Hearing Aaron's words made Anne burst out laughing. She even burst into tears when Aaron said he loved her.

"I'm serious, Anne," Aaron said seriously as he put the glass he was still holding onto the table.

​​

"Do you know what you said earlier, Aaron?" asked Anne softly as she wiped her tears from laughing.

"Of course I know, I want to have a relationship with you, Anne. I'm serious," Aaron replied back.

Anne sighed at Aaron's words. She then sat on the sofa next to Aaron. Still smiling, Anne stared at Aaron's face without blinking.

"On what basis did you tell me that?" Asked Anne, getting serious.

"I don't know, for sure I said that because I really like you, Anne. I've fallen in love with your cheerful and fun attitude.

I really fell in love with you since at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne a few months ago," replied Aaron at length.

"You fell in love with me because of my attitude, then what about my physique?" Asked Anne again.

"The first time we met on the side of the road when you got mad to Daniel at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne was when I started to like you, Anne," Aaron replied honestly.

Anne just smiled at Aaron's words without taking her eyes off Aaron.

"I have a very painful past, Aaron. I was betrayed by two people I trusted. My partner and best friend, they cheated openly in front of me.

And what they did is still vivid in my memory. Even after three years, I still remember it very clearly. To be honest, I can't have a relationship yet. If I have to have a relationship with someone again, I don't want to get hurt anymore, Aaron," said Anne quietly.

"Me-me too, Anne. I was betrayed by my lover. She also cheated on my back, when we were in a very serious relationship. We almost got married, Anne ..."

"Almost married." Anne muttered unconsciously, interrupting Aaron's words.

"Yes, we almost got married. I had even prepared everything and the happy day was only one week away, Anne, and she chose to leave me without a reason.

After a month passed, she just told me the real reason. She was not ready to marry me, she still wanted to pursue her career as a model.

She didn't want her body to be damaged by being pregnant and that happened almost four years ago, which means I have one more year of disappointment than you, Anne," Aaron said honestly, telling his past.

Aaron's words actually made Anne think of Jack. Yesterday, Jack also told her what had really happened to him until he finally came to England.

"Honestly, for now I'm not ready to have another relationship with you, or with anyone. I'm not ready to feel hurt anymore. It took me a very long time to forgive the two people who had betrayed me, Aaron.

And currently I'm trying to organize myself to become a better human being. To be a human who is not vengeful, a human who must be willing to let go of what is not mine anymore.

I just want to enjoy my days in peace without having to think about it anymore, I'm not ready to be hurt, Aaron, I'm not ready. If you are in a relationship, you must be prepared to be hurt," Anne spoke at length in response to Aaron's previous words.

"I know your heart hurts, Anne, because I also feel the same way. But I have forgotten those people who have hurt me. I don't think of her anymore, Anne. Life goes on, we can't keep racing with what had happened in the past.

We have to be happy. Okay, I know you don't want to feel hurt anymore. I understand that because I also don't want to feel disappointment anymore, Anne.

But if you reject my love because you're not ready, then, when will you be ready, Anne?" Asked Aaron seriously.

"I-I don't know, what I know is that my heart is not ready for a relationship again," answered Anne quietly.

Aaron was silent to hear Anne's words, he racked his brain to find a way for Anne to open his heart to himself.

"Marry me, Anne," Aaron said suddenly breaking the silence.

Thump!

Thump!

Anne's heart beat ten times faster than usual when she heard Aaron's last words. Her eyes even widened suddenly.

"It's not funny, Aaron, what you said was not very funny," stuttered Anne, she was completely unprepared for hearing such deadly words from Aaron.

"I'm serious, Anne, if you're afraid to start dating, we better get married," Aaron said confidently.

"We've only known each other for a few months, Aaron. We don't know much about each other. What you see about me is only a small part of me, then how can you be sure that you want to marry me?" said Anne confused.

Instead of answering the question that came out of Anne's lips, unexpectedly, Aaron hugged Anne tightly.

"I fell in love with you at first sight," whispered Aaron softly as he hugged Anne.

