Chapter 8：Ch 8: What did you just say?

It was such a shock to her that she swore her heart stopped beating for a whole ten seconds. When she did regain her composure, her voice was so low, she barely heard herself speak, "W—What did you just say?" You could have heard a pin drop.

It felt like someone just dumped a bucket of warm water over her head, and she was left completely speechless. For her, the offer was earth-shaking. Owen Ross just asked her to marry him.

One of the country's richest, most sought after bachelors just proposed to her. Yes! She wanted to scream, yes…yes…yes! It felt like she'd been in love with him forever, but she didn't think he even thought she existed except for the pesky little sister that used to follow Joseph everywhere.

Although he never treated her as pesky, and, if anything, treated her more with indifference except when she fell out of the tree, and now. Then there was that one time with that boy she dated in high school. She shuddered at the memory. Regardless, she couldn't marry him for the wrong reasons to protect her reputation.

As much as she wanted to, it seemed wrong. Owen leaned forward placing his forearms on his knees, and his golden eyes met her green gaze, "Think about it.

Your financial troubles would be at an end, there would be no gossip, Alice would have a woman to look up to, and I wouldn't have to worry about courting another woman who would most likely be after my money and treat Alice like a pest." Did he not realize that wasn't the only thing he had to offer?

My Lord the man was a walking sex symbol and would be the catch of the century to any woman. He could have any woman he wanted, yet he asked her. She probably would be filled with unrestrained joy if he didn't make it sound like a business proposition. "I'm thirty-four Abigail.

He continued. A good match? It sounded so blasé. What could she possibly offer him? Would he expect sex? Children? Would he have extramarital affairs? After all, the mandated supermodels. She couldn't possibly measure up. In all, she knew he was doing

this out of loyalty to her cousin. Why would he make an offer today of all days? It was true that she had been in love with him since she was fourteen, but he'd never given any indication that he even had an inkling of affection for her. If he cared about her more than that he would have said something, wouldn't he?

Also, he never touched her affectionately, ever. Even when she dated a boy in high school, he got angry over the situation with reason, but still, he never let on that he cared about her more than Joseph's little sister. She remembered that day as clear as yesterday and although she felt completely ashamed at her actions.

Joseph had to go out of town one weekend and she'd snuck out to a party with a twenty-two-year-old boy when she was seventeen.

Joseph had asked Owen to keep an eye on her. Not only did he shock her by showing up at the party, but he was also angry.