Romance with the Cursed Siren

CHAPTER 42. The Proposal

"No, get off me!" Crystal hardly pushed him with all her strength that made Gabriel stumbled a bit and took a step backward. 

"How dare you say that you love me when you are engaged with someone else? What do you want from me, huh? And what about this?” raising her wrists.

“Is this the love that you are talking about?” She continued with a heavy heart, but Gabriel just looked down, uttering no word.

"I don't want to stay here, please." Again, she pleaded, but suddenly Gabriel kneeled in front of her.

"Crystal, I'll do whatever you want. I will give you anything you need. Just please, don't leave me." Gabriel begged, dropping his head. But his phone rings suddenly, cutting the scene off. Gabriel just ignored it as he froze on his spot waiting for the lady's response, but the continued ringing brought annoyance to Crystal. 

"It must be your fiancee," she mumbled bitterly as he walked past him in the pool's direction. 

Gabriel heaved a defeated sigh and pulled out his phone from his pocket. His mood quickly changes after knowing who his caller is and declines, swiping the red button on his phone’s screen. He then followed Crystal, who is now dipping both feet in the water. However, before he could get closer to her, his phone beeps, and receives a message.

'Rachel: Hi babe, I'm at your house.'

He sighed with so much frustration, putting back the phone inside his pocket, and walked in Crystal’s direction, then crouching beside her.

"I have a visitor outside. I'll be back in a minute, okay?" But Crystal only jerks her head, avoiding him.

Gabriel left the frowning lady inside the room, but his mind was doubting about locking her up again before closing the door. However, he can't take any risk and with a stony face, he fumbles with the key inside his trouser’s pocket, taking it out. Then, he inserts it in the bolt, twisting it to lock.

He strides along the empty hall. No windows, no other door except for the entrance to his wondrous room. He enters the elevator lift and presses the button to where the living room is.

"Gabriel! Oh my Goodness! I missed you! Why haven't you picked me up at the airport?" Rachel excitedly raced to the man who just stepped out from the lift.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriel inquired with his cold eyes while loosening her arms that were encircled around his waist.

"What's with that question? I am your fiancee, I don't see any problem with that. Besides, I missed you. It's been almost a month since we haven't seen each other and I just thought maybe you missed me too and want some romantic night with me. What say?" She stated unbelievably, as she tried to seduce the man.

"There is, because I already called off the engagement, remember?" He reminded her.

"No, no, no." Rachel waved her finger at him negatively and turned, walking back to the sofa where she sat comfortably, putting one leg above the other.

"You know you can't do that, Gabriel. Our families already have an agreement and if you don't cooperate with us, A Construction and Design will have to pull out the share we have with your company and cut every strand of connections we have with you." Rachel is trying to challenge Gabriel. 

"I wonder what your other shareholders would do once they learn about it. I'm certain that they will regret supporting you after your father died." She continues while Gabriel's expression hasn't changed and goes on walking near to the lady.

"Get out of my house." He firmly orders. Rachel stood up again and reached for the man as she traced her fingers, drawing circles on his chest.

"However, once we get married, you'll be running our company, too. You will have the power over everything, babe. Don't you want that?" Until Rachel's hand went down on his covered bulge, teasing the man. Gabriel quickly grabs her hand and pushes her back to the sofa.

"I said get out before I call the security guards, and don't you dare step a foot inside my house again, or else it is you who’s going to regret it," Gabriel warned her.

"Why are you doing this to me, Gabriel? I did everything you wanted, I tried hard to be a good fiancee to you even though you treat me like I'm just one of those girls you flirt with. What's wrong with me, huh? You even barely made love with me and it's only when you're drunk."

"You call that making love, huh?" Gabriel wickedly chuckled as he shook his head negatively.

"Yes! Because I love you! And I can endure everything just please, let's go on with the wedding." Rachel begged, holding his both arms.

"I don't care how long I will have to wait until you're ready. Just please, don't break up with me because I can't." Her tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she pleaded.

"Rachel, how many times do I have to tell you, I have no feelings for you? You are only wasting your time. Why don't you try to find someone else who can give you the attention you deserve? Because it's not me," The man tries to make her understand but Rachel could not accept the truth that Gabriel will never fall for her.

"No! Stop saying that!" she angrily cried, stepping closer to him.

