Cherish Love

ANNE ALEXANDRIA CHLOE's POV

Wait… Wait… Wait! Calm down, Chloe. You have to calm down or else, this pervert will definitely take advantage of you if you show him your weakness. I'm still here across him when he suddenly speaks that surprised me.

"By the way, how are you now?" Ethan asked me and when I turned to look at him, I saw him looking at me calmly.

"I'm fine." I said as I avoid his eyes. My goodness… Why does brother left me here all alone with this guy that I just met!?

"That's good to hear…" I heard Ethan said that made me just nod and silence covered the whole room. I get the magazine on top of the table and read it while I saw in my peripheral vision that Ethan get the magazine on the magazine rack as he started to read as well.

…

…

...

I just took a deep sigh as I take a peak on him while still reading that magazine. I can't take this anymore because I can actually hear the sound of our breathes even the sound of the air conditioned here in the room! I took a deep breath as I gently closed the magazine that I'm reading right now that made Ethan returned his attention to me.

"How about your hand?" I asked that made him turned to look at his bandaged hand before he returned his attention to me.

"It still hurts but I'm fine." He said that made me just nod before I returned the magazine on the table.

"So what do you think about it?" Ethan suddenly asked that made me returned my attention to him. What?

"About what?" I asked.

"About your brother's idea." Ethan said that made me stopped.

"For me, whether it can benefit the two of us or not… I still don't want to marry you." I said seriously before I stood up and walked towards the door and left him there. I don't know why but I don't want to stay there any longer…

DYLAN ETHANIEL's POV

After saying those things to me… She just left without even saying 'goodbye' to me. I just took a deep breath before I leaned my back here on the couch. I actually understand her because I've already been in her situation before… My thoughts were interrupted when the door of the room suddenly opens and there I saw my crazy best friend enters the room.

"So how was it? Why did she suddenly left the room?" Xander asked as he walks towards the couch where he sat a while ago.

"How did you get in here?" I asked that made him frowned as he sat down on the couch.

"How? It's pretty simple, Dylan. I can get in here whenever I want because this is my home." Xander said so confidently and arrogantly. I just sighed as I slowly nod my head and crossed my arms on my c.h.e.s.t.

"Oh, you're right." I said sarcastically that made him laughed. This crazy guy…

"So how was it? Did she agreed?" Xander asked excitedly. Seriously? Does he really think that his sister will actually agree with his plans?

"What do you think? Of course not. Who would actually accept something like that? Especially when you already have someone you love..." I said as I saw his smiley face turns into a serious one. Tsk. This person is totally insane for asking someone he just met after how many years we've never seen each other to marry his one and only sister so suddenly.

"So you mean to say, you already have a girlfriend?" Xander asked seriously that made me arched my brows. What?

"No! I don't have one! I'm talking about your sister." I said that made him just nod.

"Is that so?" Xander said that made me just nod but seriously… How I wish that I could be with the person I love right now...but unfortunately and obviously, I can't… I just sighed. Why is life so unfair and complicated at the same time?

"How about you? I heard that you're already married now. Congratulations, Alexander Ramirez." I said as I greeted him but unexpectedly, I just saw him suddenly took a deep breath before he turns to look at me seriously. What's with that look? Did I say something wrong?

"Yes, I am but nothing has ever changed because my heart still belongs to her…" Xander said sincerely that surprised me. What?

"But she's no longer here, Xander…" I said that made him took a deep and heavy breath once again before he leaned his back on the couch and looked at the ceiling. He looks so sad and miserable right now...

"Xander, you know that my sister wouldn't be happy to see you like this…" I said. Yes, you heard it right. The person that Xander talks about right now is my elder sister, Daniella La Flair but unfortunately, my sister died in a plane crash together with my parents 3 years ago...

"I know but what can I do? I still love her…" Xander said while still looking at the ceiling with a painful expression. Xander... I just sighed as I saw him like this… I can still feel and hear through his words and through his eyes that he's still hurting. He still loves my sister and I honestly don't know how to comfort him right now… I just took a deep breath before I started to speak once again.

"I was just curious… Why do have to ask me to marry your sister in the first place?" I asked as I changed the topic because the more we talked about it, the more we will feel hurt once again. My elder sister and my parents left us so early… I saw Xander sighed once again as he finally turns to looked at me once again.

