Chapter 169 - A Decisive And Relentless Character

'None of my business?! How dare this woman dismissed me so easily when it was her who needed my cooperation!' Brent mentally exclaimed as his entire face turned dark. He felt that he already regretted agreeing to the marriage arrangement that the two of them discussed yesterday. It was quick but also convenient for his situation. 

Their line turned silent for a long time. None of them wanted to speak and even Grace felt like she had wronged the man. 

But, she had also grasped the situation after the man asked her about it. For some reason, she felt that the man had crossed her boundary.

"Young master Lee, you must have investigated my situation. Hehe! Why did you not ask me directly?" Grace finally managed to confront him.

"Can you blame me if I hired an investigator to check your hidden agenda? Hmmph! We are both strangers yet, you have approached me for marriage. I have to know your intention!" Brent demanded.

"My intention? Isn't it because you are the most suitable man for me? At least, let's maintain our private affairs. I won't interfere with your life and do not interfere with mine too! I just needed a husband to present to my parents and you needed a wife. Our situation is the same," Grace narrated.

"Woman, you are delusional! Even if this is our situation, do you think that your life is a movie? What is going on with your brain? If you want to be my wife, naturally, I have the right to interfere with all aspects of your life! There is no such thing as pretending not to care!" Brent coldly stated. How could the woman think of such an absurd arrangement?

"Young master Lee, that is exactly what I want. To only have the kind of façade in front of our parents. In the eyes of the public, I can promise you that I will be a great wife. But, please do not mind on my personal business," Grace insisted.

"No! What do you think of me? I am not a tool! If you want marriage, you must commit and be loyal to me!" Brent directly demanded in a harsh tone. This time, he was really pissed. "Woman, just who do you think you are?" his voice sounded like it was more than a threat. 

"I--- don't... " Grace became speechless.

Commitment and loyalty! She had really miscalculated the character of Brent.

There were rumors spreading throughout the entire district that this man was a workaholic. So, she assumed that Brent would not even pay attention to her. Who would have thought that he would put a value on their arrangement deeply?

"What now?! Speak! Who is arranged to marry you? This only heir of the Ching family. I need to know his identity. Since you came to me for marriage, I guess that you are not satisfied with your parent's arrangement?" Brent started with an accusing tone.

"It's not that. Don't make your own assumptions! Ha!" Grace felt helpless. She did not intend to mention Sofia and Stephen in this conversation yet, at this point, she felt like the man had already cornered her.

"This is me giving you face. Do you think I can't dig out this arrangement between you and the heir of the Ching family? With just one call, I will know who this man is. But, I still want to hear the details coming from you," Brent mumbled. There was an urgency in his tone that made Grace felt grieved.

"Okay, I'll tell you. But, this idea is all made by me. No one incited me to do this," the lady responded in a despondent tone.

"I'm listening. Go ahead," Brent commanded.

"I know that you have a good connection with that young lady from the Chronos squad. The arrangement of my marriage, I did not object at first. But, the other party did not show any interest in me. I hired an investigator about the man and found out that he liked Sofia. So, I just leave him be. As long as I can present you to my parents, the arrangement will surely be erased,"  Grace explained.

"I see, I get it now. Tell your parent that I will seek their approval for your hand in marriage today," Brent finalized. He was not naïve. With just a brief explanation, he had already comprehended who was the existing fiancé of Grace. 

"T-today?! Why is it so sudden?" Grace blurted, fully surprised by this idea. 

"There is no benefit if we will delay this matter. Anyway, you seemed to be decided about me. Our marriage, won't be a joke. I will interfere with your affairs. If you don't like that, then, cancel this plan right now," Brent ordered.

The man was very decisive and relentless. This character of him was the very reason why he already had the head position of the Lee family. 

"Must it really be today? I mean, we just spoke about this yesterday. At least, give some leeway," Grace gently mumbled.

"Leeway? What are you talking about? Me agreeing to this arrangement is already a leeway. The Lee family is respected in every corner of this district. I have a name that I am protecting and surely, you are the same. If I don't follow the customs and courtesy of marriage, my name would be looked down on by the others," Brent said firmly.

Brent may have had rumors in the past and was believed to be a boring boyfriend during his youth. But, he was fully aware that when it comes to marriage, there were procedures that he needed cannot ignore.

He could not say that he was fully attracted to Grace. And he does not feel like tying a knot but for some unknown reason, the idea of marrying Grace actually intrigues him. So much that he agreed to her audacious proposal despite being a complete stranger.

"I am fully aware of your status, young master Brent. You don't need to remind me how high people look at you. But, I still think that we should perhaps give it another day before you meet my parents," Grace bargained. She was completely lost. How is she going to tell her parents that Brent would ask for her hands in marriage? 

"Don't waste my time, Grace. Do you want to have this arrangement?" Brent questioned. 

"To be honest, I have no other choice, young master Lee," Grace admitted. If only there was another man that was as distinguished as Brent, she would have picked the man already. Now, she finally discerned that Brent was uncompromising. Once he decided something, there was no turning back.

"Hahaha, no other choice! That's too bad for you, not me... Because, I have too many choices," Brent slightly laughed. He does not understand himself either. He could actually get a girl the next time his old man asked him to get married. With the digits of his bank accounts and his status in the district, there were too many girls that would agree with him. Surprisingly, he wanted to settle such things with Grace.

"Yeah, it's really too bad," Grace agreed. Her confirmation slightly stirred a small portion of sympathy to Brent's heart.

"Let me guess? Because you were arranged to marry the heir of the Ching, only another man that had a bigger family reputation could break off that arrangement. Don't bother looking because you really had no choice. Only the Lee can compete with the Chings," Brent started.

"Perhaps. Okay, what time do you want to come to my house? I still have to convince my parents to meet you," Grace stated feeling her head throbbing lightly.

"I'll have to explain your sudden existence in my life to my family too," Brent defended. With their drastic agreement, the crucial problem that they were facing was how to convince their family about their relationship. 

"Okay, just stick to what we have discussed yesterday," Grace reminded the man. 

"I know what to do. My family will come to your mansion at exactly 10 AM. No need for your family to prepare anything. We will just be there to seal this silly idea you have," Brent answered.

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After their conversation, Brent massaged the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly. His mother happened to walked down and halted her steps in the middle of the staircase upon hearing his deep sigh.

"What is that depressing expression this early in the morning? Son, do you have a problem?" his mother questioned with a worried expression on her face.

"Mother, no, I have no problem. But, may I ask if father is awake?" Brent smiled at the woman cheekily.

"What is it?" the sound of the man called from the second floor of their residence.

"Hehe, Pa, since you and mother had nagged me about marriage, go and prepare yourself. We will pay a visit to your future daughter-in-law," Brent stated as he forced his voice to sound casual.

The two elders stood frozen with wide eyes. They started rubbing gently slapping their own faces. Then, the two sprinted near his side.

"Am I dreaming? Did I hear it correctly?" the two questioned in unison.

"You are not dreaming. Ma, Pa, there is a girl that I planned to marry. She is quite well-known in this district," Brent responded. He emphasized the 'planned' to convince his parents that it was already a final decision for him.

The two elders looked at each other. Then, they started jumping their feet out of happiness. Their son planned to get married! Such a good news for them to start a great day!

Brent could only shake his head as to how childish his parents could act in front of him.