The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 1160

The moment the words left his mouth, the room fell into an astonished silence.

Arnold rolled his eyes, "Dude, are you for real? How can you be so clueless?"

Bobby chimed in with a smirk, "Looks like my tough love yesterday did the trick. Finally cracked the code, huh?"

Graham piped up, baffled, "Hold up, what’s this got to do with us if you're chasing after Anna?"

Anna, equally puzzled, asked, "Why is everyone suddenly talking about chasing me?"

"Listen, kiddo, if you’re aiming to court our Anna, it’s up to her to say yes or no. We can’t very well forbid you from seeing each other right from the start, can we?" Brooke pushed her reading glasses up her nose, the young man's forwardness nearly giving her a heart attack.

Who shows up with such fanfare on the first visit just to court someone? Is this some kind of joke?

Graham, seizing on Brooke's cue, added, "After all, it’s you who wants to spend a lifetime with Anna. We’re here to vet you, but if Anna isn’t into you, better not to beat a dead horse. We’re not exactly pushovers in this family!"

Soren raised his hand in a pledge to Graham and Brooke, "Don't worry, I came here today to ask for your blessing. I promise I'll treat Anna right."

Anna could feel the intense gaze of five people on her, Soren’s burning the brightest.

Arnold snorted, "Soren, you sure know how to make yourself at home. First, you shock my folks, now you're straight-up calling dibs on Anna. Who do you think you are?"

Facing Arnold’s challenge, Soren kept his cool, unlike the day before. He knew he was out of line yesterday and took the criticism as deserved.

Anna felt awkward amidst the tense atmosphere, at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected Soren to show up, let alone be so upfront about his feelings.

It was clear as day to her that Soren was sincere, but the suddenness of it all left her floundering.

Just when she thought she was ready to let go of this relationship, Soren rekindled her hope.

"Anna, you just say the word, and I’ll have him escorted out. You and Arnold can handle a guy like him, right?" Brooke voiced her concern, suspecting Anna was too shy to reject Soren.

Brooke's words warmed Anna’s heart. "It's okay," she reassured.

Soren couldn’t peel his gaze away from Anna, his fingers nervously twisting at his side.

Anna managed a smile, her eyes meeting Soren's with restrained affection, finding it hard to speak her mind in front of everyone.

Arnold and Bobby couldn’t help but laugh at her hesitance.

Brooke, sitting closest to Anna, whispered some advice, "Feeling shy? He’s just expressing his interest, and you can always say no later. Why not give him a chance to prove himself?"

It wasn’t that Brooke was particularly fond of Soren, but his earnest demeanor and the honesty in his eyes convinced her to give him a chance for Anna’s sake. After all, there would be plenty of time to judge his character.

The more they encouraged her, the more confused Anna felt, her feelings for Soren notwithstanding.

Silence filled the living room as everyone waited for Anna to break the ice.

It felt like an eternity before Arnold, on the verge of dozing off, finally heard Anna's response, "Okay."