Chapter 417 - A Big Surprise (1/2)

Albert stepped out of the driver's seat, ran around the front, and opened the door.

Immediately the reporters on the side began to flash their cameras.

Halia looked at Emerson and Avaleigh in both confusion and nervousness. ”What's happening?” she asked.

Avaleigh grabbed Halia's hand and said reassuringly, ”Just follow our lead.”

Halia wasn't used to being in the public eye. Although her husband was one of the richest men in Hong Kong, he always kept a low profile, so reporters barely ever followed them. Avaleigh, on the other hand, was a celebrity, and Emerson now owned the agency that she worked for, so this was a familiar scene for them.

Emerson stepped out confidently first and waved at the reporters. After that, Avaleigh stepped out while holding onto Halia's hand.

A reporter immediately screamed, ”Surprise, Mrs. Wu! What do you think about the new casino that your husband built you?”

Halia looked at the reporter and was at a loss for words. Surprise? Were the reporters in on this? How did they know it was a surprise?

Avaleigh laughed and said on Halia's behalf, ”I think Mrs. Wu is still trying to process everything. Give her some time, we can hold a press conference after she has a look inside.”

Avaleigh then snuck a wink at the reporters and they immediately nodded their heads and backed away.

Halia looked at Emerson and Avaleigh and asked, ”Did you guys plan all this?”

Emerson laughed, ”We have a pretty good relationship with the media...”

”How else could we have kept an entire casino a secret from you?” Avaleigh added.

A year ago, when Jackson first told them about his plan, Avaleigh and Emerson immediately sat down with Marissa, Danson, and Steven, and they drafted a confidentiality agreement with the media. The media were allowed to mention that a new casino was being built in Macau, and take photos of its initial progress, but they weren't allowed to mention who was building it, why they were building it, and they weren't allowed to mention the name of the casino. Above all, they couldn't take any photos as soon as it began to come into shape. In exchange, they were given the opportunity to partake in one of the biggest surprises of the 21st century. In a world ruled by technology, and social media, where nothing seemed like a secret anymore, this was a statement to the world that the Hong Kong media weren't as ruthless as they seemed. That they could work together to help a man show his love for his wife.

When they saw the surprised look on Halia's face, they knew they had succeeded. The world was going to hear about this story tomorrow, and they were going to be amazed!

Emerson and Avaleigh led Halia to the entrance of the casino. As soon as the door opened, the grand foyer of the casino came into view. Golden accents, crystal chandeliers, designer furnishings... The place was beautiful and opulent, but it wasn't open to the public yet, so there was no one in sight.

Right in front of her, Halia saw a grand double staircase that curved and met on the first floor where there was a big beautiful archway with an exquisite art nouveau door.

Avaleigh saw Halia looking at the door and said, ”That's the ballroom. Everyone's waiting for you inside.” She then grabbed her hand and dragged her up the right flight of stairs.