Chapter 45: Chapter 45

“My purpose for coming is simple. I am here to have a talk with my pretty fiancée.”

Agatha’s jaw almost made its way to the ground. She recognized him, felt wary about him and his unusual provocation about this “Marriage thing” that hadn’t come to her mind yet.

There was a huge chance this guy fell for her at first sight, and being head over heels is what took him to follow her and proposed like this. Agatha sensed danger. She’s still not sure what this is all about, but if things go South, Lanceil might misunderstand this, and the seducing game will be over.

Agatha looked at him. A great shock registered on Lanceil’s face but there was more than a surprise. A mixture of unknown emotions, hard to put in words, were painted gruesomely in his eyes.

Is that a bad thing or a good thing?

“You have a fiancé?”

Alas, Lanceil asked Agatha. Protocol – DENY IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

“NO!” Agatha said abruptly, her sharp eyes turning to Mr. Lawrence, who was grinning as if he was enjoying the sight before him. “Excuse Mr. whomever you are and whatever you do. But…”

“I am Lawrence and I am the owner of Haysome Mall,” the silly Lawrence re-introduced himself as he opened his arms widely.

“You don’t need to do it again,” Agatha murmured. She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and talked through her clenched teeth. “Sir, I don’t know what are you doing and how crazy you were to follow me. But I rejected your offer, didn’t I?”

Lawrence’s mouth created an oval shape, before he responded, “Did I propose to you this morning?”

He… did not. Agatha realized Lawrence did not propose. He just told her that they will get married.

‘Isn’t that proposal?’

“Wait, wait, I don’t get it,” Lanceil butted in. Two pairs of eyes looked back at him. “Do you know each other? The two of you?”

Agatha and Lawrence answered the same time. “No/Yes.”

Upon answering differently, they looked at each other.

“I know you. We met each other. This morning, remember?” Lawrence tried to defend himself to Agatha.

Agatha scoffed. It was so funny, in a most irritating way rather.

“WE DID SEE EACH OTHER. But that does not mean we KNEW EACH OTHER.” Agatha stared at Lanceil and explained. “Okay. So, this guy and I met this morning. He helped me and then he… well, he…”

A flush of red spread all over her face. Agatha felt embarrassed to say what was on her mind; that Lawrence fell for her at first sight.

“He what?” Lanceil inquired more, waiting for the continuation.

“I d-don’t know,” Agatha said, averting her gaze from Lanceil. “To make it short. He’s weird. Coming here, saying that we’re engaged when we barely know each other. That’s all.”

Lawrence suddenly laughed which shifted the atmosphere from nerve-wracking to awkward. Lanceil and Agatha, who are haters of crazy people, looked at Lawrence lifelessly as if they were watching a bug.

“Oh my god, this is fun,” Lawrence said.

If he thinks this is funny, then he rides alone in a boat.

“Miss Agatha. It is true that I saw you for the first time this morning. But don’t worry. I didn’t fall for you at first sight just like what happened in those typical cringe movies.”

A cord snapped in Agatha’s head, but yeah, she felt very relieved.

“Then what is this craziness for?” she asked.

One second his eyes darkened and the smile on his lips vanished, Lawrence spoke.

“Your father and I were acquaintances.”

Agatha’s eyes grew bigger. When she thought this guy is dangerous, then she was right. If Lawrence called her by her real surname, Lanceil would figure out that she’s been lying about her identity and everything will be over.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

“Before your father died, we made a deal. Your father signed a contract allowing me to marry his daughter. Do you want to see the contract? Here is…”

Agatha shoved her hand onto Lawrence’s mouth.

The sudden contact between Agatha and Lawrence got Lanceil stunned. He looked alternately at Lawrence, who was blinking rapidly, and at Agatha, who covered Lawrence mouth as if she didn’t want to hear him talk.

“Mister L-Lawrence,” Agatha called politely. “Can we talk somewhere else, please?”

Behind the hand covering his mouth, Lawrence smirked, and no one saw it.

He looked at Lanceil, back to Agatha, and then pulled Agatha’s hand out of his mouth.

“Sure. I’ll be glad to do that.”

Lanceil had no choice but to permit Agatha to go out with Lawrence, even if that means he had to force himself to agree.

Agatha and Lawrence went to the nearest ice cream shop.

‘Didn’t we just come in an ice cream shop his early morning?’ Agatha thought. But unlike before, Agatha could eat the ice cream because Lawrence doesn’t seem a stranger anymore.