"I know there is a reason behind why you act like this and soon, I'll find it out and get rid of that obstruction." She declared, before picking up her things and walking out. Gabriel signaled Layla, his only servant in the house, to follow the lady and to make sure that she's out of the mansion. While he proceeds, striding back to the elevator. He took a deep breath again before he pressed the hidden switch going up to his secret chamber where he left Crystal.

When Gabriel went back to his room, he saw Crystal standing in front of the glass wall, gawking at the dark surrounding of the mansion outside. He smiled, seeing her image from behind as he slowly took steps, getting close to the lady. However, Crystal saw his reflection in the glass and turned to face the man with a crabby expression.

"I can't believe you're doing this. First, you kiss Rose like there's no tomorrow at the club. Then, you almost rape me last night." She seriously utter, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I wonder how your fiancee will feel when she learns about it." Looking straight into his eyes.

"I don't have a fiancee. If there is someone that I want to marry, it is you, Crystal." He seriously told her.

"Marry me? What an awful prank you have," she huffed, stomping her feet past him.

"So, for how long are you going to lock me up in here?" She also inquired, sitting on the couch. But instead of answering her question, Gabriel walked inside his closet to get something and when he came back, he kneeled in front of the lady showing a small black box.

"What's that?" She coldly asked with furrowed eyebrows, looking down at him.

"Here, open it," he demanded, putting the box in her hand. 

"No, I don't want to." She refused, giving back the box to him.

Gabriel just sighed and slowly opened the little box, showing an elegant, sparkling diamond ring inside. He took it out and held one of her hands. Then, with no words, Gabriel suddenly put the ring on her finger. 

"What is this for?" She innocently asked, staring at the ring on her finger while Gabriel was smiling widely at her.

“Why are you smiling like that? You look like an imbecile.” Crystal commented while Gabriel was laughing softly at her reaction. But Crystal got annoyed and took off the ring from her finger and gave it back to the man.

“Hey, you can’t just take off your engagement ring like that,” He unbelievably said grabbing back her hand and about to put the ring back but Crystal pulled her hand away from his grip.

“What are you doing!?” she annoyingly inquired.

“Uh… Proposing?”

“What are you talking about? Are you crazy!?” Crystal gets pissed.

“You know what? Just stay away from me because I would rather sleep than talk nonsense with you.” she moved, lifting her both feet on the couch and laid down facing her back to the man. Gabriel just sighed after hearing her rejection.

“Don’t sleep here, it’s not comfortable. Let’s go to bed, come on.” He invited her, but Crystal didn't move a bit from her spot and that’s when Gabriel abruptly carried her in his arms.

“Hey! Gabriel, put me down!” 

Gabriel put her down on the soft mattress, but Crystal quickly rolled to the side and about to get off of the bed. However, Gabriel did not let her and pulled her back in the middle while wrapping his arms around her. He even encircled his legs around hers to avoid her from getting away.

“Stay,” Gabriel whispered, embracing her tightly.

“I don’t want to,” Crystal groaned as she kept on pushing the man.

“Stop resisting, or I’ll kiss you until you sleep,” Gabriel whispered, and that made the lady halt from moving. However, that also turned Gabriel’s face to frown.

“Crystal.” He called out.

“What!?” Crystal responded in a deep and irate voice.

“Is that how badly you don’t want me to kiss you again?” Gabriel sadly inquired, while savoring her presence in his arms.

“You can’t just kiss me then kiss your fiancee after.” 

“I told you, you’re my only love and I will marry no one else but you, my siren.” Cupping her face, Gabriel tried hard to stop himself from kissing the hypnotic lady while staring at his favorite baby blue eyes.

“I’m confused. If you truly love me, then why did you agree to be engaged to Rachel?”

“It wasn’t me, it was my father and because of a stupid agreement between my grandmother and the late president of A Construction and Design.” 

“Agreement?” Crystal mumbled,

‘Why would grandpa arrange a marriage to Rachel and Gabriel?’ She asked herself, confused by the new information. 

“The agreement is to unite both companies by marrying us off and it was my father’s decision even though I don’t agree with it but when he passed away months ago, I called off the engagement immediately.” He explained, but it still didn’t convince Crystal.

“I see, that’s why you feel free kissing anyone because you are no longer committed, is that it?”

“No, I'm just waiting for the day when I find you, then I’ll be kissing only you from then on,” Gabriel said as he lingered his hand on the back of her neck while wrapping her waist with the other.