"Auntie, Uncle I'll leave. Have a good evening."

Aria didn't wait for the reply and turned to leave but Zara held her back, "Why are you leaving?"

​​

Madam Wood too reached them, "Elder Hanes said you convinced him, how can you leave just like that?"

Aria faintly smiled thinking when did she convince him. She had gone to scare him. "It's family time. I'll be there to enjoy the functions."

Madam Wood slapped Aria's arm while Zara twisted her ear.

"Sister Zara, that hurts... that hurts..."

"What are you? Outsider? You are family too, you are staying and that's final."

Aria knew they treated her like family but she didn't feel her presence was right. She already went off the line and beat up Noah in front of everyone so she didn't want to stay.

"I have lots of work." Aria whined and heard Master Wood's order.

"Throw them to the bin. Come here."

Aria had no choice, hence she asked Levi to take her car and asked a maid to collect her bag.

She sat with the family silently as the elders spoke.

...

On the other end, Noah played with a gift box looking at Norah who was seriously opening the boxes.

Norah saw his gaze and probed, "Open."

Noah sighed, "Are you thinking Arrie told it for real? She sent us far to talk."

Norah's pace of unwrapping gifts lowered hearing him.

"I... I am sorry."

Noah frowned, "For?"

Norah lowered her head, "For breaking my promise."

"And that is?"

Norah's eyes filled up as she said, "I had said there is no stepping back and I backed out."

Noah nodded, "Okay."

This time Noah didn't want to initiate anything. If she really wants to be with him, he wanted her to speak her heart else he wasn't ready to lose every time for her without knowing if she will be with him.

He was ready to listen to her for everything but only after knowing she trusts him.

Norah felt tongue-tied hearing 'Okay'. She didn't know what to say. He didn't look like the Noah she knew.

Noah, she knew was the one who understood her without words. The one who always told what was in her mind. The one who never kept her in awkward silence.

Her hands trembled when she saw him opening the gift box unmindfully. "Noah..."

Noah hummed after a few seconds hearing her stop after his name.

"Grandfather permitted us to get married and canceled the previously arranged wedding."

Noah again hummed. There was no happiness and no other emotions.

Norah was confused, "Don't you want to marry me?"

Noah squeezed the box which was in his hands hearing her. He saw her doubting him. A self-mocking smile appeared on his face, "Good question. Well done."

He strode out of the mansion after saying it. His head was filled with lots of dilemmas. He knew he loved her but he was scared she might not trust him and their relationship.

He was happy that the whole family was ready to accept their relationship but what if Elder Hanes gets upset about them and asks her to marry somebody? Will she agree to him again? That tortured him.

He still remembers like yesterday how Elder Hanes's men pointed their weapons at him. He was already given heads up by Geoff and Aria so he was able to sit patiently at that time but still seeing Norah run away from him, only he knew how much he was hurt, how much he felt suffocated, how he had tried to stay cool that day.

When he was ready to do anything for her, he expected only little from Norah even though she had hidden many things from him.

He looked above and took a deep breath thinking whether he was expecting too much. Should he directly speak to her? She is an introvert, will she be able to talk even if she wanted?

Even though he wanted her to take initiative, in the end, he still understood Norah and decided to talk burying his expectations.

...

Everyone who saw Noah's going out was confused. Zara and Moran stood up in annoyance seeing Norah sitting alone. Moran clenched his fist in fury thinking Noah hurt his sister.

Aria spoke before they could react more, "Back to the seat. Do you have any idea what he has gone through? Sister Zara, you know it well. Let them resolve themselves. It's not always about girls. Boys have a heart too. They don't carry the stone." Aria knew he was pessimistic which could only be solved by Norah Hanes.

Moran frowned but he sat back.

Jude Hanes didn't comment. He didn't break the wedding because of Noah, he broke it because Norah accepted she didn't want to marry that man. Even if Noah and Norah couldn't make it, he had no objection.

Woods' parents knew Noah was more important for Aria than Norah or Hanes so they didn't say anything.

...

Norah who saw Noah leave abruptly understood she asked the wrong question.

Her complex emotions always confused her. She herself was clueless about what to do.

'Noah always understood me. Why can't he...' She realized from her own thoughts.

'Noah always understood me, Do I understand him? He always looked after me, tried harder for me, did I? He took risks for me, did I?'

'Do I deserve Noah?'

'There was always a one-sided effort, what did I do?'

'Silence is not a solution, if not now, when am I going to do it? I can't be like this, I have to change for the better.'

'All I have to do now is, never let him regret?'

Determined, she grabbed something from the gift box and went towards the exit. Her eyes fell on the vase on the wall table.

She took flowers and noticed Aria smiling while others were looking at her in confusion. "Thank you."

Then she ran out confusing Aria, "What did I do?" Zara and her parents chuckled hearing Aria.

Norah ran out and saw Noah looking at the sky. He turned around when she reached him.

Norah said what she wanted to say. "Noah, I know I am slow, I am always confused, I am not fearless but I want to change for you, I want to change for us.

I was scared to stand for you but I promise I will face everything and find a solution instead of running away. I will trust you at every point without a word. I will never let you regret whatever you did for me.

And to make these all happen, I need you. I need you for me to show I am worth your love. Noah Wood, will you accept me as your girlfriend, fiancee, life partner and wife for this lifetime?"