Chapter 423 The Proposal
Before I could finish my sentence, Nicholas suddenly interrupted, “I know what you want to say, Anna. You’re trying to turn me down because you think we’re just friends and business partners, right? But I know the real reason why you don’t want to be with me. It’s because of Michael, isn’t it?”
It did not take long for Nicholas to figure me out, and when he mentioned Michael, I got even more nervous because everything he said was true. I just did not want to admit it then.
Feeling guilty as charged, I kept my head lowered for quite a while before finally deciding to bite the bullet. “Nicholas, I only rejected you because I don’t have feelings for you. It has nothing to do with anybody else. I’m simply listening to my heart.”
I knew better than to get Michael involved because it would only make things more complicated, and that was the last thing I wanted.
“Anna, you know what kind of person I am and how much I care for you. If you have my help, I’m sure things will get much easier for you. And since Michael’s out of the question, why not give me a chance? I think it’d be best for the two of us, don’t you?” Nicholas seemed to have stopped suspecting Michael, yet he was still not ready to give up.
I did not expect Nicholas to be so persistent; I thought he would just let it go as soon as I turned him down because that was what happened before.
Every time I deliberately tried to change the subject, he would go along with it. However, it seemed that he was determined to get an answer from me this time.
“Nicholas, I—”
“Aren’t you going to take the flowers first? I’ve been holding them out for a while now, you know?” Nicholas interrupted me again before gesturing for me to accept the bouquet.
Staring at the roses, I thought it would only be polite for me to accept them, but at the same time, I did not want Nicholas to take it the wrong way.
Eventually, I decided to accept the bouquet out of courtesy.
“I don’t believe that you never imagined us being together. I mean, I’m not that bad, am I?” Nicholas’s expression softened up a little after I took the flowers from him.
I frowned a little when I heard those words. I can’t deny the fact that Nicholas is a fine gentleman, but he’s still no match for the old Michael. So honestly, I really don’t have any feelings for him.
“You are a catch, and I’m sure there are a lot of women out there who would kill to be with you. But I’m not one of them. I’m just different like that. You know that, right?” I inquired while looking him right in the eye.
Since Nicholas had decided to come clean, I thought I should make myself clear as well to avoid the awkward situation from happening again in the future.
“That’s precisely the reason I fell for you. The more I got to know you, the more my feelings for you grew. I’ve never felt this way about another woman! That’s why I decided long ago that I was going to make you mine.”
Although I had already made myself as clear as possible, Nicholas continued to express his feelings for me. My goodness! What do I have to say to make him understand? It’s like he’s ignoring what I said on purpose.
“This is the proposal ring I’ve prepared for you, Anna. Will you marry me?”
Just when I was still trying to figure out how to explain myself, Nicholas suddenly pulled out a ring.
I was utterly stunned as I stared at the expensive-looking diamond ring. Never did I expect Nicholas to propose to me that night.
I thought he was just planning to confess to me, so the sudden turn of events caught me completely off guard.
I stared coldly at Nicholas and wondered what was going on in his mind. What the heck happened to him? The Nicholas I know would never do anything like this. Since when did he become so hasty?
Before I could reject him, I heard someone clapping behind me, and following that was a familiar voice.
“I only came here for dinner, so I never expected to see such a grand display of love. Are you that eager to get married, Anna?”
Michael’s tone was icy-cold, and when I turned around to face him, I could see that he had clenched his fists in anger.
My mind immediately went blank after seeing the furious look on his face. “What… What are you doing here?”
For some reason, a part of me hoped that Michael heard what Nicholas said to me.
“Why shouldn’t I be here? Are you afraid that I would witness how you accept another man’s proposal? No wonder you kept refusing to see me. You’re trying to throw yourself into someone else’s arms, aren’t you?” ridiculed Michael with a condescending sneer.
Immediately after listening to those harsh words, I, too, got upset. What right does he have to judge me like that? I didn’t even respond to the proposal yet! Even if I were to marry another man, what does it have to do with him? I can be with whoever I want!
“I don’t think this is any of your business. I’m allowed to marry anyone I please,” I retorted before turning my back on Michael.
Meanwhile, Nicholas seemed unusually calm about Michael’s sudden appearance.
Since the two were seated facing each other, I suspected Nicholas would have seen Michael coming. Why didn’t he say anything about it, though? Did he want Michael to see him propose to me?
The look on Nicholas’ face was enough to convince me that I was right, and at that point, I was disgusted by his deviousness.
“Are you really that desperate for a man, Anna? Why didn’t you come to me then?” Michael got even angrier after hearing what I had to say, but he did his best to suppress his emotions.
