Proposal Ruined

~ELENA~

I took a deep breath, sat in one of the chairs, and looked up at Owen. ‘’Hello, Owen,’’ I said and crossed my legs. ‘’How are you?’’

He frowned at me. ‘’what is with the getup?’’ he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘’you look like you are going to a playground and not a date, and what is with the writing on your shirt!’’

I remained silent, unsure how to respond to him because that was how he had always been. But I was too in love to see it. I had thought that he was the best man I had ever met, but I had no idea, so hearing him talk down on me no longer affected me.

Owen’s Face darkened when I didn’t reply, and he shouted at me. ‘’I am talking to you, Elena; answer me!’’ he slammed his fist on the table, making me jump. The noise drew attention from nearby tables, but I didn’t care as I let him make a fool of himself in front of everyone. ‘’why are you dressed like that?’’

‘’I told you Elena,’’ Ariana muttered beside me. ‘’I told you to change your outfit and…’’

I turned towards her beside me and glared at her. Who the hell was she to tell me what to wear? ‘’ Whatever I wear is my business, and this is a nice outfit.’’ It was far from friendly because I had worn it to spite Owen, and it worked how I wanted it to.

‘’There is nothing nice about this outfit. You look like a cheap imitation of a high-class woman and the writing…’’

‘’I think she looks stunning in that outfit…’’ Owen’s words were cut short by someone heading our way. I turned to face the speaker, my eyes widening In shock.

It was him—the man who had handed me a handkerchief and had also prayed for me at my funeral. His piercing gray eyes locked onto mine, smiling at me.

Just like he did when I met him in the elevator.

Ariana suddenly stood beside me, a warm smile spreading as she Faced him. ‘’Everyone, this is Christian Royal,’’ she introduced him and pointed towards me and Owen. ‘’This is my sister, Elena, and her boyfriend, Owen.’’

Christian’s gaze never left mine as he nodded at Ariana and stretched his hand forward for me to take. ‘’it is a pleasure to meet you, Elena.’’

Realization dawned on me as I shook his hand, remembering where I had heard his last name. He was Christian Royal, the heir to the wealthiest family in the country, and it was no wonder he seemed familiar when I had met him in the elevator. He gave me a handkerchief with his last name on it.

But I couldn’t help but think about what he was doing here with Ariana when he was the only one who prayed for me at my funeral.

‘’what are you doing here, sir?’’ Owen asked him, and I noticed the scowl on his Face.

Sir? Does this only mean that Christian Royal was Owen’s boss? I never expected that because I never asked, but I knew he worked for the royals. Now, the pieces clicked into place as I remembered how Owen always complained about his boss, Christian, and it turned out to be this man. I remembered the venom in Owen’s voice when he spoke about the royal heir who thought he was above everyone else.

Christian smiled at him. ‘’Call me Christian. We are out of the boardroom.’’

Owen’s Face reddeneFaceut he nodded his head and sat down beside Christian, facing me with a glare. ‘’I…’’ he tried to say something, but Christian again cut him off.

‘’I believe that you need to apologize to this lady right here for embarrassing her in front of everyone,’’ Christian suggested.

The glare in Owen's eyes grew, making me smile so hard that my cheeks hurt.

When my eyes met Owen’s, I could see the hesitance in his eyes. He never wanted to apologize for what he had done to me, but he had no choice because he had to respect his boss. When he opened his mouth to apologize, it felt like one of my wishes had come to pass.

‘’I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you, Elena, seeing as my boss is here; I just don’t want to leave the wrong impression. Still… your…’’ he tried to repeat something, but Ariana suddenly laughed and clapped her hands.

I didn’t find her actions funny, but I knew they were because she was trying to make herself look good in front of Christian. I also knew that she wanted him, which made me wonder if Christian also had a motive for being with her.

I don’t recall Ariana mentioning anything about him in the past. I never noticed any interactions with them because Ariana and Owen were a thing, and I was too busy trying to build a home to see the things in front of me. But now that I had a second chance, everything Ariana owed would belong to me, including Christian.

‘’Let us order our meal,’’ Owen said, calling for the chef. While he was making the orders for us, I noticed Christian Gaze was still on me. My eyes met his beautiful, piercing gray eyes, and I couldn’t help but notice the captivating aura surrounding him. His undercut hair was perfectly styled, framing his chiseled Face. What fascinated me the most was his piercing gray eyes, which looked like a stormy sky on a summer evening. His smile was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. It was effortless and genuine, not forced.