"It's because of our family's stupid tradition." Xander said with a bit of irritation in his voice. Family tradition?

"What do you mean?" I asked in curiosity that made him sighed for the nth time. Why?

"Our family has this weird tradition that every child in our family should get married at the age of 18, whether we get married to the one we love or get arranged to marry someone that we don't even love... When we reached that age, we should really get married… Whether we like it or not." Xander said very seriously. What?

"Why?" I asked because to be honest, I really don't understand their family tradition. Why do they have to force their children to marry at an early age of 18? What's with that?

"Because if we don't do it then our family will might face misfortune." Xander said seriously. What? Misfortune?

"What?" I asked in disbelief. Are they serious? Just because they don't get married at the age of 18, their family will face misfortune? What kind of belief was that?

"That's what the elders had told us before but honestly, I don't believe it…" Xander said that made me frowned. Then why are they still following it?

"Then why did you still followed it?" I asked and saw him seriously looked at me before he sighed.

"Because I don't have a choice. That's a tradition that no one else has ever tried to break before and also..." Xander said. What?

"Also what?" I asked that made him sighed once again before he started speaking.

"When we tried to break it, our family will definitely disown us." Xander continued that made me even more shocked. What!? Disown!?

"What? Are you serious?" I asked in shock. I can't believe it... What kind of family will actually disown their own children just because they didn't follow a tradition like that?

"Yes and believe it or not, Chloe might be the first one to get disown if she still pursue what she wants." Xander said as he crossed his arms across his c.h.e.s.t. No way… Is that serious?

"So what's your real plan about this, Xander?" I asked that made him looked at me once again.

"I want you two to pretend like a real couple so that we can convince our parents to cancel the engagement with Chloe's fiance…" Xander said seriously that made me brushed my fingers through my hair.

"That's hard, Xander…" I said because that's so hard to do, you know… Especially when we're totally stranger with each other in the first place.

"Dylan… Marriage is something very important in our family. Our partners are well chosen by our elders and parents that's why it's really hard for me to find someone suitable to pretend as Chloe's fiance and husband." Xander said seriously. What? So he already planned it before we even saw each other once again a while ago?

"So you mean to say… You've already thought about this plan even before we've meet again?" I asked and saw him just nod. But I thought he just thought about this plan while we're at the car a while ago?

"Yes but I can't think of anyone else aside from you." Xander said directly that made me confused.

"Why me?" I asked. What does he mean by that? He's still looking at me seriously that made me anxious. What's with that look, Xander?

"Because you are a 'La Flair'." Xander said that made me stopped. What?

"Your family is also well known in the business world, Dylan… It's just that, when your parents died 3 years ago and left the company to their friend who holds the next big share in your company because you're still young at that time but that person suddenly betrays your parents and stole a huge amount of money and left with a huge amount of debts in your company that results in the 'La Flair Conglomerates' to face tons of problems right now..." Xander said as he explains. I don't know why but my anger suddenly risen up when I suddenly remembered that person who betrays not only my parents but also those people who works in our company.

"But it's not your fault for being too young at that time, Dylan… That's why I'm offering you something that can benefit the two of us." I heard Xander said that made me returned my attention to him.

"What do you think, Dylan? Do you agree with me?" He asked again. I know that Ramilan Empire can bring the company back to its normal state but...

"Whether I agree with it or not, the fact that your sister doesn't like your plan is still pointless." I said that made Xander stopped as he finally realized what my reason is.

"You're right…" He said as he took a deep breath.

"If that's what both of you have decided then I'll gladly accept that but I just want you to know that I'm asking you a favor as a friend, Dylan... Neither I'm forcing nor commanding you... This is a request from a friend of yours so please don't think of this as if I'm underestimating you, Dylan." I heard Xander said that made me smile. Xander will always be Xander. I stood up and walked towards him before I tapped his shoulder.

"Of course, I won't. After all, I might also do the same thing if my sister has the same problem as her." I said and saw him smile as he shrugged his shoulders before he stood up.

"Thanks, Dylan. I'm glad to see you once again." Xander said before we both do fistbumps. Xander and I have a lot in common with each other and one of those is our love towards our siblings because we both have a younger sister to take care of and look after them, that's why I can't blame him for asking me to marry his sister so suddenly because if I were him… I will also do the same thing, if that's the only thing I can do to protect and save my younger sister.