Chapter 11

"I can't," Daphne Tjia evaded fearfully staring into Ansel Balder's blazing eyes.

The look in his eyes conveyed both passion and anger at the same time and could explode at this very moment. Ansel Balder's grip loosened as Daphne Tjia tightened her arms around him while crying. The brave nature that was usually easy to show had now vanished somewhere.

"I'm sorry," said Ansel Balder, looking at the sobbing Daphne Tjia.

Ansel Balder's head felt spinning. His anger receded leaving regret. He had no idea what to do with the girl whose face was red and puffy from his actions. Daphne Tjia's body slumped to the floor, continuing to cry.

"I want to send you home tomorrow," said Ansel Balder. He sat next to Daphne Tjia. "But I promised Mr. Tjia that I would hire you to pay off his citrus plantation debt. If I sent you back now, I wouldn't think the debt was paid off."

"Yeah, I can't even go home if you haven't fallen in love with me." Daphne Tjia wiped her tears.

Daphne Tjia's words made Ansel Balder gasp. How could this strange girl know that she didn't love him?

"B, I know you don't love me," said Daphne Tjia which shocked Ansel Balder even more. "But Daddy wants me to make you love me so that I don't have a hard life so that he has a rich son-in-law," Daphne Tjia said honestly.

"As I thought, there must be something for Mr. Tjia to hand over his daughter to be my slave. If the reason is to pay off the company's debt, I think it's too cruel."

"Please don't blame Daddy. All good fathers want the best for their children right? After all, is it that hard to love me? I'm not ugly."

"Love takes time, Daphne Tjia. But trust me, I'll take care of you." Ansel Balder sighed. "About earlier, I'm sorry."

"If you don't love me, why did you ask me to be your girlfriend?" Daphne Tjia asked, putting her hand into the sleeve of Ansel Balder's shirt, which had wrapped up earlier because Ansel Balder had torn her shirt. Even though it was a borrowed shirt. Now her body felt warmer. Too bad her heart hasn't.

"You're a unique girl." Ansel Balder is not lying.

Unique. Strange. Wonderful. absurd. Ansel Balder's pocket vibrated. His cell phone notified him there was an incoming e-mail. Ansel Balder's fingers opened it.

"I have to go to London tomorrow. Do my due diligence on the bank I'm buying. I'll have to check the tax returns myself." His eyes are still on the smartphone.

Daphne Tjia's nod looks weak. "Then should I stay here?" she asked.

Why is this problem so hard? Wasn't Ansel Balder used to dealing with complicated problems?

"Look Daph, I promised your dad to hire you. If I sent you home now, he'd be suspicious." It was so quiet. Daphne Tjia stared at Ansel Balder, waiting for him to say something strange or surprising. The man's attitude was cold and gentle again very suspicious. "Look, I'm making a challenge for you. If you can beat me in the sword, shooting, and equestrian competitions, I'll marry you. Isn't that what Mr. Tjia wants?" Ansel Balder cunningly provides a difficult challenge that he knows Daphne Tjia is impossible to do.

"And will Royal Florida Orange Farmer's debt be considered paid off?"

"Of course. I'll clear the two million dollars. Your father will be cleared of any lawsuits."

"But why does it have to be such a difficult match?" Daphne Tjia asked pitifully.

Ansel Balder believes displaying Daphne Tjia's abilities will undermine Rachel Colleen's confidence. The woman was good at riding and could shoot a little. Meanwhile, Daphne Tjia doesn't seem to have many advantages. Ansel Balder hasn't seen what Daphne Tjia can do so far apart from whining. To be a worthy woman to be by Ansel Balder's side, of course, a spoiled girl like Daphne Tjia must have advantages.

"I want a strong and graceful companion. Gentle but also firm. Loving but not easy to work with. Your character is immature. If you want to help your father, you should go ahead. What do you think?"

"But B, I can't." Daphne Tjia went limp for a moment. Sword fight? Geez, never even hold a kitchen knife. Shoot? Since childhood, she worked playing Barbie. You can't even play with the guns. Lastly, horse riding. If only it were as easy as driving a car.

"Then you might be better suited to take care of the orphanage for five years. It's lighter." Ansel Balder smiled knowing that Daphne Tjia would reject him.

"Don't... Ewww... I accept your terms." Daphne Tjia hastily refused. She'd rather move to Mars than take care of a small child. "Then what if I never can?" asked Daphne Tjia.

"My business is four to six months. So you can practice until I get back here." It's so easy Ansel Balder's answer.

