Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 58

Ares Simon's POV:

I couldn't decipher her thoughts, and wondered if it was the shock speaking.

Softly squeezing her cold hands, I gazed into her eyes and said, "Elysia, I understand this is a shock for you. Trust me, discovering you were the one my family chose was a surprise for me too," and a good one as well.

How could I make her understand that she is the sole reason I could entertain the thought of marriage, and willing to risk it all?

Elysia's brows furrowed in confusion, hesitation lingering in her features as she stammered, "But... Weren't you e-engaged?" I subconsciously bit the insides of my cheek at her question.

If only she knew!

Amusement laced my words as I responded, "Didn't realize my executive assistant was avidly following the rumored gossip about me, hm?" A surge of happiness welled within me. "And not just following, but believing it too, I see!" I added, raising an eyebrow, a smirk forming on my lips.

She had mentioned my supposed engagement before, and if it bothered her, could it be that...?

As the thought crossed my mind, my smirk widened, turning into a pleasant smile.

It seemed Mrs. Ares wasn't as indifferent toward me as she always portrayed.

Elysia's face flushed crimson once again, avoiding eye contact, looking anywhere but me, as she stammered, "I-I wasn't intentionally following the news. I saw it coincidentally." She withdrew one hand from mine, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a slightly clumsy manner, then instinctively placed her hand back under mine, resuming the previous position.

The gesture was so adorable that, if not for the seriousness of our conversation, I might have impulsively kissed her, consequences be damned. She didn't realize her actions but I noticed everything; the movements of her hands, her cute pink flushed features, panicked large amber eyes, wandering gaze, slight unsure movements of her lips, constant furrowing of her eyebrows and the delicate movement of her throat as she gulped. "It's okay, Elysia," I reassured, fighting back a grin. "You don't need to explain yourself."

"I-it wasn't like I was following news about you. I have no reason to do that," She continued, over-explaining herself as she often did when caught doing something which she definitely did.

Suppressing the urge to tease her, I shifted to a more serious tone, deciding to save it for another time. "I believe you," I nodded in affirmation, gently stroking her fingers.

"I was never engaged, Elysia," I confessed, shaking my head. "It was Grandpa. He and Mom wanted me to marry, and when I refused, he devised his plan to convince me. So, the news was his doing," I added, watching surprise unfold across Elysia's features with a subtle raise of her eyebrows.

I continued, "They weren't forcing me to marry someone of their choice; they just wanted me to marry. Your mom and mine met a few weeks ago when Mom came to the hospital for her checkup, and they somehow became friends," which was undoubtedly a part of Grandpa's plan but I chose to keep this from Elysia. "Sandra was also looking for your proposal, the same goes for my mom. They met up, planned, decided, and the rest is history."

"To answer your question about why I agreed to marry; it's because the woman was you," I carefully observed her expressions shifting from attentive listening to surprise, as she absorbed my words. I continued, "Of course, I didn't imagine we would be marrying under these circumstances, but you agreed to marry a stranger, so the situation somehow led to this."

"When Grandpa told me about you, I found myself considering marriage for the first time, and surprisingly, it didn't seem like a bad idea. Moreover, I lo- like you," I clicked my tongue at the last moment, pressing my lips together.