Adrian froze mid-kneel, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
"What did you just say?" He asked, his voice low but sharp.
Elena's chest heaved as she glared at him.
"I said no!" She snapped, stepping back.
Adrian slowly rose to his feet, still holding the ring. His eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
"You knew what I was going to do, didn't you? And you are turning me down? After everything?" He asked, his voice tight.
Elena stared at him silently, her mind racing.
"After all these months, Elena? Months of me showing you nothing but pure love?" He snapped. His tone had grown louder, his disbelief morphing into frustration.
"I…" Elena began, but words failed her.
She moved to close the door, but Adrian blocked it, his hand firm against the frame.
"Elena, what is going on? Talk to me!" He demanded, his face hardening.
For a split second, she saw something new in his eyes—a flicker of anger she didn't remember from their earlier days.
"But why does he seem so different, though?" she thought, stepping back cautiously.
"In my previous life, Adrian had been manipulative but never physically aggressive, especially early on. But now… this felt different." She contemplated in her mind.
"Could it be because I time-traveled? Are there small changes happening because of that? Like my mother's diary, which I never saw before?" She wondered, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"And now, even though I tried to stop this proposal by running away, he still came to find me…" She thought further, biting a part of her lower lip nervously.
Adrian seized that opportunity of her silence and stepped closer, lowering his voice, trying to sound gentle again.
"Elena, I know you love me..." He began, instantly sliding the ring onto her finger without waiting for her permission.
"This is just you playing a prank, isn't it? You always do this… teasing me before saying yes." He added with a chuckle.
Elena's eyes widened as she looked at the ring on her finger.
"What are you doing?" She exclaimed, yanking her hand away.
Adrian smiled softly, as though nothing was wrong.
"Come on, Mi Amor. We both know this is what you want. You love me so much and wouldn't want to lose me. You are just nervous, that is all." He stated with a smug smirk.
"Nervous?" Elena repeated angrily, her voice laced with disbelief at his audacity.
"You will always be the same Adrian I have known! Selfish, dominating, egocentric! Well, let me burst your bubbles, I won't marry you!" She snapped at him and her hands trembled in anger as she pulled the ring off her finger and threw it at his chest.
Adrian's face fell. He caught the ring as it bounced off his chest, staring at her in shock.
"Elena… What is going on with you? This is so unlike you. Let's go inside and talk about this, huh?" He requested, his voice softening.
"No! Just leave now." She said firmly, shaking her head.
"Why not? Why won't you talk to me?" He demanded, his voice had started rising again.
"Because I don't want to!" Elena deadpanned.
Adrian looked at her like she had slapped him.
"Mi Amor…"
"Don't call me that!" She yelled in exasperation.
He stared at her, his face a mixture of confusion and hurt.
"Why are you acting like this? What happened to us? Wait, are you… are you cheating on me?" He questioned.
Elena blinked, stunned by his accusation.
"What?"
"You heard me right!" He shot at her, stepping closer.
"Is that why you are rejecting me? After all we have been through, is there someone else?" He inquired.
She looked at him and shook her head tiredly.
"See, I'm not doing this with you right now." She muttered, pushing him out of the doorway in order to enter and close the door.
But Adrian recovered quickly and stepped back at the doorway.
"You are, aren't you? Because that is the only explanation for why you are acting this way!" He snapped at her, looking frustrated.
Elena stopped in her tracks, turning to face him.
"You are unbelievable, Adrian." She spat at him.
"And you are avoiding the question. If you are not cheating, why are you leaving? Why won't you talk to me?" He shot back.
Elena scoffed at that.
"Because I don't feel like talking to you. Don't you understand that? Oh, I remember you don't like getting turned down. But listen, I don't owe you an explanation. So, leave this minute." She said sharply.
"Well, I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth." Adrian maintained stubbornly.
Elena threw up her hands in frustration.
"Fine! Then I will leave!" She yelled.
Then she stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.
"Elena!" Adrian shouted, chasing after her.
She quickened her pace, heading down the driveway.
"This jerk just doesn't know when to give up!" She scoffed, not looking back.
"Don't walk away from me!" Adrian yelled.
"Why? So you can keep accusing me of things that aren't true?" She asked him, still not looking back.
"Then prove me wrong!" He insisted.
At that, Elena stopped abruptly, turning to face him, her eyes burning with anger.
"Fine! Yes, Adrian, I'm cheating on you! Now, do your worst!" She declared challengingly.
Adrian froze, his face going pale.
"What?" He asked in disbelief.
"Who is it? Who have you been seeing behind my back?" He demanded angrily.
Elena hesitated, unsure how to respond.
At that moment, an exotic white car pulled up, parking directly across from her mother's house.
The driver's door opened, and a tall, well-built handsome man in an expensive suit stepped out.
He looked around, scanning the street like he was searching for something.
Without thinking, Elena pointed at him.
"Him! He is the one." She told Adrian.
Adrian followed her gaze, squinting at the man.
When real
ization dawned, his jaw dropped.
"Him?" Adrian turned back to her, his face a mix of disbelief and fury.
"That is my uncle!" He revealed.