Chapter 11 (Rejection)

“Will you?”

Without thinking twice, Luna suddenly pushed Nick's masculine body away, creating distance between them. Her movement was spontaneous, as if it were a reflex she hadn't had time to think about.

“No! I don’t want to marry you!” she exclaimed loudly. She averted her gaze, unwilling to look at him.

Nick’s body stiffened.

His jaw hardened, his eyes darkened. He wasn't used to rejection—especially from a woman.

“You Stubborn!” he said coldly, full of emotion.

Luna—she still refused him.

Out of dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of women who wanted to bear the title of Mrs. Lancaster, Luna was the only one who firmly said no, rejecting him.

Nick’s confused.

Not because he started to like Luna, but because his self-esteem had been shattered in front of her. Now, the situation had reversed—as if he were the one begging to be her partner.

For the first time, he looked like a man begging.

“Marry me, Luna! I’ll ensure your livelihood. Even for ten generations, my wealth will never run out.”

“Didn’t I already tell you?, I’m not interested in your wealth, Mr. Nick.” Luna replied without hesitation.

"I will only marry someone I love. And he's definitely not you." She continued.

“What?!”

“Tell me, Stutterbug. What’s the problem? Am I not handsome enough for a woman like you? Nick smirked slightly.

He straightened his tie, then his hair. The small gestures Nick always made before taking control of a situation. A sturdy build, a handsome face, great power—all of it was a weapon that had never failed him.

“No! You’re not handsome enough for me!”

The corner of Nick’s mouth curled up slightly.

“Really?”

He adjusted his jacket cuffs, his demeanor returning to its usual relaxed—arrogant—state.

“Y-Y-You, you look terrible.”

“Look, you’re stuttering again. That means you’re interested in me, Dr. Luna.”

“I don’t want to marry an old man like you!”

“Stop calling me an old man, Luna. I have a name, call me Nick.” Nick warned.

“Why? You are older than me, aren’t you?”

“You and I are only eight years apart. It won’t be a problem if we get married, right?”

Luna remained silent. She was fed up with men who always thought money and status were everything.

“You’re really stubborn, Luna. I don’t think any man would want to marry a stubborn and careless doctor like you.” Nick teased her.

“Huh? Of course there are plenty men who want to marry me!” Luna replied quickly.

The conversation grew heated. Neither Nick nor Luna was willing to back down from their egos.

"You talk as if no man would ever like me, Mr. Nick," Luna said, her gaze returning to Nick intensely. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Besides... Look at yourself.” Her tone was mocking as she scrutinized him from head to toe.

Nick furrowed his brow, waiting for Luna's speech.

"You even hired me to be your fake girlfriend in front of your mom. Isn't it obvious that you're the only one here who lacks charm? Not a single woman has approached you, Mr. Nick." Luna spoke sharply. She smirked—narrowed her eyes as if her words were facts for Nick.

Meanwhile, Nick’s gaze darkened. Cold. Deadly.

“You!”

“I asked you to be my girlfriend because you did something wrong to me, you idiot!”

“How dare you speak to me like that?!”

“So what? You started it. I don’t care who you are.” She replied calmly and confidently.

Nick closed his eyes briefly, holding back his ego from exploding.

“She’s really hard to control.” He thought to himself.

"Don't regret your decision, Luna."

Nick turned his body, about to step out of that white room.

"Huh! What an arrogant and temperamental man! I don't care if you're handsome or rich. I don't want to marry a man like him!" Luna muttered softly.

Nick, who hadn't fully left the room yet, He stopped for a moment. His ears clearly heard every word Luna said about him.

Meanwhile, Luna’s phone rang.

Harry Henderson.

She looked at it and hurriedly brought the phone to her ear.

“Hi, Luna, my daughter.”

“Tonight, go to the Crystal Hotel for a blind date. I’ve already arranged it for you.”

Luna was a little surprised by her dad’s request.

“W-What?”

“Go to the Crystal Hotel for a blind date?” she asked, still disbelieving.

Nick remained standing in his spot, silent, listening.

“Luna, if you don’t go meet him, I’ll stop paying for your mom’s medical bills.” He threatened, refusing to accept any refusal.

“The bill is over a hundred thousand dollars a month,” he added.

Luna sighed deeply. Well, her income as a doctor was quite high, but the medical expenses were still impossible for her to cover alone in a city as expensive as New York.

Her dad?

Luna felt her Dad was different since her mom got sick.

“Alright, I’ll go to that blind date tonight.”

The call ended after she accepted the offer from him.

Luna remained silent for a few seconds, staring at her phone screen displaying the call history with Harry.

Meanwhile, Nick, who had overheard Luna’s conversation, back to stepped closer to her.

"You'd rather go on that blind date than be with me? Holy crap! Unbelievable!" Nick said, sounding even more upset than before. He wondered what was wrong with him that Luna rejected him, even choosing to go on a blind date with another man.

“What a great choice, Luna. You will regret it!” Nick muttered at Luna with clenched jaws.

He turned and walked out of the suddenly stuffy room.

Luna didn't care; she remained silent, watching Nick's back slowly disappear from her sight.

***

A black Porsche sped through the quiet New York City noon. The engine roared steadily, matching the thoughts of the man behind the wheel—calm on the outside, but explode on the inside.

He ran his fingers roughly through his hair, a small habit that surfaced when his mind was filled with something he couldn't control. His gaze was fixed on the car window, reflecting the row of skyscrapers towering arrogantly—symbols of power that had always been within his grasp.

But today, behind that grandeur, his thoughts kept returning to one thing that should not have bothered him at all.

Drrrrrrrtttt….

The ringing of his phone broke his reverie.

“Nick, have you returned the bag she left last night?” Donna asked over the phone.

“And how about it? Did she accept your proposal to marry her?”

“When are two of you guys going to get married?” she asked enthusiastically.

“Mom, can I marry another woman? I won’t marry her.”

“Are you crazy? What did you just say, Nick?”

“I don’t want to marry her, Mom.” He said confidently.

“Have you still not forgotten Brianna? Wake up, Nick. Your relationship ended five years ago.”

“She wants to marry you just for the Luton Group’s assets. Just because you are rich. Don’t be foolish, Nick.” Donna warned.

The conversation suddenly turned serious.

“Listen, Mom, don’t bring her up again. Brianna and I have no relationship anymore. We're done.”

“And also, my purpose in marrying is just to make you happy. Just so you don’t get too caught up in your illness. So, it doesn’t matter who I marry, right?” Nick explained.

“Luna doesn’t want to marry me, and I don’t want to force her anymore.”

“But... But Mom really likes Luna.” Donna’s voice sounded sad.

“Can’t you try to convince her one more time, Nick? Please.” She pleaded.

“That’s enough, Mom. I’m a man. I don’t want to lower my self-respect just to beg a woman who’s already rejected me.”

“I don’t care who I marry. Just wait and see. I’ll bring a wife soon. I just need to marry for you, right?”

After saying that, Nick ended the call.

He sighed heavily, then threw that latest model phone with its fantastic price onto the chair beside him.

For years, his life had been filled with endless business meetings and piles of documents that never gave him a moment’s respite. But now, all that calm was disrupted by one simple thing: a woman who dared to reject him.

“Luna, you will see how much everyone wants to be the young mistress of the Luton Lancaster family.”

.

.

“No one dares to refuse what I want, and I will not let it go so easily...”

~Nick L. Lancaster.