The Billionaire's Promise
Chapter 48: Keep It As A Secret

Chapter 48: Keep It As A Secret

"You are hugging the headlines both in the entertainment and business section." Aryana tried to be as indifferent as possible.

"Where? How come I did not see it?"

Erik stood beside her with both of his hands resting on the railing. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Aryana teasingly.

’He seemed a bit playful now. But earlier when he gave me the ring he was so cold.’

Aryana looked at the entertainment section on her cellphone. She checked the top searches but she could no longer find the photos and posts about Erik and Julia. She checked the company’s GC but the photos were deleted.

"Strange. All the posts and photos are gone."

Erik smirked and looked at her sideways. Both of them were standing side by side. Aryana’s forearms were resting on the railings with her hands clasped. They watched as the last streak of orange glow disappeared and the horizon turned into darkness.

"I have my ways. They cannot trap me like that. The Lopezes are not that simple but I am not simple too. We are business partners but they want to gobble up the business empire that I painstakingly built." Erik was very calm when he said those words but there was something in his eyes that made Aryana uncomfortable.

"I saw an intimate photo of you and Julia. The way she looked at you in the photo bared her soul. Don’t you like her?" Aryana regarded Erik with interest.

"No. I do not like her." He replied decisively. "You sound like you are jealous." He reached out to tuck the hair that was blown by the wind. He took his coat and put it on her. She was wearing an olive green off-shoulder dress. The hemline of the skirt fell slightly above her knees.

"Of course not. Why would I be?" Aryana protested.

Erik laughed.

"Come on, let us finish the wine and have dessert. We had our dinner too early. We should have watched the sunset first before starting dinner." He guided Aryana back to the table and handed her the menu.

She ordered a fruit platter and her favorite mango crepe.

"Does your wound still hurt?" He sreally concerned.

"A little bit." She lifted the flap of her sleeve and showed him her bandaged arm.

"I am sorry I had to go on an urgent business trip and wasn’t able to take care of you." He said regretfully.

"It is alright. I know you are very busy and I don’t want to trouble a CEO. I will not be able to afford your hourly pay." She winked at him then paused and looked at Erik seriously.

"Do you think I should resign from your company? I think it will be awkward once we are married." She blushed when she said the word married. She was hesitant bringing this topic but he should know how she felt.

"Why would it be? I will be at peace if you are closer to me." He was nonchalant when he replied to her.

"Erik, can we keep our marriage a secret?" She looked at him hoping that he would agree.

Erik looked back at her thoughtfully. ’Maybe it is a good idea to keep it a secret for now as many people might want to harm her.’

"I think you are right. Let us keep it a secret for now. When the time comes, I will give you a proper wedding."

"What if you fall in love with someone?" Aryana blurted out. It was supposed to be just her thought but for some reason, she asked aloud.

"That will not happen." Erik sounded so sure of himself.

"What if I fall in love with someone else?" Aryana asked in a small voice.

Erik’s grip tightened on the wine glass. "If that time comes, you can ask for a divorce. Is there someone you like? Is it Hector?" There was something in his voice that Aryana could not place what it was.

Aryana shot Erik a surprised look. Erik looked angry. But then who wouldn’t be? Who would talk about falling out of love on the day he proposed?

Aryana shook her head. "Hector and I are just friends."

"Yana, don’t ..." whatever Erik was about to say was interrupted when an ensemble of four singers positioned themselves on the platform opposite the table. Beautiful music filled the air and Erik offered his hand to Aryana for a dance.

Aryana took his hand. Erik pressed his lips on her right hand before pulling her into an embrace.

Aryana’s face was flushed. She was not sure If it was because of the wine or because of Erik’s proximity to her. His hands were resting on the small of her back while her hands rested on his shoulders.

"Yana..." His voice was deep and she could feel his warm breath on her face. Her heart started to do a summersault inside her rib cage.

She looked up and was drawn into his deep eyes. Despite the limited light, she could see that those two orbs were unusually dark and they held hers captive. She willed herself to look away but failed. They swayed to the gentle music coming from the stringed instruments of the quartet.

"I promise to protect you and treat you well." He said softly in a low and hoarse voice that sounded seductive to Aryana.

Just as Aryana was powerless to withdraw her gaze from Erik, he was also mesmerized by the two lovely eyes that were looking up at him. Her eyes have a burst-like pattern of various hues of brown, green, and gold reflecting the myriad of emotions engulfing her whole being. They turned into the lightest shade of brown and after a moment, they turned green.

He inhaled sharply. "Your pair of eyes is an enigma. I never saw such beautiful eyes changing color. They are green right now." He whispered and then nibbled at her earlobes.

Aryana felt a tingling sensation in her body. She blus.. "I .. I .. think it is because I am wearing a green dress." She stammered.

She looked up at Erik. Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes, which showed a different hue of green were sparkling like the stars.

Erik lost control. He lowered his lips and kissed her.

Aryana’s eyes widened but only for a moment. She closed her eyes and savor her first real kiss with the man she loved.

At first, Erik was gentle but his kiss turned passionate and demanding. Aryana’s legs seemed to turn into jelly. If not for her holding unto Erik, she could have n down.

She was out of breath when Erik released her lips. He used his thumb to caress her swollen lips.

"I am sorry. I lost control." His voice still sounded hoarse.

"Don’t be. I accepted you as my fiancé after all. It is your privilege." Aryana rested her head on his chest as they continued to sway in synch to the music.

"Erik." She raised her head tentatively to look at his eyes.

"Do you like me?"

"Of course. But no matter if I like you are not, I asked you to marry me and you have accepted so why ask? Remember, I care about you." He patted her head and then caressed her cheek with his thumb.

Aryana lowered her gaze and focused on the button at his chest.

"Then, can you ever love me?"

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