Burning Passion

CHAPTER 214: YOU MUST MARRY THE ONE YOU LOVE

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"Steven, what are you doing here?" Nina asked the guy.

It surprised her to see him. Nina looks around; maybe Harry comes along with Steven. But it seems like Steven flew to England alone, and she had a hunch why. She ignores his letters. He came personally to talk to her.

"Where is Harry?" she asked. 

A flash of scorn appeared on Steven's face, which Nina overlooked.

"I'm alone. I want to talk to you, Nina." 

She is disappointed when Steven comes alone. It looks like Harry honestly does not care about her. Then, the kiss they shared is just a kiss. For Harry, it's nothing and no meaning at all. 

"There is nothing we need to talk about, Steven." Nina coldly told the guy. 

Steven, on the other hand, could sense Nina treated him indifferently. She is still mad at him. And the reason he was here is to apologize and explain himself over again. Nina stops replying to his letters. But he doesn't like the scene he saw. Someone is tailing Nina around. 

Steven meets Albert's ferocious gaze. 

The two men wrestle their eyes. No one seemed to give up. 

"What are you doing here?" Bluntly, Albert asked Steven. He and Nina tried to solve the issue this guy created. Now he has a thick face to show up in front of Nina. 

Albert did not avert but returned a dark glare from Steven shooting at him. 

"Why do you care about it? You are not Nina's boyfriend." Steven replied. He sneered at Albert. 

"Yet! And don't speak like you are his boyfriend either." 

"I am not. It's true. But I want you to remember this. Nina and I will engage soon. So back off!" Steven pushes Albert. 

The guy was annoyed; Albert threw his right knuckle to punch Steven. 

"What are you guys doing!" Nina screamed. She was in a panic when the two guys began punching each other. 

Steven attempts to kick Albert in the face. But Albert dodges it and throws his knuckle into Steven's face one more time. Albert rushed toward Steven, pushing him hard both rolled to the ground.

Other students gather and watch the fight. Some are cheering as they recognize Steven. Nina got upset when the two guys wouldn't listen to her and want to stop fighting. 

"Ah! Whatever!"

Nina left them to continue fighting. She headed to the exit gate of the campus, leaving Steven and Albert.

"Nina!" 

She didn't stop but waved for a taxi and left the campus. 

Albert and Steven dropped their mouth. Nina just left them! 