"And I do not need another reason, Anne, I will love you with all my heart. I will not disappoint you, Anne, I'm serious," added Aaron, adding his previous words.

Anne, who really didn't expect to hear all that from Aaron, was silent. She didn't know what to say. She was really afraid to get back into a relationship with someone, especially to get married.

Just yesterday she strengthened herself so that she could forgive people in her past, but now she had received a proposal to marry, where Anne had had a very big trauma with marriage itself.

Anne slowly released herself from Aaron's embrace, she then got up from the sofa and stretched her hand to Aaron unexpectedly.

"What do you mean, Anne?" Asked Aaron confused. His mind had drifted away thinking about Anne's attitude.

Without speaking, Anne then grabbed Aaron's hand and forced him to get up from the sofa, after which he invited Aaron to walk to the exit.

"Go home, Aaron, give me time to think. Everything is too fast for me," said Anne quietly asking Aaron to go home.

"I'm serious. Anne, believe me. I really want to marry you," Aaron replied in a raised voice.

"Let me think, Aaron, please," said Anne quietly.

"Okay, I will give you time to think. But as long as you think that you should not refuse my invitation, meaning when I come and want to ask you to go then you have to go with me. Don't stay away from me or avoid me," replied Aaron excitedly.

Anne nodded her head in response to Aaron's words, she really didn't know what to say, let alone change the subject. The only thing she could do was throw Aaron away from her apartment, and soon Aaron came out of Anne's room with a big smile.

Many times he waved his hand towards Anne who was still standing at the door. He walked backwards because he still wanted to look at Anne, the woman he just asked to get married. Aaron's smile was so big after he told Anne everything.

After Aaron was out of sight, Anne immediately went into her room, as soon as she closed the door she immediately sat on the floor while patting her cheeks which had been hot when she heard Aaron's statement of love.

"I'm not ready, Aaron, I'm not ready to have a relationship or get married. I don't want to be hurt anymore, it's enough that I feel the pain of loving someone. I'm not ready to accept that pain again," said Anne quietly, covering her face with her hands.

Meanwhile, Aaron, who had arrived at his car, was still looking at Anne's room. He smiled remembering what he had just done in that room.

After being quite satisfied staring at Anne's room, Aaron soon got into his Royce-Roll Drophead Phantom car, then left Anne's apartment onto the highway.

Without Aaron's knowledge, Jack had seen Aaron come out of Anne's apartment in his car. Jack's eyes flushed red with emotion when he realized Aaron had just come out of Anne's apartment.

"You're not as innocent as I thought, Anne, I didn't expect Aaron to come out of your room late at night. You always tell me that you're still hurt by what happened to you in the past, but in fact you just let the bastard Aaron into your room this late," said Jack coldly, staring at Anne who was standing behind the window of her apartment.

Unable to contain his anger, Jack threw the food he bought for Anne into the parking area just like that. Soon, he left Anne's apartment in his Bugatti Veyron.

When he was almost at his housing complex, Jack suddenly stopped his Bugatti Veyron. He stopped at the side of the road without turning off the engine.

"Why does it have to be Aaron? Why do you have to accept Aaron tonight, while yesterday you did not let me enter? Arrggghhh ...! Actually, who do you give your heart to, Anne? Is it me or that bastard?!"

Jack vented his frustration. He was jealous to see Aaron came out of Anne's apartment when it was quite late. Jack had never been this angry because of a girl, even then when Sophia Higgins ran away with a footballer whom he sponsored, his anger was unlike today.

Previously, when Sophia ran away, Jack was not too angry because he knew that the soccer athlete was not his equal, only because he was more popular and much younger than himself, so Sophia chose the soccer athlete.

But it was different with Aaron. Aaron was the same entrepreneur as himself. Aaron had a fairly large company and his name was also well known to many people. Therefore, Jack considered Aaron to be a competitor to him.

Jack massaged his head which suddenly hurt, he had never been annoyed because of a girl he had been after for a year and a half. When he was trying to get closer to the girl even more intensely, a new person came and messed up the plans he had put together for the past few days. He had even moved his office to London in order to be close to the girl who had stolen his heart.

to be continued