Love and Debt

She was shocked when he said he wanted to hear the L word from her. She stood up, walked away from him, confused.

"A-Andrew, what are you saying? We had a deal."

He smirked. He really enjoyed seeing different reactions and expressions from her.

"Exactly. You used your debt to make a deal with me. So I'm just returning the favor, I am using that deal to give you everything you wanted. It's a win-win case for you. Think about it."

She couldn't understand what he really meant. If she agrees, isn't it like she was accepting defeat? It means she would have to tell him the L word first for him to give her what she wanted. How could that be a win-win situation for her?

"Don't make me look so stupid. I'm not that naive! If you don't want to sponsor me then fine! I swear I would never say that to you!" She yelled.

She turned around and walked out of the room, annoyed. He could hear her cursing him when she went out. He bursted out laughing instead of getting mad. She really makes everything amusing.

He was just teasing her. He knew what she was thinking and he just wanted to see her reaction.

But she really didn't need to ask her about the sponsorship. He asked her about what she wanted to study in college because he was actually fixing her documents. If she just looked at his laptop, he was on the website of Golden Oak College, checking on the course she mentioned.

He went with the flow of their conversation when she suddenly asked him to sponsor her. She didn't even know that when she became his fiance, a sponsorship was not necessary. The school board already knew that they're engaged so all her school fees will be transferred and charged to Cross Realty Corporation. There were some documents that needed signing and everything's settled.

He was shaking his head with a smile on his face. He would tell her once she's not mad anymore. He continued to work on his laptop and didn't notice the time.

When he was done, he looked at his watch and frowned. It was already ten in the evening but Nina hadn't returned to their bedroom. He decided to take a shower but even after an hour in the bathroom, she still didn't return.

He went outside to look for her. Everyone was already asleep so he walked slowly and gently, trying to not wake anyone.

He searched for her in the living room and in the kitchen. She wasn't there. He went to the garden but no one was there either. He then went to the library to look for her.

Nina loves reading books. She would always stay there in the afternoon until sundown every weekend. If she wasn't seen anywhere in the house, she was surely in the library.

When he went inside, it was dark. The lights were turned off and only the moon was giving light on the couch where a girl was sleeping quietly.

He smiled and walked towards her. He saw her still holding a book. She fell asleep reading it. When he looked at the title, it was the story of Rapunzel. She was a princess who was stolen from her parents, locked in a tower until a prince came to rescue him.

He took a sigh and sat down on the floor, leaning his back on the couch.

"Do you feel caged? Are you thinking that you are like Rapunzel? I somehow stole you from your family. I didn't give you a choice, I grabbed that opportunity to take you and your family's business. I'm not proud of it. But I didn't regret it. If I didn't come that day, maybe you and your sisters were taken by some other men. If I didn't accept the job from my father, I would have never met you. Are you waiting for your prince charming to rescue you?"

He glanced at her sleeping face and touched her on the cheek gently. He moved his hand away then looked outside the window, staring at the moon.

"At first, I wasn't really sure if I would offer you the marriage. Father was really insisting that I should have chosen a fiance already. He knew I was playing with women almost every night so maybe that was the only way for him to stop me from doing it. I know I was being unfair, asking you to marry me and worst, losing your innocence to someone like me. But I was really happy when you said yes. Everything was first to me. I admit I had a lot of experience when it comes to sex but there's no emotions in it. There were no feelings. But with you, everything's different." He paused.

He took a deep breath before he continued.

"You were this girl who grew up with almost nothing. Just a small shop and a family you cherish and love. But you were so positive in everything. I admire you for loving your family unconditionally. You even threw yourself to me to save your sisters. I thought I could control you but I was wrong. Everything I thought about you was wrong." He chuckled.

He glanced at her again. She was still sleeping and didn't even move an inch. He reached out her face, touching her cheek.

"For the first time in my life, I am afraid. I am afraid of losing you. For the first time, I am doubting myself. I don't know if I can make you stay with me. For the first time, I finally found someone that I wanted to keep. For the past months that we are together, I wanted to tell you something. But suddenly, you told me about that stupid deal of yours. I was disappointed. Nina, I already lost  before that. I just couldn't accept it. What I'm trying to say is… I-I"

He took a deep breath again and closed his eyes....