Cherish Love

CHARLES ALEXANDER's POV

"I'm going to marry Ethan."

Those words have been repeating in my mind ever since Chloe had told me that a while ago and to be honest, I was really shocked when I heard that from her because ever since I suggested this to her these past few days… She's always rejecting me but now… She's actually the one who told me that just right after she returned with her fiance a while ago. I just took a deep sigh as I drink my coffee here. I'm now in my favorite coffee shop right now because I will be meeting Dylan tonight. I looked at my wrist watch once again and saw the time. It's already 11:17 PM but he's still not here. I just sighed. I've been waiting for him for an hour already… Will he really come? My attention was diverted when the glass door of this coffee shop suddenly opens and I saw him entering and looking for me. I waved my hand in the air and saw him turned to look at me as walked toward my direction.

"What took you so long? I've been here for an hour already, you know…" I said as I saw took a deep sighed before sitting in the chair across mine.

"I'm sorry. I just need to finish some papers in the office." Dylan said. He really looks so exhausted right now...

"It's alright but you look much more busier than me." I said before I drink my coffee and call a waiter.

"Ah, one espresso please. Thank you." Dylan said before the waiter leaves.

"Of course. Who would become this busy when your company is getting worse and worse as the days passed by?" Dylan said before sighed for the nth time. Oh that's right… How's their company?

"Why? How's the investigation so far?" I asked before I sip on my coffee. I saw him shook his head as he gets his phone from his pants pocket and looked at it before he puts down his phone on the table.

"That b*stard… We still couldn't locate his exact location and what's worse is our investors who invested to us are now demanding to get their money and stocks immediately back but I can't just give it to them because the company will even more suffer or worse… 'La Flair Conglomerates' might really file for bankruptcy sooner or later." Dylan said problematically. I was about to speak the waiter came and served him his order.

"Thank you." Dylan said before the waiter nodded at him and leaves.

"So those investors believed that rumor about your company having illegal transactions?" I asked as I saw him nod. Tsk. That's really troublesome. Well, there's a rumor spreading all over the country that 'La Flair Conglomerates' are having an illegal trading of high caliber weapons and starting to import illegal drugs from other countries to be brought in here but little did they know that those accusations are way too impossible to happen because the current CEO and President of that company is actually merely a high school student.

"Yes and that's all because of that person's fault…" Dylan said seriously but obviously, he's a bit mad right now before he drinks his coffee. So they're still looking for that person who stole a large amount of money and leave debts in their company and the one spreading those false rumors...

"La Flair…" I called him that made him returned his attention to me.

"What?" He asked in a very authoritative voice.

"What if I help you to find that person?" I asked that made him looked at me in surprise. What?

"But in return… You have to help me, Dylan..." I said that made him shook his head before he drinks his coffee. What's with that?

"Xander… I've already told you before. Whether I agree with your plans or not but the fact that your sister doesn't like having a fake marriage with me is pointless." Dylan said sternly while still looking at me very seriously. That's what you thought, Dylan...

"But Chloe has finally agree with it." I said that made him just nod before he takes a sip on my coffee.

"If that's the case then---" I heard Dylan said but was stopped when he suddenly realized what I just said that made his eyes grew wider in shocked.

"What did you just say?" Dylan asked once again that made me smile. His expression is really shocked to the point that it makes me want to laugh. Hahaha!

"I said that Chloe has finally accepted it." I said while I'm still smiling at him.

"Are you serious?" He asked once again in disbelief. Hahaha!

"Yes… Do I look like I was just joking, Dylan?" I asked as I tried to hide my laughter or else, this guy will definitely take what I said as a joke. I saw him sternly looks at me as if he's trying to figure out if what I said is true before he took a deep breath and leaned his back on his chair.

"But that's so hard to believe, Xander. Your sister really hates the idea of having a fake relationship with me so how could I possibly believe that so suddenly?" I heard he said before he crossed his arms on his c.h.e.s.t once again. Oh, he has a point though...

"I also couldn't believe it at first but she's telling me that while tears are falling down from my beloved sister's eyes..." I seriously said to him as I remembered once again how she cried on my shoulders while hugging me. To be honest, Chloe has never done that to me before because every time I see her cry… It's either, she'll immediately wiped it and act like nothing happened or she will just run away towards her room and cry there alone that's why I felt so hurt when I see my sister cried on me like that...

"Chloe who always hides her real emotions to other people has cried to me, Dylan… Do you think I will still take that as a joke coming from her?" I asked him back that made him stopped.

"She really cried?" He asked that made me just nod.

"Yes. She is..." I said and every time I remember that… I have the urge to hurt someone but of course, I can't do that even if I really wanted to...

"How is she now?" I heard Dylan asked. He is obviously concerned with my sister. Well, I can't blame him… Chloe is somehow similar to his older sister, Daniella...

"I don't know but I already told my wife to comfort her while I was here talking with you…" I said that made him just nod.

"Dylan… I know that I'm asking you a big favor but can you please reconsider it?" I asked again and saw him took a deep sighed before drinking his coffee and returned his attention to me once again.

