The Proposal

'La~ la~ la~ What to do first when I arrive at home today?

Aha! I know! I should beat up Sis Eli! Wait… I'm physically much weaker than her so let's resort to psychological torture. I'll bombard her with e-mails and text messages about marriage proposal and sensual toys endorsement.

Hmm? Why am I doing this? Well…

That foolish sister of mine seemed to have forgotten to tell me an important detail.

Why is Hannibal Raven acting like a close friend to me?! He even gave me a canned juice when we went inside the car!

Yosh! Let's throw the juice to his face! Ah wait… The juice is tasty… Hmm… Let's not waste the juice…'

"Care to tell me where you are taking me?" I asked as I finished the tasty juice.

Hannibal's finely-shaped eyebrow rose at my question. I inwardly drool at this devilishly handsome young man. The kid actually has heterochromia; his right eye was silver while the left was turquoise blue. He was the epitome of handsomeness with his extraordinary eyes added with his black hair, tall and lean stature, and his regal aura.

'I was planning to kill the capture targets as plan B but maybe I should keep this eye candy.'

To keep my drool from falling, I averted my eyes and looked at the car window thus I noticed the route of the car.

"You're sending me home?" My eyes went back to him.

"If there's a place you want to visit then just say so."

"Who told you that I want to go home?"

Hannibal's eyebrows creased as I continued to ask him but his tone continued to be languid.

"Elizabeth told me."

'HA?! What did this dude say?!'

In the midst of my internal strife, Hannibal's eyes were glued to me.

"Maria, you seem to be wary around me."

'Ah yes, because Sis Eli told me you're a capture target so I identified you as an enemy.'

I kept my thoughts inside myself and just shrugged. "You're overthinking it and no need to go anywhere, just send me home."

When I noticed that he kept on staring at me, I countered with my own stare too. Besides, who wouldn't love to stare at such a fine specimen?

A staring contest was initiated and the silence permeated.

After a couple of minutes, Hannibal broke the ice.

"I've heard of what happened at the classroom."

"So?" I crossed my arms on my humble chest.

"Knowing that Louis and Charlotte have an ambiguous relationship, what do you plan to do with the engagement?"

"I believe that is none of your concern, Hannibal Raven." I harrumphed at this meddling stance he's taking.

"You're not planning to cancel the engagement?"

For some reason, I could feel a trace of anger in Hannibal's voice but I disregarded it. Why would I care if he's angry? Is this guy having a hormonal imbalance or something?

"The matter of my engagement with Louis involves the whole family of Burnsworth. So if I plan to do something about it, I still need to talk with my parents." I replied with as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"I suggest you cancel the engagement."

His suggestion really surprised me but I wasn't mentally prepared on what he was going to say next.

"Maria, let's get engaged."

"Excuse YOU!" I am ultimately flabbergasted. "Hannibal, you're proposing an engagement between us?"

He chuckled and nodded at the same time. I took a deep breath to calm myself and looked at him with a sharp gaze.

"I decline your proposal."

Hannibal frowned at my reply.

"Though it may be on the different field but I believe the Raven family's prestige is on equal footing with the Hamilton family. It may be presumptuous of me to say this but in terms of physical appearance, reputation and achievements, I have the upper hand when compared to Louis."

I seriously wanna agree with this alluring devil but it will mess all of my plans.

'Calm down hormones, let the brain cells do their work.'

I crossed my legs and provocatively smiled at him.

"Hannibal, are you aware that it was my parents who decided my engagement with Louis?"

He nodded.

"Then if you can get my parents to tie me to you then I'm good as yours."

"Understood."

The remaining time of the ride was spent in silence but Hannibal's eyes never left me. He wanted to personally escort me out of the car but I fled before he could even have the chance.

When I went inside my bedroom, Sis Eli was waiting eagerly for me with a grin on her face. Her grin immediately disappeared when I shoved to her face my cell phone.

"No!!! I don't want to get married yet!" She howled and hugged my waist.

Yes, what I showed her were pictures of well-known bachelor men who were suitable to be her partner. She's already freaking 21 years old but she doesn't even have her own boyfriend! For some reason, she's a little adverse having a relationship.

Well, not that I mind but this made her Achilles heel when she's against me.

With a wicked smile, I spoke in a calm yet cold tone.

"Then please do tell on why the hell did Hannibal just propose to me?"

Sis Eli then froze.

'Ah… She didn't expect that too?'