“Eating ice cream twice a day is what makes life the best ever,” Lawrence said.

She stared at the big man who was eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream. How come he has a great muscular body when he eats two bowls of ice cream per day, that has at least 400 calories?

That was the least of Agatha’s concern. She badly wanted to solve about her father’s marriage contract deal with this guy.

‘You sure left a lot of things for me to resolve before dying, Dad,’ Agatha complained inside her head.

“Mr. Lawrence, you said that you and my father made a deal about our ‘Marriage’. Can I see the contract?”

“Sure.”

Lawrence gave the contract to Agatha and she read it.

In the contract, she saw that her father agreed to let his daughter marry Lawrence if ever something bad happened to him and no one would take Agatha into their custody.

‘Father knew something might happen to him,’ she realized. Agatha considered this might be another evidence that her father was murdered, and the car accident wasn’t really an accident.

She looked back at Lawrence.

‘Is he related to the murder case?’

Agatha doubted that. If he was involved, then he would not find her, moreover, ask her to marry him.

“The contract states that if I, Agatha Samson, doesn’t want to marry you, then you cannot force me to do so,” she explained.

Lawrence nodded his head. “Read the last part of the contract.”

Per his request, Agatha grabbed the contract and read the last. Her eyes narrowed at the small letters written at the very corner, which was handwritten.

“However, Lawrence can do his best to persuade Agatha. Agatha can only terminate the contract if Lawrence gives up persuading her,” she said.

With widened eyes, she looked back at Lawrence.

“YOU ARE INSANE! AREN’T YOU?!”

“That’s what you called being desperate,” he said. “Your father knew that I need to get marry as soon as possible because my grandfather, who is currently taking a vacation in Hawaii, would not give my full inheritance if I don’t get married.” He laughed and added, “It was really hilarious that you thought I fell in love with you at first sight and that’s why I was asking you to marry me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you thought of that, didn’t you?”

Guilty, Agatha cleared her throat. Then she said, “This does not make sense. See this? You wrote this additional letter at the end.”

“Your father agreed with that.”

A low growl slipped out of her lips before she ripped the contract right in front of Lawrence.

Chuckling, Lawrence showed another contract.

“I made hundreds of copies. Don’t bother ripping the second one,” he said.

Breathing heavily, Agatha looked at the contract and at the crazy fiancé.

“This is sh*t,” she said.

“So, you can curse. As expected from Mr. Samson’s daughter.”

“Everyone curses. Especially when a crazy guy like you appears,” Agatha said. She brushed her hair upward and licked the corner of her lips. “You know what made me despise you more?”

“Ohh. Is this our first fight as couple? I am intrigued. Tell me.”

She leaned closer and muttered, “That you came so late.”

“I was… late?” he asked, pointing at himself.

Agatha avoided his gaze and looked outside the window of the shop. What was on her mind when she said that?

‘Because if he’s rich enough, he should have married me and paid my father’s debts. Then, I would not be sold as a slave.’

Seeing the serious expression on her face, Lawrence figured out he should not ask for more.

“Listen, rich guy,” Agatha muttered as she looked back. “I have no time to play with you. I have things to do, and you are not on my list.”

“Even in the bottom?”

“Don’t ask me that question. I might really think you like me.”

“You’re pretty.”

“Shut up. Don’t appear in front of me again. And never visit my boss’s condominium, EVER. You aren’t stupid, right? I am rejecting you. And if you have the slightest pride left in you, as the owner of a big Mall, you won’t chase after a girl who has nothing.”

Agatha got up from her seat and walked away, not planning to look back.

“Didn’t you need money?”

Her feet ceased. Agatha could not move as his words felt like shackles pulling her back. Gradually, she looked back at the guy who was casually eating his ice cream.

Lawrence met her gaze. He smiled.

“You worked as Mr. Lanceil’s maid because of money. Didn’t you?”

“I… don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Really? Then if it is not for money.” He stood up, walked towards Agatha, and leaned closer. “Is there any other reason why you approached him? Hmmm?”

Agatha peered straight at him, at his face that could seduce a thousand maidens. And yet, he’s still single.

“If I do, will you tell it to him?”

A sneer came out of his lips, like a predatory gleam.

“Of course not. I would never betray my FIANCEE.”

It was a warning to Agatha. If she won’t accept him as fiancé, he will tell her real identity to Lanceil.

‘Maybe, it’s time to have an allergy to handsome men. They are all insane,’ Agatha thought.