Ghost Billionaire
Chapter 74: Bouquet of Roses

Chapter 74: Bouquet of Roses

"Okay, okay, stop glaring already," May said, pulling Catherine’s hand gently. "He’s probably enjoying every second of this. Don’t give him the satisfaction."

She gave Catherine’s hand a squeeze. "Seriously, it’s his loss. You’re the most beautiful girl here. Smart, confident, driven. What more could he possibly want?"

"Cut it out," Elisa muttered, letting out a sigh. "People are starting to notice. You need to chill."

Catherine didn’t budge. "He humiliated me," she said under her breath. "And I was being sincere."

Who did Matthew think he was, pulling something like that?

May leaned closer. "Forget him. The next part is about to start. Let’s have the team fix your makeup and let’s make sure he gets a good look at what he threw away."

Right on cue, the lights in the venue dimmed, signaling the start of the most anticipated event of the night.

The host stepped forward to announce the part of the gala everyone had been waiting for—the Rose Donation Dance.

Six selected girls walked onto the dance floor, each dressed to impress, holding baskets ready for the roses. Everyone knew the rules: each rose dropped into a basket counted as a donation, priced at fifty to a hundred dollars or one could change the tag and write a certain amount. The girl who collected the most would win the final dance and take home the crystal rose trophy—a title that would last until next year’s gala.

The music immediately started.

Students from the crowd began to step forward, some alone, some in small groups, each carrying roses. Some handed in just one or two. Others clearly came with stacks. The donations piled up quickly.

Everyone had been preparing for this, even the girls on the floor. A few of them had been talking about it for weeks. Some even arranged things with their friends to make sure they’d get enough roses. Some girls even asked their parents to invest in some roses and have their friends gave it to them.

However, unlike them, Catherine believed this part of the night belonged to her. She looked the part, and she’d dropped more than a few hints to make sure certain people would come through for her.

As the roses continued piling up, the host began announcing the running totals. To Catherine’s surprise, one of the girls—Nina Miles—was already pulling ahead, her basket filling up quickly. Nina was in the same year as her, but she usually kept to herself and never sought the spotlight. Catherine hardly paid her any attention.

Well, not tonight.

Catherine’s smile froze. Then she eyed Lenox, who was just preparing to give her some flowers. A smile appeared on her face.

Lenox immediately walked toward her basket and actually handed her a bouquet of roses. Seeing the tags on each rose immediately made her blush. She was certain that the roses each had two-hundred-dollar tags. And Lenox didn’t just give her two or three. He gave her a bouquet of them!

After what felt like forever, the host gave them one last countdown. A few boys rushed forward with last-minute roses, dropping them into baskets. Nina got another handful, but this also made Lenox give Catherine a few more.

Seeing this, Matthew turned his head away. He could already see the smile on Catherine’s face, thinking that she would win. In his last life, he invested 50 grand just for this woman, making her win!

Matthew snorted. Not happening.

Without a second thought, he nodded at Dean, who was not too far away from him. Dean nodded back and then handed him a bouquet of flowers.

Seeing him with a flower in hand, Catherine frowned. What was he doing? She thought. Was he planning to give her the flowers? Or...

After what happened earlier, Catherine’s anger toward Matthew tripled. Currently, he shouldn’t have any reason to give her flowers. Unless...

Just as she expected, Matthew then marched toward the women and actually handed them to Nina.

Catherine’s eyes widened. Hatred burned in her gaze as she glared at him. "Bastard!" she mumbled. What was he trying to do now? First, he embarrassed her in the lobby, and now this?

The host tapped the mic twice. "Time’s up. Thank you so much for participating, ladies and gents. Counting starts now."

Catherine didn’t move. Her fingers curled tightly around the handle of her basket as volunteers came around, collecting them. She watched, expression stiff, as her basket was taken away. All she could do now was wait.

After a few moments, the host stepped forward again. "And here are the final results," she announced. "The top fundraiser tonight is Nina Miles, with an impressive thirty-five thousand dollars. In the second place, we have Catherine White, with twelve thousand."

A mix of cheers and applause followed as the host continued, "As promised, every dollar raised tonight will go to children in need. Let’s give a round of applause to our six ladies for their participation and to everyone who contributed to making this night a success."

Applause broke out, mostly for Nina. Catherine stood still, anger boiling in her chest. She didn’t have to hear the number again to feel it cut. She already knew. Ten thousand of hers came from Lenox. She only managed two on her own. However, she couldn’t help but wonder how much Matthew had spent this time to make Nina win!

"Hey... calm down. You look like you’re about to cry," May quickly grabbed her arm. "But I can’t blame you. This is unbelievable. He actually went and did it."

Catherine didn’t answer. She silently gritted her teeth in irritation. It looked like Matthew was hell-bent on destroying her tonight!

"He knew how much this meant to you," May went on. "And he still gave it to her."

"That man is so hateful, I wish I could slap him." Elisa said, her eyes narrowed at Matthew.

Catherine followed their gaze.

Matthew had stepped forward, smiling slightly as he approached Nina. He said something that made Nina nod and smile in response. Then she placed her hand in his, and they walked to the center of the floor.

The lights dimmed again, and the final song started. Now, Matthew and Nina were dancing in front of everyone.

Seeing this, Catherine’s nails dug into her palm. She couldn’t look away. But it wasn’t because she was mesmerized by the scene. "He will pay," she whispered.

"Hey..." a voice suddenly whispered next to her. She turned and found a waiter who discreetly handed her a piece of paper while giving her a juice. "Someone wanted me to give this to you," the waiter said. Catherine accepted it without saying a word. Then she excused herself and went to the washroom, where she opened the piece of paper.

Almost immediately, her expression changed.

Yes. Matthew will pay, and she will make sure of that.