Marriage Proposal

Emma

She was not busy waking up on Monday morning because the triplet was with their father over the last weekend. The triplet will go to school straight away from their father's house today.

Emma and her mother really had a good time together on the weekend. They went on a daughter-mother outing after such a long time. For the first time after six years, they were spending a weekend without the boys, and it's indeed great to be able to enjoy a 'me time' once in a while. Emma and Rose went on a dinner date, massage, and spa date during the weekend. They have a great weekend together.

Other than that, Emma also took the opportunity to review the investigation file that Ashton handed over to her on the day that he confronted her on the triplet existence. The incident that happened to her six years ago was a premeditated event by the people's that were close to her and that she once called as family. Her heart was shattered by how they treated her back then, and with this new information stated in the report, her old wounds started bleeding again. The mystery that she never had time to discover before is all laid down on the file. She kept all the news with her and never intended to tell her mother. She don't want to worrying her mother with her life's further that were already a nightmare for her mother all this while.

'Can I still continue to face this life by cowardly ignoring all of this like I did before? Let it past, let it be?' Emma questions her decision-making on her personal life issues before and then.

Be careful; not everyone in your life loves to see you rise up, even if it has nothing to do with them. You might be just one of the innocent people, not that jealous type, so naive thinking that others will think the same as you are, you're focusing on what's yours is yours. Theirs was theirs. Be careful and not trust others so easily because they were always someone who loved to snatch those vibes of yours selfishly. 

After putting her personal life issue behind her back for awhile, she was in her element right now. Work. Focus. 

At 9.00 a.m., Ashton stood up outside of her office room. Again. People in the office actually started talking about Emma and who she was for the Greene's family when Madam Greene, the Chairman's wife, suddenly showed up in their office to meet up with her personally the other day.

The stories about her squareling in the office made her uncomfortable to some extent. 

She looked up at the person who knocked on her office door and found Ashton smiling annoyingly at her. Before she managed to react, Ashton walked into her office.

"What are you doing here, again?" 

"What? What's wrong with me for being here? This is my company. My office."

"Stop coming to see me in the office casually. People started talking about me, which became their lunch hour topic, nowadays."

"It's made you uncomfortable?"

"Of course. I come here to contribute to the company without worrying about what people say, especially about my personal issues."

"I managed to send the kids to school before the bell rang this morning." Ashton try to divert the topic.

"Good, but you can just update me via text. There is no need to come here just to tell me about this." Emma was irritated with him. 'Is he purposely pouring gasoline on the fire in this office?'

"What's wrong with me coming here myself to update you on the kids?"

"Alright. Okay. Now, is there anything else you wanted to tell me, Mr. Greene?"

"Pull down your office blind." His commanding voice has come out now.

"Mr. Greene.....?"

"You want me to do it for you?"

Emma rolled her eyes and stood up to do as per his request, "Whatever."

"Don't give that face to me." Ashton showed his dissatisfaction expression too.

"Now, what else do you want to discuss?"

"Sit down."

She walked past Ashton to sit on her chair as per his instructions.

Ashton uttered his bombshell request, "Let's get married."

"What?" Emma was taken aback by his words. 

"Let's get married for the boys sake."

"If your family plans to change the kids last name from Austen to Greene, it can be done without the kids parents getting married, right?" Emma challenged him.

"Are you telling me to adopt my own son's?"

"It's not what I mean, but it's not necessary for us to get married."

"If that's not what you mean, do you want to see your children humiliated as our illegitimate son's in the future?"

"Is there something that happened during the weekend concerning my son's? Which made you take this kind of extreme decision now?" Emma queried him.

"Yes, it is. It's a long story, but make it short, Ean learned these 'illegitimate son' words from the Paparazzi." Ashton would like to have an open communication with her. This way, they will have a low probability to have a misunderstanding issues as a parents.

"What? How come a Paparazzi managed to get close with them?"

"I'm sorry. It's my fault; my man didn't notice when that happened. I will not let that happen again. But looks, it'll not take long for the media to dig about the triplet."

Emma closed her eyes and placed one hand on his heart to control herself.

"I don't want to get married." Emma disagrees with his plan.

"You think I wanted it too? We have to do something to mitigate the damage gets bigger."

"I have no issue changing the kids surnames, and I will cooperate in co-parenting them. But getting married is not an option." Emma is firm in her decision.

"Have you reviewed the file?"

"I did."

"I can help you for a revenge if you want to."

"What do you mean? Are you trying to bargain with me now?"

"I'm doing this for my son's interest. Nothing less."

"Mr. Greene, please. Getting married as a countermeasure to this issue is not negotiable."

"You have no bad blood with them, at all? Your ex-fiance gets married with your ex-best friend, and your family inheritance was snatched by your step-siblings." Ashton blurted out a provoking statement to her.

Emma cannot hold back her tears upon hearing those words from him. The reality hits her so hard. But at the same time, she doesn't want him to see her crying. She turned around her chair frantically and sobbed silently. 

Ashton stood up from the chair, took the tissue from Emma's workstation desk, and stretched out for her. 

Emma took the tissue from him and spontaneously voiced out those things that she had kept in her heart for so long without hesitation.

"I hate all of them. I really did. I was so stupid and blind for not seeing all their sinister deeds from the beginning. I wish I could crush them all. But I'm not like them, who are able to think of all those evil acts to get what they want. I'm not going to lower my standard to their level. I still can do better without them.'' Her tears keep streaming down her face. 

"Let's get married. Let them know you are back stronger and you have me as your husband. We have three sons together, and they have no chance to question us. You have the whole Greene's at your back. The Austen? Reyes? or even the Mitch family are nothing compared to the Greene's Group." Ashton stood up in front of her, trying to win the bargain. A marriage proposal, to be exact. LOL.

Emma paused for awhile as she was still trying to control her emotions.

Ashton continues his statement. "You don't have to do anything, Emma. You can rely on me. Once we get married, the news will spread like wildfire. Those evil leeches will come out themselves due to the hot fire steaming inside them."

"Are you sure I don't have to worry about anything?" Emma has doubts about that.

"Look at me; my main purpose in this marriage is for our children. They are my top priority. We shouldn't compromise on the triplet interests. Revenge comes second. But I believe we don't have to do much to burn your enemies slowly; we just show off a little bit in public and show them that you are much happier and more successful without them. Kill all of them with your success; bury them with your happiness." Ashton looked at her with a meaningful smile.

"Can you give me some time to think about this?" Those words from him made her eyes open a little bit.

"Sure, you can call me anytime to give your answer. If you agree to this proposal, I will get my PA to book a VIP slot with the National Registration Department to register our marriage."

"Okay." Emma nodded to him slowly.

"Alright. But let me tell you, this marriage proposal should be known only between us and no one else. This is our secret deal, Emma. This is for the kids." Ashton emphasizes that the proposal is for kids interests again. LOL.

"I know."

"Okay, that's all for today. I'm going off."

"Okay." Emma didn't say much anymore. She was still dazed by the marriage proposal. 

This is getting crazy and out of her hands. It seems like Ashton has overpowered her will to stay hidden from reality.