ARIEL POV
To mention that my astonished look wasn't obvious to Ryan would be an understatement. We kept looking at each other, as my gaze was filled with anger, anxiety, and confusion at the words he spewed earlier.
A year of marriage, and that was all? Divorced if I do not make him fall in love with him. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever heard, especially from someone like him. He had this confused notion, which only piqued my interest about who he really was.
“Yes, I agree to your terms and conditions, Ryan Ackers.” He smiled as I gently let out those words.
His next course of action stunned me the most. He stood up, before getting down on one kneel. He brought out a small box, as he opened it.
Unable to sit still, I immediately stood up, wondering what this was turning to. He was going to propose, and for a split second, my heart skipped a bit.
“Ariel Peterson, will you marry me?”
“Yes, I will,” my voice came out small, as he chuckled.
Without further ado, I stretched my left hand, as he gently slid the ring into one of my fingers.
He stood up, as he stared at me deeply in the eyes. My breath caught in my throat, as I watched him lean forward and brush his lips against mine. It was a soft, gentle kiss. The sweet scent of his cologne wafted through my nostrils. When he pulled away, I thought he took my heart with him.
That was my first kiss.
I felt completely dazzled by this man. He raised a brow and grinned at me. I blushed as I tried to hide it with my hair.
“I hope you succeed in making me fall in love with you.” I simply nodded, as he went over to the side of the table, where he really belonged.
He had his head down, as he began working on the files in front of him, silence clouding the atmosphere in his office.
It felt weird. And I felt I was no longer needed around him. Are we engaged? Yes, but it isn't real. I still had a Herculean task ahead. And that was to make him fall in love with him.
I sat for a while, trying to capture the brief event that transpired in my head. I sat down, as I just kept staring at him for a while. As if noticing my gaze, he lifted his head, as our eyes met.
“Staring at me? I thought you would want to leave by now.”
I shook my head, before picking up one of the files on his table.
“Let me help you sort out these files. That's if you don't mind.” I requested, as his forehead creased slightly.
“I studied Business Administration. And if you do not mind, I would like to relieve my fiancé from stress.” He chuckled, as he leaned back on the seat.
“Go on. You will not just be getting paid.” He teased, wearing an amused smile.
“Nah. Not a problem.”
I helped with sorting out the files, as I attended to the simple ones. By the time we were through, I was feeling hungry. The work was done in no time, as relief flashed through Ryan's face. I think he should get a Personal Assistant.
“Thank you for the help.” He appreciated it.
“You're welcome.”
The knock on the door interrupted my next set of words, as the secretary walked in after Ryan requested for her to come in. She glanced at me for a while, before dropping three bags she brought along on the table. She looked tired, but did her best to hide it.
With a smiling face, she looked at Ryan. I could sense she was harboring feelings for her boss, by her countenance.
“Here is what you ordered. Some men dropped it and I thought of bringing them here.” Ryan simply nodded, before standing.
“Thanks Chloe. You can leave now.”
With a final glare toward my way, she left.
Turning to look at me, he said:”Ariel, try these clothes out. And I ordered some meal for you,”
“What is the occasion?” I quickly asked, as it was getting a little weird for me.
“You will be meeting my family by 7pm for dinner. They would like to meet you.”
I stared at him, bewildered. Oh! no! My heart didn't just flip. It pined. It was as if cold water were poured on me, as I felt goosebumps.
“What? It is too sudden. Can't you shift it to a day or two?We just got engaged.” His lips curled into a smirk.
I felt my heart beat rise, as I was getting frustrated already.
“You got yourself into this mess in the first place, Ariel. We are now engaged. We are meeting my family today and that is final.” He stated curtly, as my mouth went dry.
My palms suddenly got sweaty, as I gently rubbed them on my gown. I felt a fluttering nervous stomach feeling.
“You….” I felt words stuck in my throat. I felt furious. It was too sudden.
He leaned towards me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. I could tell he was doing this on purpose.
“Those bags contain everything you will be needing for tonight. There is a bathroom at the right end of the office. Get ready before 6: 30 pm. I hate tardiness.”
This man had successfully pissed me off. I picked up a pen and threw it at him, which he dodged.
“You're so inconsiderate and annoying.” I huffed, folding my arms.
“Are you done?” He lifted his eyebrow, looking bored. I ignored him, looking sideway.
He left his side as he moved to where I was.
“If you really want to make me fall for you, you might start pleasing me. I hate lateness. I will be back to pick you up before 7pm.” Our eyes met again, his blue eyes pierced into mine,as his words registered into my brain.
I shouldn't have been angry with him. I should really work on being gentle towards him.
He opened his drawer as he brought out a phone. Opening my hands, as I allowed him, he placed the phone into my hand.
“You are my fiancée now, and we should start acting like a couple. See you soon, Ariel Peterson.”
Saying those words, he left the office . I felt speechless, nervous and anxious. 'This is not good," I mumbled, resting my head on the table.