Is this destiny?

Seeing that Chloe was not saying anything, Noah took her left hand and kissed the back of her palm while maintaining eye contact.

He touched the ring as he spoke, "There is no expiration date on this, Chloe. No matter if you label yourself as my girlfriend, fiancée, or my wife, this ring signifies that we are a couple and that we are serious about making it work. If you want to break up with me, you can return the ring. How does that sound?"

Chloe couldn't find a fault in his words, despite her instincts telling her that she was falling into a trap.

Should she add 'scheming' into the list of attributes for describing Noah?

But even if it's a trap, if it includes Chloe spending time with Noah, she will fall into it willingly because she fell for Noah a long time ago.

"OK."

Noah's face broke into a grin. He won this round successfully.

Soon, his little rabbit will stop resisting, and run toward him.

He had to bring up one point...  "You slept with me for two nights and I knew that you will do the right thing and take responsibility." 

Chloe burst into a fit of giggles. What responsibility? Other than hugs and a few kisses, nothing happened. And didn't he flip the roles? As a guy, he should take responsibility, but then... he came to her family and proposed, so she couldn't tease him about it. 

Noah wanted to hold Chloe until their bodies merge and to kiss her thoroughly, but he knew that if he starts, he won't stop anytime soon, and they should eat first.

"Let's eat before the food cools down. I don't want Longs to accuse me of starving my fiancée."

Chloe's heart jolted when she heard him address her as his fiancée. She didn't get used to the girlfriend label, and she is a fiancée already. At this rate, she will be his wife by next Sunday. Chloe shook those thoughts away and reminded herself not to overthink things.

Chloe felt like she was in a car that was speeding downhill without breaks, but whenever her eyes met Noah's, her brain refused to consider potential dangers and her insides trembled in anticipation as if looking forward to the impending calamity. It was her personal calamity in a form of a man named Noah.

…

During dinner, Chloe asked Noah, "Will you tell me what made you show up at my house?"

She wanted to find out the reasons behind his absolutely unexpected proposal, but she feared that if she asks directly maybe he will change his mind or say that it was a joke.

Chloe was still trying to wrap her mind around the whole proposal thing. But no matter what was going on in her head, she could not deny the fact that she was smitten and that she didn't want to ruin whatever was going on between them.

"I thought you will never ask. Allow me to start from the beginning…", Noah said and narrated how he looked into Mr. Baldeo and his deal with the Long family and how he figured out that other than the financial gains, the Long family has no other attachments to Mr. Baldeo. "Based on his background and finances I realized that he is below me in every way and because your goal was to run away from that marriage, I aimed at dissolving that deal."

"And there is no better way to make greedy dogs change their focus than to wave a juicy piece of meat in front of their noses.", Chloe said.

Noah made a face. "I am slightly insulted that you compared me to a piece of meat, but technically, your analogy is correct. I will console myself with the fact that you called me juicy."

Chloe stifled a laugh. Should she tell him that other than juicy he also looks delicious? Ah, she would love to lick him all over!

Chloe cleared her throat and decided to move along with the next topic. "Will you tell me what was in that prenuptial agreement?"

"Sure! Actually, you can see for yourself. I have a copy here...", Noah said and pulled a document from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

Chloe read through the document and her expression changed slightly with every second passing. "Do you really own all these things?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No. It's just that…", Chloe swallowed her words because he probably knows that his lifestyle does not match all those riches. Also, the document only listed assets that he said will be shared with Chloe after they are married, which means that he probably owns much more. "You are a difficult man to figure out, Mr. Bennet."

"Mhm…", Noah hummed. "I heard that before. Just recently someone called me unpredictable and eccentric."

Chloe pursed her lips in order to prevent the smile which was forcing its way on her face. She knew that he was talking about her. He didn't say anything when she called him eccentric, and she thought that he didn't pay heed to it, but now she realized that Noah can hold a grudge.

"Keep on reading…", Noah urged Chloe.

She continued silently reading through the list that included points of what she will get with every child she births to Noah, and what she will get in case of a divorce. She noticed how everything was orderly, as if someone with legal knowledge prepared this.

Her eyes moved toward the fine print at the bottom of the document, which spoke about the duties Chloe is expected to perform as Noah's wife.

"You really want me to sweep the floors and kill bugs?", Chloe asked in disbelief.

"I hate touching those things.", Noah said flatly.

They locked eyes for a few seconds and then both of them burst into laughter.

"So, at what point are we telling Longs that all this…", she waved the prenuptial agreement. "…is not valid?"

"Let's see what magic Steve will do with the dowry.", Noah responded.

"How much did Steve participate in this?", Chloe asked.

"When I told him that seniors are pressuring you to marry a man against your will, he wanted to intervene right away, but I asked him to hold back because they should get a taste of their medicine first. He agreed to use his influence so that you can get benefits."

Noah said and observed Chloe who guiltily lowered her gaze and he knew what was on her mind. "Don't blame yourself, Chloe. Steve is the patriarch and has the duty to take care of the family. If you want to help fix things, you will get your chance."

Chloe's eyes snapped at Noah. "What do you mean?"

"Steve will probably want to talk to you in order to find out more about the seniors who are bullying others and also about who is being bullied. He wants to help, but unless someone comes forward and speaks up, he won't do a thing. No one will force you to talk to him, but…"

"It's the right thing to do.", Chloe finished Noah's sentence.

Noah reached for Chloe's hand on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I will be with you, Chloe. You are not alone."

Chloe felt her heart swelling with emotions. Noah said that he will be by her side; it was a simple thing, yet it made her happy. It's all in the little things.

---

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