for what happened. If she hadn’t betrayed me, we wouldn’t be together.”


    Neither of them spoke further, both lost in thought as they recalled their younger days. Katherine had always been loyal, never backing down from a fight, whether verbal or physical.


    When Shawn got into fights in high school, his friends would bring Katherine along to confront his enemies, knowing her strength and fighting skills could equal those of two boys.


    The more Shawn learned about her character, the stronger his feelings for her grew, filling him with a happiness he hadn’t experienced before.


    “Katherine, how about we get married?”


    Drifting through her own reflections, Katherine snapped her attention to Shawn. She initially thought she might have misheard him, but there was no mistaking the seriousness in Shawn’s eyes—seriousness so profound it brought tears to hers.


    “Why?” she asked.


    Shawn offered her a smile.


    Katherine’s perspective had always been uniquely her own. When he proposed marriage, while most would simply ept or decline, she asked for his reasons.


    “I want a home,” he began, his voice steady. “I want to build a home with you. Ever since I fell for you, I’ve imagined a future with you, one that includes marriage.”


    He listed his reasons one after the other. The first one touched a sore spot in Katherine’s heart. She felt a deep sympathy for Shawn, who, after losing his parents at a young age, had to face the harsh world on his own. Hisck of interest in wealth and fame came from enduring countless harsh res throughout his life. He had learned to shield himself with a veneer of detachment.


    The second reason enveloped her in warmth, filled with love.


    The third unveiled a truth about Shawn—despite his seemingly aloof exterior, he was emotionally solid, mature, dependable, and highly capable. If she were to choose someone to marry, she couldn’t imagine anyone but him.


    Shawn then leaned forward, retrieving a deep blue velvet box from thepartment near her feet and opened it before her.


    “Are you ready to marry me?” he asked, revealing a sparkling diamond ring inside.


    The box disyed the logo of a renowned jeweler, known for a policy that allowed each customer to purchase only one diamond ring in their lifetime—a symbol of unending love andmitment.


    Katherine was usually not one to shed tears, but overwhelmed by Shawn’s profound affection, she found herself moved.


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