chapter 60

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"Why won't you marry me?"

The shock glued Collien onto the floor. "What?" she near shouted at him. She just didn't expect to hear the question tonight. Nor did she expect his drunken state and their conversation would lead to this.

"What's so wrong about marrying me?" His face looked more presentable now. No more dried blood on his cheeks, fresh blood no longer trickled below his nose, and his inches-long head wound had stopped leaking the bright red liquid she now feared to see on him.

Her puny efforts to make him look like a normal human being again kind of paid off. But Collien knew he needed proper medical attention. She stood still in front of him. They were so close to each other that she felt his warmth. His breath reeked of alcohol, too.

Whiskey and beer with a tinge of blood. 

Collien narrowed her eyes at the guy. She shook her head faintly, her patience wearing thin. She had been urging him to go to a hospital to get checked. But for the last few minutes, he just kept repeating how much he wanted to talk to her. Like a broken record player.

"I could... I can give you a great life, y'know. Big house. Nice stuff. A big family." He stared, stance tilting at times while the booze swam in his bloodstream, obviously muddling his thought process. "Why doesn't that interest you?" Jeihral slurred while his eyes looked droopy.

She scoffed, blinking at him in disbelief. Was he seriously expecting an answer to that?  "Say that again?"

"I'm everything you need, Collien." Jeihral raised his hands to his chest, emphasizing his statement. "I got the money.  Got the connections, a-and I'm a man of my word," he said next, his words slurred. "What more do you fucking want?"

Oh great. Did he actually want her to answer that? Seriously? Collien wiped off the beads of sweat on her forehead. She stood so still, too still next to his taller figure and intimidating emotional state.

"What else do you want? Huh? You want him back?" The guy laughed sarcastically. "You're still hung up on that guy? He bailed and left you, in case you've forgotten."

"Don't drag him into this. Go to the hospital. Please."

"I'm a better lover, y'know," he boasted with a smirk. His alcohol-boosted confidence just vexed her further.  "Just...let me show you. I'm worth it. I'm worth the try."

"Go home."  Collien sighed at the guy trying practically anything just so she would pick a fight with him. She wouldn't, because she knew better. She was the sober one, the one in control of the situation and the conversation.

But his words still insulted her. Deep down, it definitely hurt. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that he wasn't in the right state of mind. Her hand badly wanted to slap some sense into his alcoholic head,  but she couldn't exactly blame the alcohol entirely,  because there was some truth in his implied accusations.

"I'm much more worth it. Really—   I, I can give you everything you want." He even started pointing a finger at her. "Name it. I can give it to you." He held his breath and waited for her to respond.

To seem calm and unfazed,  she just kept staring.

Then he went on mumbling his feelings of dissatisfaction, despite his inebriated thoughts. "I get it, though. We haven't known each other that long. And I don't even know if you're ready to have kids...and all that. I admit I'm nothing close to perfect. You don't even know the half of it." The heir let out a quiet laugh, albeit a humorless one, and it failed to lessen her anxiety. "But I will treat you right. Even it means sacrificing all my priorities—"

"Jeihral..." Collien muffled a loud sigh of frustration with her palm. "You're drunk. Let's talk tomorrow—"

"I'm not that drunk."

But he was. She had never seen him this intoxicated, in fact.

"Had a few bottles, but, I'm not out of it. Okay?" His pouting lips frowned at her, his fairly thick brows creasing as he took another step closer.  "What—  I can't talk to you anymore?"

"Can we not do this right now? Go. Just go. Get those checked out." The exhaustion and frustration was catching up to her, so she opted to open the door wider to just lead him out of their house.  Hopefully he would cooperate and stop making a scene already. "Please. Your driver's waiting. Get it checked."

"I don't wanna leave yet,"  was his poker-faced response to her attempt to get rid of him. His brown eyes drooped while he tried to keep his posture straight. Clearly he was trying to convince her he was able to carry on a sensible conversation. It wasn't convincing any part of her, though. "Why? You want me gone now?"

"Jeihral. Just go. Get your injuries checked at the nearest hospital and then we'll talk once you're—"

"Why won't you answer my question?" He pushed her hand away that was trying to push him out the door. He was still looking intently at her as if she'd evaporate into thin air if he glanced away for a second. Although he probably couldn't see straight anymore, he still made an effort to look her in the eye.

"Let's talk tomorrow."

"Why don't you want to marry me?" His brows and forehead wrinkled while his scowl intensified. His expression was one of utter bafflement.

When she didn't reply, he lifted his forearm and tried to touch her face. She backed away to keep a certain distance from him, actually feeling a tad nervous now.

"You don't think I keep my word? Huh? You think I'm nothing but a manipulative asshole?"

"No."

"I've been nice to you all this time. Right? I've been helping you, and your mom get through your problems with the company, and I try to show you how much I care. Isn't that enough?"

"I don't wanna argue. Please just—"

"Doesn't that amount to anything?" Jeihral sighed out loud and weakly shook his head, as if accepting his defeat. He stared at the wall for a moment before he muttered an expletive.  "What else do I gotta do?"

Instead of responding to his taunting statements, Collien blocked off the urge to let out her irritation through a loud groan and some hair-gripping moments. 

Apparently, he thought she was just a gold-digger waiting to cash out once the opportunity presented itself.  Right.  In his eyes, none of this was real. She didn't give a shit about him or his feelings, and he was convinced she only wanted nothing but money from him and his family.

Nothing but money to pay off her family's multimillion debts. He thought she only saw him as an unlimited cash machine to bleed dry.

In retrospect, it was partially true. She needed his financial help and she would stay indebted to his family for another couple of years. On the other hand, she didn't need him to rub it in her face as if the constant reminders in their oustanding bank balances weren't enough mental and emotional torture with each passing day.

"If you hate me that much and you don't want me around anymore, then say so."

"I don't hate you."

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