"I honestly don't know, Xander…" Dylan said in confusion. No, Dylan… We need your help.

"I can't let her marry that person no matter what happens, Dylan… So please help us." I said as I beg him that made him just sighed and scratch the back of his head.

"I'll think about it but for now, let me talk to her first about this." I heard Dylan said that made me frowned. Huh?

"Why?" I asked that made him sighed. Why? What does he wants to talk to her?

"I just want to ask her a few things." Dylan said seriously that made me just nod.

"Fine. I'll tell her about this." I simply said that made Dylan just nod.

"Would tomorrow be alright?" I heard Dylan asked that made me shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. I'll try to ask her later." I said that made him just nod before we talk about things related to work. I honestly don't have any idea what's on this person's mind but knowing Dylan… I know that he will not do something that can break our friendship and that's also the reason why I chose him to be Chloe's fake husband… I really just hope that this will turn out the way we planned...

DYLAN ETHANIEL's POV

I am now here at the cafe near my office while waiting for Xander and Chloe. We've decided to meet up here after I had finished my meeting with the board members and luckily, they gave me a few more months to bring back the 'La Flair Conglomerates' reputation. I just took a deep sigh because I know that this will definitely be hard for me. I'm just new with this and everything is a total shock to me so how am I supposed to do that in a few months time? Actually, I already have plans for this but I am not totally sure if these plans will work out… After all, I'm just new in this business and I doubt they will believe me and trust me that easily unless---

"Ethan…" My attention was diverted when I suddenly heard Chloe's voice.

"Chloe?" I asked as I saw her standing beside me. What is she doing here alone? Where's Xander?

"What are you doing here? Where's your brother?" I asked and saw her just sighed before she pulled the chair before she take a sit across mine.

"His friend called him and without even explaining anything to me, he just dropped me off here and he went to I don't know where it is." Chloe said a bit irritatedly. I'm glad that she's now back to normal because I could still remember what Xander had said to me last night and based on his expression while telling me that… Xander is obviously so worried about her sister that's why I am glad to see her like this.

"But don't worry because I have a feeling that brother will definitely come back here." I heard Chloe said that made me just nod before we call the waiter and ordered and as soon as the waiter left, Chloe started to ask me.

"So why do you want to talk to me?" Chloe said still a bit irritatedly.

"Well… I just want to know something..." I said that made her frown.

"About what?" She asked.

"What made you suddenly changed your mind?" I asked that made her stiff and uneasy. Wait… That look… I think I have already seen that look of her from before.

"W-why did you asked?" She asked while I'm still looking at her. Wait… Could it be that she's hiding something from me?

"Because your brother said that you already agree with it so I'm just curious about your reasons." I said while I'm still staring at her. There's something wrong with her...but what is it? I saw her took a deep breath before looking back at me.

"You once told me that I should learn how to trust and rely on others, right? And that's why I'm doing it." She said directly to me and for some reason, I suddenly smiled as I heard that coming from her.

"Why?" I asked that made her confused.

"What?" She asked as she arched her brows.

"What made you changed your mind? Because the last time I remembered, you really hate being in a fake relationship with me, right? So what made you changed your mind that easily?" I asked once again as I saw her looked at me as if she's thinking of what she will tell me because she just keeps on staring at me for quite some time before I saw her took a deep breath before she started to speak again.

"Because I realized that I can't do this alone..." She said honestly that made me stopped. What?

"Because I really don't want to marry that person no matter what happens… I don't want to see him anymore…" Chloe said seriously that made me just nod. So that's her reasons… I was about to ask her once again when I suddenly noticed that she's trembling right now. Wait, is she all right?

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked her as I stood up and walked closer to her. She's really trembling right now but why? What happened to her? Did I say something that scares her?

"What?" She asked a bit confused.

"You're trembling." I said before she looks at herself and took a deep breath like she's calming herself.

"I'm fine. I just feel cold right now." She said but obviously, she's just lying to me. I just took a deep sigh before I take off my coat.

"Here, wear it." I said and was about to place it on her back when she suddenly refused it.

"No, I'm fine." She said that made me frowned. What? Wait, did she just rejected me again for the second time?

"Just wear it." I said as I placed it on her back before I returned to my seat.

"I said, no---" Chloe said but was interrupted when I started to speak once again.

"You should get used to it already, Chloe. After all, we're definitely going to do this for quite often now." I said that confused her but she didn't removed my coat anymore and I'm glad she didn't.

"What do you mean?" She asked that made me seriously at her.

"I have decide to accept it." I said that made her shocked.

"I will marry you even if it's just a fake marriage, Chloe." I said while she's still looking at me in surprise.

"We will protect you, Chloe. That's a promise." I said that made her teary eyed before I saw her closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe she did that to stop her tears from falling but honestly… I don't know why I suddenly said those words to her. I suddenly blurted out those words without me even thinking about it but seriously, I have a feeling that Chloe is hiding something that neither Xander and I know and maybe that's also the reason why I suddenly wanted to protect this girl.