Ice and Fire novel Chapter 918

Aria's hand remained frozen on the dress that she was holding at that moment. 'Is it a threat?' she wondered. She realized that Lawrence wasn't bluffing around. She knew that he was a powerful man and was capable of whatever he had said.

A silence set in the whole room. Aria didn't say a word. Lawrence continued to stare at her as she sat fixed like a stone.

"So what's your decision? What are you going to do? You are not leaving, I presume?" Lawrence asked deliberately. 'She has been with me since a long time now and knows how I deal with things, ' he mulled.

Aria fell on the sofa, her eyes staring at the emptiness ahead. With a resigned look, she asked Lawrence, "What do you want?"

"Stay with me. You know that you are the only woman who I love," Lawrence replied with a decisive air. 'I will never let her go until I die, ' he thought determinedly.

"I love you deeply and I want to ask you if you would marry me? Will your parents accept me as their daughter-in-law?" Aria asked. It was true that she also loved Lawrence and she hated to leave him. But she wanted his commitment that he would marry her and now she was getting it but she wanted to be sure.

"No, I can't say," Lawrence replied straightforwardly. He had never thought about this matter earlier. He wasn't sure whether he would be able to wed her. After all, his parents might oppose them. So he would rather give her an honest reply rather than give an empty promise.

His negative reply felt to her like a knife in her heart. With a desperate laugh, she muttered, "It turns out I am just your plaything. You will never marry me."

Lawrence didn't retort to the same.

Aria got up, went near Lawrence and sat on his lap. "Do you love Anna?" she asked, looking straight into his eyes.

Lawrence met her eyes. The look in her eye indicated that she was a strong woman but wanted to know the truth. "I loved her," he replied frankly.

Lawrence thought it better to tell her about his feelings for Anna. 'He loved her before meeting me. But what about now? Does he still have a thing for her?' she wondered.

"Do you still love her?" Aria asked, gazing at Lawrence with expectant eyes. 'Please say that you don't like her. It doesn't matter if you have no feelings left for me. I'd rather want you as a machine with no feelings. Please just don't fall in love with other women, ' she prayed and hoped inside.

"She is back," Lawrence responded, as he looked into her eyes "I will have to protect her."

Although Lawrence didn't say that he loved that woman, his reply still stabbed Aria's heart deeply.

When Lawrence heard the door slammed, his indifferent, bossy expression turned into that of someone who was forlorn. With knitted brows, he couldn't think straight now. He didn't know how to get rid of such an awkward situation. He couldn't deny that he still had some feelings for Anna. But on the other hand, he knew Aria had really stolen his heart and he couldn't let her go. As the CEO of the JC Group, a rich young man from an influential family, he was aware that his wife should be a well-bred lady from a wealthy family. If that was the criteria, Anna was a better bride than Aria.

Lawrence smoked with a troubled expression. His mind was in a total mess. He had no plans for his future with Aria. But the only comfort was that Aria hadn't left him. He intended to let nature take its course in that matter.

In an international shopping mall, Charlotte and Aria walked around arm in arm. "I thought you would not go shopping with me. But here we are," Charlotte began.

"Who else could I call except for you?" Aria responded as she looked ahead.

Noticing that Aria was preoccupied, Charlotte assumed that her friend still could not forget the afternoon incident. "Did you have a talk with Lawrence, Aria? What's going on with him and that woman?" she asked, eyeing Aria's side face.

"She is Lawrence's ex. She will be married off to the Chu family," Aria explained plainly.

"Oh my gosh!" Charlotte screamed in shock, as she gaped at Aria. "I thought you would get married to Lawrence. You two looked so happy. There are so many women trying to win his affection, but he chose you and spoilt you. How could he suddenly turn his back on you and go about marrying another woman?"