"If you've been practicing then I still can't beat you, how about that?" she insisted. Of course, Daphne Tjia wasn't confident.

"That means we're not getting married. I'm sending you back to the citrus plantation, where you'll be a citrus farmer. By the way, your father's debt won't be paid off either. If you want to see him go to jail, maybe you can relax from now on." Ansel Balder's smile curved handsomely.

Ansel Balder loved to remind Matthew Tjia's debt. Daphne Tjia pursed her lips. Her two older siblings can mean she has to train hard. So that she can marry Ansel Balder. So that his father is not angry anymore. So that she is not considered useless, "OK, I accept your challenge, AB. But please give me a coach who can coach me."

Finally, Daphne Tjia gave up. She accepts a challenge from her boyfriend who doesn't love her yet.

"Tomorrow I will introduce you to someone who can teach you as much as you can." Then Ansel Balder stood up. He picked up the pieces of Daphne Tjia's clothes that he crushed. Ansel Balder helps Daphne Tjia to her feet. That girl is too innocent. Not at all angry with Ansel Balder's outrageous actions.

Now Daphne Tjia slipped her hand into Ansel Balder's arm. The two of them walked down the stables aisle, past the chambers of horses resting like two lovers in love. Ansel Balder opened the stable door. And couldn't hold back his surprise when he saw the woman passing in front of him. Alone.

"Good evening, Rach," said Ansel Balder stiffly.

"Mr. Balder, Miss Tjia." Rachel Colleen smiled slightly. She saw Ansel Balder wearing nothing to cover his upper body while Daphne Tjia was wearing Ansel Balder's velvet clothes. Ansel Balder's lips formed a satisfied smile. Unexpected luck.

"Mrs. Colleen, I'm sorry about this." Ansel Balder hands over Daphne Tjia's borrowed blouse for today's costume party to Rachel Colleen hands. "Sorry I ruined your shirt. Because, hmmm... You know I'm not the kind of person to be patient with 'that' thing." continued Ansel Balder still studying Rachel Colleen's face. The woman didn't move or make a sound.

Daphne Tjia beside Ansel Balder just looked down, thinking about what steps to take. The sea breeze was chilly and Ansel Balder's shirt was very thin. Daphne Tjia pulled her shirt closer to cover her chest more.

"Where's your husband, Ethan Colleen?" asked Ansel Balder when he saw the unresponsive Rachel Colleen.

"Sleep. I was looking for you, Mr. Balder." The woman was wearing black lingerie given to her by Ansel Balder beneath her Middle Eastern princess costume. Rachel Colleen accidentally undid the top button of her shirt to tempt Ansel Balder.

Ansel Balder's male mind was provoked. He wanted it half to death until he chuckled inwardly. Surely Rachel Colleen couldn't bear to repeat the heated struggle they had been waging for the past four years in secret. Ansel Balder no longer wants to be the mistress who has to steal opportunities to touch Rachel Colleen. This woman in front of him must be tortured.

Ansel Balder holds Daphne Tjia's hand. "It's not good for a married woman to leave her husband who is sleeping and sick to find another man. Isn't that right, Love?" he asked Daphne Tjia.

Rachel Colleen's face was ghostly pale now.

"That's right, B. My Mommy was always beside Daddy. Daddy never left Mommy during cancer until she died. My parents were the coolest couple. Like Edward Cullen and Bella Swan," chirped Daphne Tjia. Rachel Colleen looked at him.

Is it not wrong that Ansel Balder is side by side with this strange woman? Rachel Colleen knew she wasn't pretty, but at least she was graceful and wouldn't embarrass Ansel Balder. Ansel Balder loosened his grip on Daphne Tjia, then leaned over to Rachel Colleen to whisper.

"I don't need you anymore to satisfy my passion. Why compete with sick men just for sex? Daphne Tjia's actions are hotter than yours anyway."

That sentence managed to make Rachel Colleen hold her breath. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Ansel Balder's words were cruel. The polite man had changed because of Daphne Tjia. She wanted to leave because she was hurt and humiliated. But why did her feet seem to stick to where she was standing? Ansel Balder retreated to Daphne Tjia's side.

"Come on Love. Let's continue the unfinished inside." He kissed Daphne Tjia's lips right in front of Rachel Colleen. Daphne Tjia replied by gripping the skin of her lover's back. With a deep laugh at the sight of Rachel Colleen turning paler, Ansel Balder released their lips and walked past the frozen Rachel Colleen.

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