Chapter 148

148 His Girl

Ace gesture to the large walnut colored leather sofa in the middle of the living room for me to take a seat. I sat down as my eyes looked around the spacious living room. Unlike the luxuriously decorated interior of his office, the room felt more comfortable although still very appeasing to the eye.

The sofa shifted underneath me from Ace’s weight as he sat down next to me. Ace flashed me an adoring smile as he leaned his head in his hand with his arm rested on the back of the sofa. His brown hazel eyes stared at me observantly. He was close and the way he was staring at me made me feel slightly embarrassed.

“Umm...” I mumbled to break the silence.

“I guess, we need to talk?” Ace said as his eyes watched me intently.

“Yes...” I agreed in a whisper.

A huge part of me appreciated the fact that he wasn’t going to avoid it and pretend like nothing happened. Ace was usually too straightforward, but I found his frankness exactly what I needed in this seemingly uncertain situation. There were so many things that I wanted to ask him and talk to him about that I didn’t know where to start. My mind was a mess from the information overload from earlier. How did my humble and peaceful life get turned upside down like this?

“If there’s something that you want to ask, you can ask away...” Ace suggested as he kept his eyes on my face.

I had so many things that I wanted to ask, and I was struggling with what I should ask him first. Before I could think everything through, my instincts took over again and I ended up saying the first thing that entered my mind.

“What did you mean when you told your father that we’re going to get married?” I asked.

.....

Ace chuckled as his eyes sparkled at me mischievously and I wondered what ridiculous plan he had in mind again. Marriage isn’t something that I thought should be treated lightly or taken as a joke.

“I mean it exactly as it sounds. When I meet my father’s conditions, I want us to get married,” Ace replied calmly and clearly.

“That’s...crazy. I mean, we never talked about this before. It’s just...so sudden!” I exclaimed in pure shock.

I never imagined that he truly meant it. It was too sudden that I didn’t know what to think or how to feel about it. We’re not even dating each other properly and now he wants to marry me?!

“Is this some bad joke? I don’t think you should be joking about something so serious like getting married,” I exclaimed as I shook my head from side to side to clear my head.

“I never said that I was joking about it because it’s not a joke,” Ace replied firmly.

“It’s too soon. I don’t...it’s too sudden...” I said while stuttering.

“It’s not. The conditions will be fulfilled in around three years from now. That’s already a long time, if we’re still together then, which I’m sure that we will be, then we should get married,” Ace said like it was an obvious path for us to take. Ace stared at me before his lips curved into a smile as he waited for me to ask more questions.

“Why did you have to mention us getting married to your father?” I asked before I heaved a desperate sigh.

He should have told me first, but he never said anything about us getting married. On top of that, he had never even told me that he loves me. Does he even love me?

'

“It’s just as I just told you, because by that time, I think we should get married,” Ace replied matter-of-factly.

“Still, you should have told me. Are you sure that you want to marry me? Aren’t things just moving along too fast?!” I asked in a panic.

“Do you have another man in mind that you want to marry?” Ace asked as he stared deeply into my eyes.

“Umm...no...” I replied blankly.

“Great. Then it shouldn’t be a problem,” Ace concluded with full satisfaction.

Is life supposed to be this simply and easy?!

“We’re not even properly dating...you know?” I reminded him as I folded my arms under my chest.

“Then just be my girlfriend, Rina. I really want you to be my girlfriend,” Ace said before he smirked at me.

I remembered him complaining that he’d asked me many times before for me to be his girlfriend. The memory of the first time he asked me to be his girlfriend in his office popped into my mind. It seemed so long ago already when that happened. Of course, I got mad and turned him down. Since then, I’ve turned him down so many times while he just laughed it off. As his beautiful brown eyes stared deeply into mine as he waited for my answer, I wondered if my refusal had ended up hurting him. It probably did...

“I...” I began saying but then I hesitated as I chewed on my lower lip.

“Are you still going to turn me down?” Ace asked before he smiled sweetly at me.

He probably already knew my answer. It wasn’t like I had any other options after all that he’d done for me.

“Ok...” I murmured softly.

“OK, what?” he asked as his hand reached out to cup the side of my face.

His eyes held mine and forced me to look straight at him. I felt so vulnerable and exposed that I felt slightly scared. I wanted to say that I was sure that this was the right decision, but the truth was that I didn’t know. Then again, no one really knew what the future had in stall for us, and I might end up regretting this later but...

I guess I really am in love with him.

“I’ll be your girlfriend...” I mumbled softly.

You’ve really done it this time, Karina.

“About time. You have no idea how happy this makes me,” Ace said in a seductive drawl.

–To be continued...