Even his outfits, a tailored suit perfectly fitted, showcased his sophistication and power. Yet, despite his polished appearance, he looked humble. This leads me to ask why he was with Ariana again. Unless he was part of the conspiracy against me, he must have his reasons for being here.

I continued to stare at him until I felt Owen’s finger brushed against mine, and I felt my skin crawl. Acting fast on instinct, I swiftly withdrew my hand and looked at him.

The brief contact sent shivers down my spine.

How could someone who was destined to kill me sit beside me and act like nothing was wrong? Even though he doesn’t know what he will do in the future, and even though he doesn’t look like a murderer now, the thought alone made me churn.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat but remained silent. From his body movements, I knew he had much to say, and he held back only because of Christianity. If he had been there, he would have reacted.

‘’so,’’ Christian started another conversation. ‘’which one of you sisters is the genius Ceramist of the Brown family?’’

I almost rolled my eyes at that question, also remembering how Ariana had taken that position away from me three years from now after stealing my hard-earned work and making it hers.

‘’My sister is the best Ceramist,’’ she pointed towards me, laughed, and placed a hand on my shoulder. ‘’She Is perfect.’’ Yet again, she was pretending, and in the past, I would have smiled along with her like a fool, but instead, I didn’t.

I removed my hand from my shoulder. ‘’I hope that you truly meant that,’’ I told her. She opened her mouth wide, shocked to hear me say that. I quickly looked away as if I had not said anything and focused on the meals being brought to our table. The tension changes, with Ariana trying to cover the accusations with a laugh while Owen looks at the entrance.

On the other hand, I already knew why he was looking at the entrance, which was because of the proposal.

As the tension between Ariana and me dissipated, the waiters arrived with our meal, and the aroma of exquisite cuisine filled the air. They laid before us breathtakingly presented Filet Mignon, cooked to perfection, accompanied by truffled mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus.

‘’This restaurant serves the finest Cuisine in town after the Royal restaurant,’’ Ariana said, making the royal reference because of Christian.

I ignored her and took the first bite, savoring the moment.

Just then, the soft guitar strumming drifted through the room, and I rolled my eyes, knowing what was coming next.

I glanced around, noticing that everyone in the room had turned towards the entrance, including Christian, but he didn’t look for too long as he turned his eyes back on me.

Patrons surrounded us, each holding a long-stemmed rose flower as they headed towards us. The restaurant’s screens, which previously displayed subtle ambient patterns, transformed into a romantic canvas. A soft golden light danced across the screen as a message appeared in an elegant cursive script.

‘’Elena Brown, will you marry me?’’

The message floated amidst a sea of rose petals animating the scene.

I lowered my head, thinking of the best words to say to reject Owen in front of everyone. I knew that Reporters would troop into the restaurant at any moment. I had to give them something to talk about and not have any setbacks on my side.

As predicted, the reporters trooped into the restaurant and flashed their cameras at us. At that point, Owen kneeled to the ground and held out a small box, revealing a modest diamond ring.

‘’Elena, from the moment I met you, I knew you were the one,’’ Owen said, his voice sounding sincere like he truly meant his words. ‘’you are my everything.’’ No, I am not. ‘’Will you marry me?’’

The restaurant erupted into applause, with the patrons cheering and whistling. Ariana suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me up from the chair while Christian remained unmoved, his eyes emotionless.

I closed my eyes momentarily as Ariana shook me, shouting excitedly. ‘’This is for you, sister. You  are getting married!’’

A smile spread across my Face as I opened my eyes and looked toward Owen. I stretched forth my hand toward him as if I was about to accept his proposal, and everyone else also thought the same, but instead, I raised my hand, and with a resounding crack, I slapped Owen across the Face.

The restaurant fell silent.

Now was the moment to shine, and I did it with pride as I shouted at him. ‘’ How dare you ask for my hand in marriage when you are sleeping with my sister?’’ I spat angrily.

Gasps echoed as people brought out their phones to record the scenario. Cameras flashed on our faces, and Owen was left stunned. When he tried to say something, I cut him off.

‘’You are disgusting!’’ I continued. ‘’Do you think that I don’t know about how you love my sister more than me and how you…’’ I paused and made a dramatic cry, wiping the fake tears off my Face. Face turned towards Ariana. ‘’I hope you are happy that Owen is now going to be with you,’’ I yelled and grabbed my bag, rushing out of the restaurant, pretending to cry. I dropped my bag on the passenger’s seat when I reached my car.

I suddenly burst into laughter, hitting the steering wheel and Cheering myself up to accomplish the first plot of my revenge. Then. Then suddenly, I heard knocks on the car window. I turned to see the eyes staring at me outside the car and wondered how long he had been watching me.