Chapter 2: Proposal

After his cousin’s wedding, his family will surely pressure him to attend the blind dates, and they will eventually but surely force him into some alliance. He doesn’t want that! "Let’s go then." Chris beamed and looked back at his cousin, Ben Cooper, who was smiling at him. Ben Cooper, his cousin and the CEO of their company, has always wanted Chris to come into a relationship. However, Chris never harbored such feelings towards anyone except for Brina. She is the only one who succeeded in opening up the love Chapter of Chris’ heart. Unfortunately, she never hinted at a similar feeling towards Chris, and, in contrast, she was always guarded around him. "I wish Brina would agree. She feels lonely every time." Tanya said. "She is tough to understand, and it is really difficult to make her open up about her past. However, I am having a strong feeling that she wouldn’t act the same with Chris," she reassured her fiancé. "Moreover, I will be moving in with you, and that would make her even lonelier. Chris and Brina are a perfect pair to begin with," she giggled, sweet and gleeful. Ben nodded his head and hummed a little in affirmation, warmly looking at his fiancée. "And, as you requested, I asked the management to transfer Brina to the upper circle. From now on, she will be your secretary and in this way you will not miss her and she, perhaps, might not feel lonely either." Ben told her, recalling the request his fiancée had made. Tanya smiled delightfully and hugged his arm before placing a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you so much, Ben." Ben chuckled and flicked her head playfully. "You can thank me in another way, you know, Mrs. Cooper," he teased. "I do know it, mister. But Brina has to agree to it, right? If you succeed in convincing her, I might think about your request." Tanya smirked. "Such a tease," Ben pouted. Meanwhile... "We never see these countless stars in the city, right? I miss this beautiful sky." Chris casually said as he and Brina leaned over the railing, watching the sky. They were now standing four floors below the top floor, and no one was there to be seen. However, Brina, on the other hand, is always guarded and alert. It is something Chris never understood about her. However, he could only shrug it off his kind, assuming that she is like this because of his presence. It makes him happy because it shows that she has some feelings for him... Well, it’s one of many ways he convinces himself... "Yeah, the stars never appear much nowadays. I miss my childhood whenever I see the starry night. Every summer, my parents used to take me to the countryside and we used to spend the whole week in the rented cabin. I just miss them so much whenever I see the sky." Brina said, for a change, letting herself reminisce about the happy moments in her past. She intended not to let down her guard, but even before she could realize, those words slipped through her tongue. It could be the mild effort of drinking. "I am sorry for your loss, Brina. I feel you," Chris said as he tried to console her. "I don’t think you can feel me. You have such cool parents who are famous and popular across the country. Just don’t pity me." Brina smiled a little, but the hurt in her eyes was obvious in how much she missed her parents. "I am just trying to console you, Brina. I might not know how it feels, but I am aware of how deep it cuts through the heart and how tough it is to get it healed." Chris said, inching a little closer to her. "But, it isn’t something that cannot be healed. When you feel loved and cherished, those scars automatically fade away," Chris continued, giving a hint of what he is implying here. In response, Brina just nodded her head and sighed. She, intuitively, moved a step away from him, maintaining the gap. Chris, of course, noticed it, and he knew it was now or never. He could only muster up his courage and took her hand into his, making her look at him in surprise. "Brina, listen to me, please," he said, stopping her from retrieving her hand. "Just let me help you pass through this difficult time in your life, Brina. Let me love you and cherish you so that you will never feel lonely or alone," he quickly added. "Brina Parker, will you be my girlfriend?" all of a sudden, as he kneeled on one of his legs, holding a ring with his fingers. Brina knew this would happen, and she wanted it to happen. Not because she wanted to accept his proposal, but to decline him and release him from his false hopes on her. He is a good person, and she respects him a lot. He is also a good friend to her, but she has never seen him in that way. To be more precise, she doesn’t have such feelings for him even after figuring out that he had. More importantly, he and she can’t happen. According to her, they are worlds apart, and she has a strong feeling that she can’t adapt to his lifestyle. She should not. Moreover, she is a mere employee who works for her payday, and he, on the other hand, is one of the multi-billionaires of the country. Above all, Brina has an aversion towards wealthy individuals for a strong reason. And, all she wants is a simple life with no limelight and paparazzi following her. Unlike many, she detests getting attention, and it is for a reason. Meanwhile, Chris, who has been watching her, noticed her expressions slowly morph from one to another. Sadness, pain, guilt, hate, and anger... but not surprised. She was anticipating this since earlier, and someone as observant and adept as her can easily predict that it would happen on some special occasion like this day. Chris pursed his lips, realizing that she wasn't happy to accept his proposal. However, he isn’t angry and upset. Someone as special and beautiful as Brina would never fall in love easily. He knew that he had to wait patiently and adamantly for her.