Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 839 The Proposal (Part Five)

"Who said I was withdrawing my bet? A deal is a deal, no one should retreat," he blurted out. In his heart, he was afraid that he might lose. He knew how love could sometimes change people. However, his stubborn spirit would not let him. He had to accept the challenge, there was no backing down now. He knew that Wing was not just making a bet with him from pure interest or jest only. She was also doing it to give him an opportunity to sort out his complicated and tangled heart, so that he might sincerely wish Brian and Molly all the best happiness. Wing knew that this was something which Molly secretly desired. There would be no way around it. Molly's love would concede to every other emotion except the straight, thorough affection for the one she loved. Eric needed to give up.

"If you lose," he started to place his bid, "then I want Weston to come to the National Congress and work as my executive counselor." His eyes flickered slyly and evilly at Wing, waiting for her answer. He knew it would be a hard decision for her. After all Weston had always rejected the idea of partaking in any of their family businesses.

Wing was silent. She scoured Eric with slow, pensive eyes for a moment before she came to her own conclusion. "Okay, you've got the deal," she replied in a firm, assured voice. Mark looked up at Wing, and then at Eric, not knowing which of them would lead the race to the final success.

Wing and Eric high-fived to officially seal the bet. Then, with a curious, strong desire to discover the truth, they hurried off after Molly and Brian.

*

In the restaurant, the atmosphere was warm and pleasant. The melody of the classical music wafted in the air when the soft, colorful lights looming over everything in the room. It was as if the whole restaurant had been crafted in a dream world and fabricated from a magic spell.

In this glamorous and mysterious place, a ray of soft, red light lingered over a table in the center of the room, where Brian and Molly were seated. There was no one else in the room. It was as if the place had been specially designed for them.

Molly delicately sipped her orange juice, enjoying the wonderful, fresh flavor which flowed over her tongue, filling her mouth with a fresh coolness. Being so absorbed in the food and beautiful surroundings, her mind gradually drifted off, back to the day when Brian had celebrated her birthday in a similar extravagant place with only the two of them there. Like this moment, Brian had made a block booking of the whole place to spend the special event with her alone, and it was on that night that he had placed the Soul of K on her finger and pledged to love and protect her forever. She rested her hand against her chest. Even now, she could still vividly feel the delight and happiness which she had felt at that time. And then she recalled how they had strolled along the beach after that. They walked bare feet with hand in hand and collected some beautiful shells, and then they...

She could not think further as her cheeks flushed in an instant at the remembrance of what had followed next. Hurriedly, she lowered her head, but couldn't resist the urge to rub her lips and briefly touch her face.

While cutting his steak, Brian glanced up at Molly as she was pondering. Her brows were drawn up and her large eyes burned as her cheeks flamed. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, looking knowingly at her. "Nothing, nothing..." Molly replied hurriedly, and began to cut her steak to hide her panic.

However, she was not aware that actually there was no steak for her to cut. Brian had already taken her plate and was cutting it for her at that very moment. She was embarrassed and flushed even more when she realized that her knife was poking at the empty table. Just as she raised her head and tried to make up an excuse for her odd behavior, Brian spoke to cover her embarrassment, "The steak is the specialty of this restaurant. Come on, have a try."

Molly nodded and daintily sent one bite of steak into her mouth. Just as he had promised, the meat was soft and succulent. Absorbed by the delicious food and Brian's tenderness, Molly felt herself become elated and she blushed happily. 'Now if only he would propose to me, then this would be the best day ever,' she thought in her heart.

However, to her surprise and disappointment, by the time they had finished dessert, there had still been no sign of him wanting to propose to her. It was almost time to pay the bill, but Brian looked as plain and expressionless as ever. Molly tried to console herself by thinking that perhaps Brian would give her a surprise by proposing once they left the restaurant. She considered that he would think it a surprise for her if he did it when she was not expecting it.

But again she was disappointed. After they walked out of the restaurant, Brian did not ask to go for a walk. Instead, they went straight to the car and drove towards home.

As if experiencing a journey on a roller coaster, slumping down from the top point to the bottom, Molly's heart chilled in utter disappointment. Looking at the gate of the Long Family Mansion, she pursed her lips in bitterness. Brian parked his car in the garage and they climbed out. Following Brian, Molly walked silently towards the Glamour Hall.

The Glamour Hall stood as vacant and silent as ever. Richie and Shirley lived in the Main Hall and as Mark was now the prime candidate to be the next ruler, he was not allowed to live in the Glamour Hall with Molly and Brian. He was now living with Eric in the Lustrous Hall. Both of these magnificent buildings were pretty far away from the Glamour Hall and the grounds were truly deserted.

Molly did not replace the place different from any other days. It was just that the lights were not on. 'Maybe the maid forgot to turn the lights on?' she thought mindlessly. Walking in silence behind Brian, she entered the gate and walked through the front door.

Just as she was going to ask Brian to turn on the lights, she heard a loud click that came from above. In an instant, the whole place was lit up as brightly as if it were daytime. Lights of various sizes, and shaped like stars, moons, and flowers hung from the tall ceiling as balloons suddenly came floating down. The space had been turned into a palace fit for a princess. There were also lights that hung from the walls, and their soft, warm light filled the air with a warm, mystical glow.

Molly stood transfixed, as if turned to stone by her surprise, and she could only gawk around the fairy-tale space Brian had created for her. Then she heard his warm timbre filled voice as he spoke, "A lifetime is as short as a meteor sliding through the sky. I don't want to waste my life being alone and not having you at my side. I love you. I love you so much. I love you more than I could ever have known possible.

Meeting you has been the happiest, most blessed moment of my life. Now we have been through so much to be together. I am wondering if you would give me the chance to continue loving you, to protect you, and be with you forever?"☐☐☐☐