"I still can"t believe bro had such a dramatic beginning… I mean, who would have thought he"s a Liu!? Jeru"s cousin! Anyway, Jeru and him are on good terms now because Jeru has changed a lot. He"s no longer arrogant… But still… Bro is a Liu! He"s from one of the most powerful families, Lyra… Your brother is a Liu!" Torin gushed as he and Lyra walked hand-in-hand to meet Torin"s mother in a restaurant nearby.
Lyra rolled her eyes and said, "Don"t exaggerate! Who the heck cares if their family is powerful… What"s important is a family that cares for each other, respect one another, and stick together."
Then she added with a tease, "Besides, your family is more dramatic, Bro… I mean, your relations.h.i.+p with your father... It"s really full of drama."
Torin quickly pulled her for a smooch on the lips and changed the topic.
"Hmm, I like that you intentionally call me "Bro" every now and then. It means you deliberately want me to kiss you," he teased, followed by a playful grin.
Lyra"s face crumpled as she retorted, "Excuse me… It"s not intentional at all! Can you blame me? I"m so used to calling you "Bro" ever since I me…"
"Mwah!"
Her words were interrupted by another crispy kissing sound from their lips.
Lyra hit Torin"s shoulder as her cheeks turned pink. "Stop it! We are in public! People are looking!"
Torin laughed and proudly said, "So what? Why would I care about them looking? I don"t mind showing my affection for my future wife to the world!!!"
Instead of answering, Lyra abruptly pulled him inside the restaurant where they would meet Torin"s mother.
Torin"s family was in the banking business. She had never gotten the chance to meet Torin"s mother. Cielo and her big brother were the only ones from their circle who knew Torin"s mother. She heard his father was an authoritarian person. He disowned Torin the moment he chose to enter the military instead of following his father"s will, which was for him to study accounting and business and to eventually take over the family"s business.
Inside the restaurant, Lyra saw an elegant woman wave at them. The woman stood up as soon as she saw them and smiled at them.
"Oh, you look like your mother…" Lyra whispered as she gave Torin"s mother her sweetest and best smile.
"Mom," Torin said as he kissed his mother"s cheek. Torin"s mother hugged her son and s.h.i.+fted her gaze to Lyra.
"Oh, you must be Lyra… Such a pretty young lady," Torin"s mother commented before she hugged Lyra.
"Finally, I got to meet the woman my son has always been talking about!" She murmured before she released Lyra from her hug.
"He"s been talking about me?" Lyra unconsciously whispered with questioning eyes. Torin"s mother smiled and gestured for the couple to take their seat.
"Yes. Whenever I pestered him to get married, he would always say he already has a woman that he loves… He would describe you to me… Last time, he proudly told me that the woman he loves just pa.s.sed the bar exam and would soon become one of the best lawyers in the country." divulged Torin"s mother.
Lyra looked at Torin, who only gave her a wink before calling out for the waiter to order.
"He really loves it, huh? Showing off his love for me…" Lyra thought blissfully as she listened to Torin"s mother. Her heart was overwhelmed with affection for her boyfriend.
Everything went well, and Torin"s mother was very accepting of Lyra. They had a pleasant conversation, but Torin"s mother could not stay long and had to leave soon. After a hearty meal, Lyra and Torin walked her to where her car was parked.
"I personally bake this for you, mother. Torin said you like sweets, so I hope you"ll like this," Lyra said with a bashful smile as she handed Torin"s mother a box of cookies.
"Oh, how thoughtful of my future daughter-in-law. I will surely love this. Torin said you are very skillful in cooking and baking, so I"m sure these taste delicious," Torin"s mother praised her with a smile.
Then she added, "I would visit your family with Torin soon, dear... We will go to formally ask for your hand in marriage… I am really sorry if I"m the only one to meet you today..."
"Tsk, Mom, it"s really okay. Dad is as cold as stone. Besides, Lyra"s family is well aware of my situation, so they will understand. You will be enough…" Torin interrupted before he hugged his mother and opened the car door for her.
"Hmm, how about we pay your father a surprise visit?" Lyra suggested as they walked back to their apartment building. Torin laughed sarcastically and rejected it. "No way. I will not let you see how disastrous everything would be if we do that."
Torin escorted Lyra back to Zach"s old apartment, where she had been staying since she needed to study some cases that she brought home.
"By the way, I"ll make dinner, so come to my place later…" Torin said before he gave Lyra a kiss and left.
After a few hours, Torin called her on her phone. "My love… Dinner"s ready. Come and eat first…"
"Alright, bro… got it…" she said, laughing, and quickly ended the call. Torin was actually right… Calling him "Bro" every now and then was intentional, so she will receive a kiss from him often. She had the perfect alibi because it"s true that she was used to calling him by that nickname.
She smiled broadly as she walked over to Torin"s apartment. She was antic.i.p.ating the kiss. She knew Torin had changed his pa.s.sword to her birthday, so she unlocked his door easily.
"I"m here, bro… What did you cook for dinner, bro?" she said in a teasing tone as she entered. Lyra gasped, seeing candles and rose petals all over the place. Then fairy string lights suddenly lit up, forming the words "Will you marry me?".
Lyra was caught off-guard. She bit her lower lip and smiled sweetly when she saw Torin walk toward her. Before she could utter a word, Torin bent on one knee and raised his hand...
"Oh, my," Lyra gasped when Torin opened a tiny box that contained a sparkling ring inside.
Torin never blinked an eye. He looked straight into her eyes and said, "There"s nothing else in this world that I long to do except to marry you. Let"s build our own family… You and me together... I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my days loving you. Lyra Lim, will you marry me?"
Lyra was already crying as she said, "Of course, bro. I will marry you!!!"
Torin quickly stood up to put the ring on her finger before he kissed her pa.s.sionately. "I"m sorry that I lack creativity, love… This is an overused method, but I still think it"s fine. I counted all the "Bros"… So, prepare your lips," Torin murmured in her ear.
Lyra chuckled and kissed Torin until he was gasping for air… It did not matter to her that his proposal was overused. Who cares…? Torin"s effort to have her was more than enough for her...
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