Love's Redemption

Was Brandon captivated by my beauty?

I'd always thought his heart was as tough as his exterior, immune to such charms. But it seemed the old saying about men had some truth after all.

Even though I knew I had Brandon's attention, I deliberately ran my fingers through my wavy hair.

His eyes darkened, and his face seemed colder. I couldn't figure out why his mood shifted, nor did I care to guess.

I cut straight to the chase. "So, are you going to agree to my proposal, Mr. Howell?"

"What?" His gaze had already shifted away from me.

I chuckled.

I hadn't blacked out. Did he?

But I knew he hadn't. He was just being coy.

"Be my boyfriend. Temporarily," I repeated what I had said the night before.

Brandon didn't respond immediately. His gaze was fixed on something in the distance.

Following his gaze, I noticed the Ferris wheel had reached its peak.

Gordon mentioned that Chris had planned to propose to me. Could it have been up there?

I squinted, trying to spot any unusual activity on the Ferris wheel.

Just then, Brandon spoke, "What do you mean by temporary?"

"I mean, be my boyfriend just until Chris' obsession with me dies down. After that, we go back to being nothing." I felt a pang of guilt as I said this.

After swallowing hard, I rephrased my explanation, "We won't actually be dating. It's just for show to make Chris think we are together."

"Why should I agree to that?" Brandon asked.

I avoided his gaze, feeling awkward. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Lisa's urging last night and Chris' growing obsession.

A breeze tousled my hair, and I brushed it aside before continuing, "Because you're the most suitable person for the role, and…"

I hesitated.

He had mentioned wanting to marry me and having feelings for me, but saying that now might make him feel used, so I held back.

"And?" Brandon prodded when I paused. NôvelDrama.Org content.

I smiled sheepishly. "Nothing."

"You were going to say I've mentioned wanting to marry you and having feelings for you, right?" he bluntly stated what I couldn't bring myself to say.

Realizing he understood everything, I dropped the pretense and looked at him directly. "Yes. So, will you agree?"

Brandon stared at me silently. Under his gaze, my heart raced, and I began to feel nervous. After a few seconds, my face started to flush.

Was this a silent rejection?

Trying to ease the awkwardness, I ran my fingers through my hair again and said, "If you don't want to, just forget everything I said."

I turned to leave, but Brandon blocked my path with his hand.

"I'll agree, but only if it's real," he said.

I lifted my gaze to look into his determined eyes.

"Madeline, I won't be your temporary boyfriend. I want to be your real boyfriend. If things don't work out, we can break up. I won't just be your pretend boyfriend and a prop for the show."

With his handsome and stern demeanor, Brandon exuded an air of authority and unyielding resolve. He wasn't someone to be toyed with.

I had only wanted him for appearances, but he wanted something genuine. Well, that was absolutely out of the question.