Chapter 8 The Proposal

• Liam
• I was growing increasingly frustrated with Cecilia's stubborn refusal to talk to me. She was behaving like a fool, wasting my precious time. However, I had little choice but to wait.
• I had asked Marta to take me to Cecilia's family home to gather information on her whereabouts, but her stepfather was the one who received us. After he treated my secretary and me poorly, we left without a single clue about where Cecilia might be.
• My father had set a strict deadline for me to find a bride, and time was running out quickly. There was no Plan B. I knew a bit about her history and her past, both because she had previously worked at my company and because my secretary was familiar with her. Cecilia was the only girl I knew who was in a difficult enough situation to consider the proposal I was about to make.
• When I ordered my third drink, I took the opportunity to inquire about how much longer the shift would last. Cecilia, with a discreet gesture, indicated it would be another thirty minutes, a time that seemed to drag on.
• I observed her closely throughout the night, and when Cecilia approached another table, I noticed something unacceptable. A bold and disrespectful customer attempted to make inappropriate advances toward Cecilia. It left me furious because she had maintained a professional attitude in her work the entire time. There was no sign in her demeanor that she would tolerate this kind of behavior.
• I could see that Cecilia was clearly trying to contain the unwelcome advances of the intoxicated customer, a man in his thirties wearing a dubious quality suit. The man's insistence was evident, and finally, unable to tolerate the situation any longer, I approached them.
• "The young lady has made it clear she doesn't wish for your company," I addressed the man, maintaining a firm and authoritative tone. "I kindly request that you respect that."
• At first, the man regarded me with a defiant look, but upon realizing that I wasn't backing down, he seemed to reconsider the situation.
• "Eh... I'm leaving already," he said, raising his hands as if in defense. "I just wanted a bit of fun, nothing more!"
• I was about to reiterate my words when a very beautiful woman with a serious expression approached us.
• "What's going on here?" she inquired with an authoritative tone.
• "I'm just trying to protect the employee from this disrespectful individual," I explained what was quite obvious to me.
• "I can handle this, and you can return to your table," she dismissed me with a fake, polite smile.
• However, I didn't step away. After introducing herself as the club manager, she gently apologized to the abusive customer, who quickly left. I couldn't believe she had acted that way. Cecilia was the one who deserved an apology in that situation!
• "Cecilia, come with me. We need to talk."
• The manager, on the other hand, led Cecilia to a more secluded corner, and I found myself following them, realizing that Cecilia was about to be reprimanded by the woman. The manager seemed to believe Cecilia was somehow at fault in that situation when, in reality, she had been a victim of harassment. As the manager stared at Cecilia with a stern expression, I was determined to intervene.
• "You're fired, Cecilia. You've only caused problems for our nightclub," I heard the manager say.
• Cecilia seemed shocked by the woman's words, but before she could react, the manager simply turned and walked away briskly.
• "Look what you've done, Mr. Ricci!" Cecilia said indignantly. "Not content with firing me from your company, now you've caused my dismissal from this club!"
• Indignant at Cecilia's accusation, I responded firmly:
• "You don't know what you're talking about, Cecilia. I was just trying to protect you from that abusive customer."
• The word "ungrateful" slipped from my lips before I could think better of it. Nevertheless, I gently held her arm and called her to join me, trying to ease the tension.
• "Come with me. I have something important to discuss with you, and there's no reason to delay any longer."
• Cecilia seemed reluctant to comply with my insistence, but in the end, she agreed.
• "I can't go out dressed like this," Cecilia pointed to the uniform she was wearing. "I need to change my clothes and let my friend know I'll be waiting for her."
• As she pointed it out, I realized that I hadn't really paid attention to Cecilia's outfit. I hoped that wasn't her usual style of dressing, especially considering the situation that was unfolding between us. If she were to accept the proposal, we would be a couple, even if only in appearance, and I wouldn't feel comfortable with a half-naked twenty-year-old accompanying me to the places I frequented.
• I agreed with her decision, understanding that she needed to take care of a few things before we continued our conversation. Shortly after, I waited by the club's exit.
• A few minutes later, I saw her approaching with a determined expression.
• “Just tell me what you want, Mr. Ricci. My friend will finish her shift soon, and we're leaving together. I can't stay long.”
• Her impatience was palpable, and I understood why. However, my response wasn't the most direct.
• “I can offer you a ride, Cecilia. This won't be as quick a conversation as you think.”
• Cecilia rolled her eyes in exasperation and bluntly fired back:
• “Why don't you get straight to the point? I don't believe anything good can come from you, so please, be direct.”
• She didn't mind being rude, and her distrust of me was evident.
• Cecilia surprised me with her rudeness, and I found myself looking at her with a mixture of disbelief and frustration.
• “I didn't think you'd be so rude, Cecilia. After all, you pretended quite well while you were my employee.”
• She maintained her firm stance, not faltering in the face of my words.
• “Well, I'm not your employee anymore, and I don't need to be nice to someone I don't like one bit.”
• The tension between us was palpable, and I grew impatient with her attitude. I took a deep breath and decided to give her what she wanted, at least for the time being.
• “All right, I'll get straight to the point. I want you to marry me” I said, not hiding my impatience.