Chapter 283 - 283: Thanks To Her

Bryan gazed up and looked straight in her eyes. With his soft voice, he started to explain himself to her.

"I am very sorry. I didn't mean to anger you nor insult you. All I wanted to say is… I am afraid to lose you."

April didn't know whether to believe him or not. Seeing her doubt, Bryan didn't stop and just continued speaking what's on his mind.

"April, you are the only strength and courage I have right now. I don't know how I can live without you."

"That's why today…" Bryan paused midway. Then seconds later, he raised his right hand and stretched it to her. In his palm, there was a small box. Inside that box was a diamond ring.

April was utterly shocked seeing that object in his arms. Bryan, in his kneeling position, he was holding that sparkling object which only meant one thing: he was proposing to her.

"April… will you accept me to be your husband? Will you spend your lifetime with me? April… will you marry me?"

April's eyes widened and her mouth gaped. She was currently tongue-tied. Her heart was beating rapidly and crazily inside her chest.

"Honestly, I bought this ring the day you accepted my love and you became officially my girlfriend. Since that day, I always have this ring with me. But I couldn't find the right timing and couldn't muster my courage to ask you."

"I was always hesitating. Then that unfortunate event happened. Seeing Erick suffering every day I thought I don't deserve to be happy, that's why I couldn't find my courage to ask you this not until last night. You told me… Bryan, don't be too harsh to yourself. With those words, I realized you are right."

"April… I love you so much. I am always looking forward to spending my present and my future with you. Will you accept me?"

April could see his pure and genuine love for her pouring out his gaze. She thought he would just leave like that but she was mistaken.

Her heart was filled with an overwhelming joy right now. Her mind was still in shock and couldn't absorb everything yet. So instead of answering him, she asked him absentmindedly.

"Then why did you leave me when I ordered you to get out?"

Bryan couldn't believe this girl. He was very nervous right now to the extent that his heart was about to explode from anticipating her answer. But then, here she was… asking him that kind of question.

Bryan heaved a frustrated sigh but he still answered her in the end. He needed to satisfy her curiosity first or else he might not get the answer he wanted to hear from her.

"I left this ring in the car so I went out to get it. I couldn't propose to you without it." Bryan explained to her.

"Oh, that's the reason why," April mumbled in a low voice.

Bryan couldn't stand it anymore. The tension he felt grew by seconds. He needed to hear her answer. This long wait was driving him nuts.

He held April's hand and with his desperate voice, he asked her again.

"April… will you be my wife? Please say yes. Please marry me!"

Hearing his anxious voice, April realized that she had not given him an answer yet. The worry and nervousness were reflected in his eyes.

April wiped the tears in her eyes. She cried just a while ago because she thought Bryan didn't care and just left her. Now, the anger, disappointment, and unhappiness she felt towards him were long gone.

April put on her bright and charming smile before she moved closer to Bryan and pulled him up so that they were now eye level and just centimeters away from each other.

She whispered "yes" before she closed their distance and kissed him on his lips. She was conveying her feelings for him through that long passionate kiss.

Bryan's face was now brimming with so much joy and happiness. Finally, he was able to propose, and the woman he loved accepted his marriage proposal. For him, today was his very lucky day and he was the luckiest guy in the world.

He couldn't help but shed tears of joy. He was kissing her intensely as he savored this moment. When they broke apart, he hugged her again tightly.

"Thank you… thank you. I will make sure that you will not regret this. I will make you happy. I will treasure and cherish you."

"I know. Thank you, Bry. I am also waiting for this. I have waited for you to ask me to marry you. I thought you haven't considered this thing yet. We already slept several times but to my disappointment, you never brought up the topic about marriage." April admitted to him.

Now April understood why Bryan took him that long before he found his courage to propose to her. It was because of guilt. He blamed himself for the unfortunate incident that happened between Erick and Elle.

"I am sorry about that." Bryan apologized to her.

April just patted his head and said. "Don't apologize. I understand you. I know how you feel. But I am really grateful that you found your courage. You are not alone in this battle. Your burden is also my burden."

Bryan was really glad to hear that from her. He released her and held her shoulders.

"But I still have something to confess to you," Bryan said nervously.

"Okay. What is it? Just tell me."

"I will tell you but promise me first that you won't go back to your words. You will marry me, no matter what, right?"

April's eyes squinted as she looked at him suspiciously.

"Hmmph. Don't tell me… you already have a child? Did you cheat on me? Did you i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e another woman?" April said accusingly.

Cough! Cough!

Bryan choked because of her accusing remarks. He didn't know whether he should cry or laugh.

"I didn't know that you have a wild imagination, sweety. That's not the case." Bryan defended himself.

"Hmm, okay. Then we have no problem. That's the only reason I would back out. Now, tell me."

Bryan gulped nervously before he spoke up.

"Sweety, do you remember that incident two years ago when someone tried to rob you?"

"Yes. That's the time you took the bullet on my behalf. Fortunately, the robber only used a tranquilizer gun. What about it?"

"Actually… the truth is…" 

Bryan was having a hard time completing his sentence. He was afraid that April might get mad once again. But he had no choice. He needed to be honest with his future wife. He should tell her the truth now.

"That was all planned by us. I was problematic at that time. You were avoiding me and didn't want to talk to me. So I asked Elle and Charles for advice. That's the suggestion of Elle."

April just remained silent with an indescribable expression on her face. Bryan couldn't tell what's on her mind.

"Our plan was for me to save you and I would look like a hero in front of you. I am very sorry for deceiving you." Bryan said in a low voice.

"If you wanted to beat me or shout at me then do it. Just don't hate me, April. Please don't!" Bryan said pleadingly.

Bryan closed his eyes, waiting for April to punch him and scold him. But to his surprise, his expectation never happened.

"I don't need to do that twice. I'd already beaten you before because of that." April said. There was a hint of humor in her voice.

Bryan opened his eyes and gave her a questioning gaze.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I already knew the truth a long time ago." April simply replied as she shrugged at him.

Bryan was at a loss for words.

'She already knew?! But how?'

As if April had read his mind, she suddenly burst into a peal of laughter.

"Hahaha, I guess you truly didn't remember. I thought you were just pretending before."

"Please enlighten me, sweety. When did you learn the truth?"

April pinched his cheeks and answered him.

"Dummy. You told me all about it. You spilled the beans using your mouth. Remember two weeks after that Rescue Mission happened. You were feeling down, mourning together with Erick about Elle's death."

Bryan's eyes widened in realization.

"Don't tell me… you were the true culprit who had beaten me? When I woke up I got several bruises in my face."

April nodded, confirming his words.

"You were very drunk at that time. You talked non- stop. You laughed and cried while you were talking about Elle. Then suddenly you brought that topic. Telling me how grateful you are to Elle. Because of her suggestion, you succeeded in getting a chance from me."

'[email protected]! I'm screwed. My future wife is so brutal. She'd beaten me up into pulp! So frightening!'

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"

Bryan just gave her a forced smile and said. "Nothing. Hehe"

"So… you are not gonna beat me now, are you? You are not mad anymore." Bryan asked her nervously.

Since April was now in a good mood after Bryan proposed to her she had no reason to get mad at him.

"Nope. I said I already punished you before."

Bryan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that.

Unknown to him, April was also grateful for that incident. Because if it didn't happen then she wouldn't have given Bryan that chance. 

'Elle was really unique and smart. She was the one who thought of that suggestion. Thanks to her, Bryan and I got together.' April couldn't help but smile.