The Proposal

Instinctively, Navia wrapped her arms around his neck, her face burning bright red.

Leonel carried her to the car and gently set her down inside.

The interior of the black Bentley was spotless and immaculate, but the moment Navia sat down, rainwater and mud stained a large section of the leather seats.

Guilt immediately flooded her chest.

“I’m sorry,” she said awkwardly. “I got your car dirty. I’ll pay for the cleaning.”

“Is that all you plan on paying for?” the man asked calmly.

Navia blinked in confusion.

“What?”

“The clothes,” Leonel replied. “Are you compensating me for those too?”

As he spoke, he removed his overcoat and tossed it onto her lap.

“You can wear it.”

Only then did Navia realize what he meant.

Her soaked wedding dress was dripping everywhere, and the coat he had wrapped around her earlier was already ruined.

If she stayed in wet clothes much longer, she would definitely get sick.

But…

Change here?

Inside the car?

Navia hesitated immediately.

The driver, however, seemed experienced enough to raise the privacy divider without being asked.

Even so, Leonel was still sitting beside her.

Too close.

Even though he wasn’t looking at her directly, his presence alone felt impossible to ignore.

Powerful. Dangerous. Overwhelming.

Leonel tapped a finger lightly against the armrest.

“You can keep hesitating,” he said lazily. “Or you can wait for your family to catch up and drag you back.”

That instantly killed Navia’s hesitation.

He had already helped her this much. It would be ridiculous to suspect him now.

“…Sorry,” she mumbled softly.

Sneaking a quick glance at him, Navia turned her back and carefully began removing her wedding dress.

A few moments later, the soft rustling sounds suddenly stopped.

Then Leonel heard her awkward voice.

“My zipper’s stuck…” she said quietly. “Can you help me?”

Only then did he glance toward her.

She wore a strapless wedding gown, exposing smooth pale shoulders that glowed softly beneath the dim car lights.

Her waist was so slender it looked as though it could fit perfectly beneath one hand.

Because the zipper refused to move, she had become increasingly flustered. When she looked back at him nervously, even the tips of her ears were red.

Embarrassed.

Anxious.

Leonel lowered his gaze and reached out.

His fingertips brushed lightly against the smooth skin of her back before sliding the zipper down effortlessly.

“There,” he said calmly.

Only then did Navia finally slip out of the wedding dress and wrap herself tightly in Leonel’s oversized coat.

The fabric still carried his warmth, along with the crisp scent of cedarwood.

Cold and commanding.

Yet strangely comforting.

Her ruined wedding dress and broken heels were abandoned in the corner of the car.

Navia curled herself into a small ball against the seat, her bare feet tucked beneath her, even her toes tense with embarrassment.

The car moved steadily through the rain.

Now that she had escaped the chaos of the wedding, exhaustion crashed over her all at once.

Her eyelids slowly began to droop.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, a low voice sounded beside her.

“Navia Harrison.”

The man had leaned closer without her noticing.

His warm breath brushed against her chilled skin.

Startled, Navia jumped like a frightened rabbit and turned toward him with wide eyes.

“Don’t sleep,” Leonel said simply as he leaned back again. “You’ll catch a cold.”

“…Got it.”

Navia pinched her own thigh beneath the coat, forcing herself to stay awake.

Right now, she absolutely could not afford to collapse.

Just then, a phone began vibrating inside the coat pocket.

Navia pulled it out instinctively.

Only after seeing the unfamiliar name on the screen did she realize it belonged to Leonel.

Richard Crawford.

Navia’s eyes widened slightly.

The old chairman of the Crawford family?

Leonel took the phone from her hand. The moment he saw the caller ID, his brows furrowed faintly before he answered.

“What is it?”

“What, I can’t call my own son now?” an elderly voice barked through the speaker.

The old man’s booming tone echoed clearly through the quiet car.

Leonel’s voice remained cold and detached.

“If there’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.”

“Hold on,” Richard snapped. “I heard you attended Liam’s wedding today. How was it?”

The moment Navia heard that, she instinctively glanced toward Leonel awkwardly.

Unfortunately, her eyes met his immediately.

For a split second, she thought she saw amusement flicker in his gaze.

“It was interesting,” Leonel replied calmly. “The most entertaining wedding I’ve ever attended.”

Navia nearly choked.

Was he mocking her on purpose?!

“I’m serious,” the old man continued. “You usually hate attending family events. Don’t tell me seeing everyone else getting married made you start having ideas too? When are you bringing someone home for dinner?”

The atmosphere inside the car instantly cooled.

Leonel clearly had no interest in continuing the conversation.

“If that’s all,” he said flatly, “then we’re done here.”

His complete lack of patience only infuriated the old man further.

“You’re already twenty-eight,” Richard snapped angrily. “Are you still hung up on that woman after all these years?”

“Leonel Crawford, let me make this clear. I don’t care if you’re running the family now. If you refuse to settle down and handle your responsibilities, the board can replace you at any time. That’s the family’s decision.”

The call ended abruptly.

The silence afterward felt suffocating.

Navia said nothing.

She hadn’t met Leonel many times, but she had heard rumors.

Years ago, there had supposedly been a woman he loved deeply.

A woman he had never forgotten.

Now, despite being twenty-eight and at the height of his power, he remained completely unattached and notoriously distant from women.

No wonder Richard Crawford was panicking.

Suddenly, a bold thought surfaced in Navia’s mind.

“Mr. Crawford.”

Her soft voice broke the silence.

“Mhm?” Leonel responded quietly.

Navia clutched his coat tightly around herself.

Before she could lose her courage, the words blurted out.

“How about…” She swallowed hard. “You marry me instead?”

Silence filled the car.

Then—

SCREECH!

The car suddenly swerved sharply as the driver slammed on the brakes.

Navia, who had been curled in the corner, was thrown forward by the momentum straight toward Leonel.

Meanwhile, Leonel remained perfectly steady.

He wrapped one arm around her waist effortlessly, pulling her securely against his chest before she could fall.

His brows furrowed as he looked toward the front seat.

“Jason,” he said coldly, “do you even know how to drive?”

Jason coughed awkwardly.

“Sorry, sir. I almost missed the turn.”

At the same time, he glanced into the rearview mirror toward Navia.

After all—

What she had just said was absolutely shocking.

Navia hurriedly pulled herself out of Leonel’s arms, still shaken. Her heartbeat was completely out of control.

“Where do you live?” Leonel asked calmly. “I’ll take you home.”

Navia gathered her courage again.

“You really won’t consider it?”

“I’m not interested in jokes,” Leonel replied coolly.

“I’m not joking,” Navia said immediately. “I’m serious.”

Her eyes remained fixed on him.

“You’re single. I’m single.”

“You need a wife to stop your family from pressuring you into marriage.”

“And I need a husband if I want control of the Harrison Group shares.”

She took a breath.

“So why don’t we help each other?” A faint smile appeared on her lips. “Honestly… we’d make a pretty good match.”

***