Both the guys have bruises on their faces. The passerby got intrigued by what happened to them. 

~~~~~

"Nina, you're home! Where's Steven?" 

"Do you know Steven is here?" she asked her mother with a little bit of shock. 

"Yes. He came by, asking about you. I told him you are at the campus. So he said he will fetch you." 

"He came to the campus, yes." 

"What happened? You look upset... Did you fight with him?" Dona asked curiously. Her daughter is rare to show this kind of expression in front of her. 

However, she denied it. "Not, ma. I'm tired. I'm going to my room." 

"Okay." 

Nina climbed the staircase and forgot her promise. Dona heaves a sigh, watching her daughter feeling gloomy. Somehow, she knows the reason. She could sense there's a deeper reason Nina is sadder since that article.

And evident, Steven was here, but her daughter is yet sad. 

"Madame Li?" 

"Oh, Jessica!"

"Did the Young Miss home already?" 

"Yes, Jessica. But she looks sad as usual." Dona did not hide her weariness. "Do you think Nina likes Harry more than Steven?" 

Jessica lit her eyes, Dona confirmed that it was the case. The one Nina likes is Harry, not Steven. But the eager one to win her over is Steven. 

"So, was this complicated?" Dona mumbled.

Jessica nodded, she phrased. "It is hard to have a one-sided love." 

"My poor Nina." Dona is looking upstairs, gazing out at her daughter's bedroom. She ponders a moment. She finally remembered it. "She promised to make you a cake!" 

"It's alright, Madame Li. I rather make something for Miss than for my birthday. My day would be sad if Miss stayed this gloomy. Her birthday is also approaching soon." 

"You are right, Jessica. But Nelson is coming! Hope her father can do something and bring back her cheerfulness." 

"That's great then, Madame Li! Maybe a nice vacation to Paris?" 

"Wonderful idea! I want to make tea for Nina and talk to her about it! Maybe she will turn excited." 

Dona makes tea shortly. She brought it to her daughter. 

"Nina? Can I come in?" 

Dona waited for her daughter to respond before she entered the room.

"Yes, mama." 

Nina's voice has no life. She is unmotivated this day, and Dona wants to comfort her daughter. She doesn't like seeing her sluggish when so much to do to have fun. Now it is summer.

"Nina, I made tea for you and apple pie! I want you to try it and tell me if I perfected this time! Mrs. Smith patiently taught me. Tell me if it's good!" 

"Thank you, Ma." 

Nina lazily got up and sat on her bed. She accepts the plate her mother handed her.

She tasted the Apple pie, and it was good. Anything her mother made is good. But by now, it couldn't mend her broken heart.

"Nina, can I speak with you, honey?" 

"Sure, ma. What is it?" Nina permits her mother; she prepares her ears to listen while she sips tea and puts a small portion of apple pie in her mouth. 

"I want you to be honest with me. Did something happen in the school when Steven picked you up?" 

Nina swallowed; she nodded. "Steven and Albert are punching each other." 

"Oh, wow! Is Steven alright? I mean, he just flew to England to talk to you." 

"They instantly ridicule one another the moment they see each other." 

"Hm. I see… Real men do!" Dona pushes a smile. She combs her daughter's hair. 

"Is that so? Did papa fight because of you, mama?" 

"Well, yes. Your papa always crosses someone. He fought and argued. Some men always provoked him. He is old, so he is not suited for me." 

"Oh. Are they your suitors!?" 

Dona sees that Nina brightens up and now is eagerly talking with her. She replied, "Yes. Most are college students from a neighboring university from the All-girls' academy I stayed." 

"Oh…" 

"Well, I ignored your father and swore I won't marry him." 

"What happens? Have you fallen in love with him?" 

"To be honest? At first, I hated being arranged with someone I didn't know. Well, I know your father, but we never talk or become a friend before they introduce us to each other. He was already a businessman when we officially met and introduced him as my husband." 

"I see." 

"Your father is a good man and patient with my stubbornness. And many things I discovered that I didn't notice, and I already fell in love with him."

"That was too romantic, mama! I'm happy; I was made with love!" 

"Ahem! Of course, you are!" Dona blushed. And her daughter is right. Nina was the fruit of her and Nelson's love. 

"Nina, I want you to choose whom you love. But yes, who knows? That you will fall in love with someone you hated most!" 

"Huh, Mama?" She contemplates.

'Could it be possible?' She asks herself, the scenes playing inside her head when she seems in love with Albert. 

'No!' Her brain freaked out. 'That would never happen!' 

She also imagines that she was kissing Steven. 'No!' 

There's only one man, her heart beating too. Only Harry she desires to love. 

Dona keenly observes her daughter. She knew Nina was playing different scenes inside her head. As a mother, she understood. She also has been in her daughter's situation. And in Nelson's case, it's not difficult to love him. 

"Nina, be honest with me. Who do you kike between Harry and Steven?" 

Nina remained silent. She was shy to admit to her mother that Harry is the one she loves and no one else. 

"Nina, I want you to be honest to yourself. You must marry the one you love. But it is also important that he loves you back." 

Nina throws her arm around her mother's waist. At this rate, she cried and confessed. 

"Mama, how about if he doesn't like to fight his feelings for me?"

"Did you believe he has a reason?" 

Nina nodded. She could tell her mother understood and guessed who she talked about.

"I understand he doesn't want to hurt someone. But I know from his kisses. He likes me too." 

Nina blushed after she realized she just confessed to her mother. Embarrass, she looks up at her mother.

Dona beamed, peering at her daughter, whose face flushed.

"It seems like he chooses not to hurt his brother and let him bear the pain of loving someone in secret." 

"Oh! That's it!"

Suddenly, the door opened, and a man walked in. 

"Where are my queens and princesses?" 

"Papa!" Nina jumps down from her bed and runs to her father.

"Honey, you said your flight is in the next day?" 

"Well, that won't be a surprise if I tell the exact day I arrived?" 

Nina and Dona hug him tight. Nothing can describe his happiness at the moment. 

He felt complete that the two people he loved so much were inside his arms. 

"I missed you both!" Nelson told her wife and Nina.

"I missed you too, papa!" 

"And I missed you, honey." 

Nina instantly covers her eyes when her parents shamelessly kiss her in front of her. 

But she was proud of how in love her parents were with each other. She couldn't help wish for herself.

A perfect marriage with her dream husband…

~~~~~

Next chapter: 

Nelson is in the living room, reading a newspaper, when someone rings the bell on the door.

Nelson marches to the door and opens it. 

"Steven? What happened to you?" Nelson was surprised to see Steven with bruises and black-eyed.. He then noticed another guy on the doorsteps who also had bruises the same as Steven. "And who are you?"