Cherish Love

DYLAN ETHANIEL's POV

"So when are we going to do that?" I asked. We are still here at the lounge while waiting for Xander to finally calm down himself.

"The truth is… I called you here right now because of that..." I heard Xander said that made me turn to look at him once again. Wait, why does he suddenly looks so nervous right now? Wait… D-don't tell me…

"You can't be serious, Xander…" I said in disbelief while still looking at him. No way... He can't be serious, right? I saw him took a deep sigh before slowly nodding at me that shocked me.

"What? No way… Xander, what were you thinking? I am not prepared to meet your parents yet!" For goodness sake! I am not mentally prepared to meet their parents! Geez… This can't be serious…

"But I already told you, right? We need your help right now..." Xander said. I know but that doesn't mean it has to be now, right?

"But that doesn't mean that I have to meet your parents right now…" I told him as I tried to calm myself. No way… I'm not ready to meet them, okay? After all that I've heard from Nathan… There is no way that I'm going to meet them right now.

"But Dylan we don't have much time left." Xander said as he pleads at me that made me just shook my head. This is crazy…

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Xander…" I said. Here's the thing, what if their parents suddenly noticed that we're really not actually in a relationship? Then all our efforts will go to waste, right?

"Listen to me, Dylan. This is the only way we---" I heard Xander suddenly said but was interrupted when we heard a loud sound coming from the room across us.

"NO!" And we heard a very familiar voice of a girl who just yelled in that room that made even the nurses and other patients who just passed by turned their heads on that room.

"What was that?" I asked him while my starts to beat fast that made Xander stood up while looking at the room with so much worries in his eyes. Wait… That voice… Could it possibly be...

"Wait, was that Chloe?" I asked Xander but he didn't answer me but instead, he immediately enters that room leaving me here all alone. That must be really Chloe. I didn't waste anymore time and I immediately followed him inside but was stopped when I suddenly saw these two middle aged people standing close to Chloe's hospital bed. Wait, could it be that...this is their parents?

"Please calm down, Alexis." I heard the middle aged woman said as she pleads to middle aged man standing beside her.

"Remember this, Chloe… Whether you like it or not, you have to go there." That mad man said while he's talking with Chloe. I think, he is their father but...why do I feel like this man is kind of harsh on her?

"No! Whatever you say I'm not going, dad! I will never go there!" We heard Chloe said as loudly as she could and when I turned to look at her… I saw her crying while looking at her father as if she's begging him.

"Chloe…" I heard Xander said that made all of turned to look at him as he approached his sister.

"Charles…" I heard his mom said before she and her husband turned to look at me that gives shivers on my body. His father's gaze are really scary… Just like what Nathan had told me before...

"Please calm down, Chloe… Please stop crying..." I heard Xander said as he finally reached her spot and comforts her. I honestly don't know how to explain it but I couldn't help myself but pitied her because she really look so hopeless and helpless right now which is way more different than the usual Chloe or Alex that everyone knows...

"Mom… Dad… Please, I'm begging you… Stop this already..." I heard Xander said before we saw his father took a deep sigh as he returns his attention to his son.

"You know that we can't, Charles. After all, this engagement will not only benefit our family but also both of our companies." His father said in an authoritative voice that shocked me. Seriously? How can he say that to his children? I mean, why does he have to do this to his own children? Yes, I know that it's pretty normal for rich people like them to have fixed marriage but can't he see that Chloe doesn't really want this engagement to continue?

"But why do you have to make Chloe marry that guy!?" We heard Xander said when his voice suddenly raised up that made all of turned to look at him.

"Can't you see that Chloe hates that guy? Why can't we just find someone else? Why him, dad!?" Xander asked once again as I saw his mother looking at him with so much worries in her eyes while his father is simply staring… No, let me rephrase that… His father is glaring at him right now.

"Don't shout at me, young man." We heard his father said sternly. I can't believe that their father is a cruel man… Nathan was right… Alexis Ramirez is a tyrant whether it will be related in his business or him, being a father to his children.

"B-but dad---" I heard Xander suddenly startled but was interrupted when his father speaks once again.

"Charles Alexander..." His father said in a very authoritative voice that made Xander's face terrified.

"No matter what you say, it will never change the fact that our family has this tradition that we must follow." Their father said with so much seriousness in his voice that made me arched my brows. That tradition again?

"But dad, that tradition is absurd!" We heard Xander suddenly said that made his mother reacted.

"Charles, stop it!" His mom said while trying to stop his son from raising his voice. Tsk. This is bad. Everything is getting worse as time goes by… Should I really need to introduce myself as Chloe's boyfriend, right now?

"But Mom, I'm just saying the truth… I have already sacrifice myself just to save her from this absurd tradition that we have." Xander said while still standing close to his sister who's still crying while hugging him tightly. Chloe...

"And I already told you this before, Charles…" His father said once again before he walks closer to his children.

"We are not talking about sacrifices here. Both of you are my children and that makes the two of you needs to follow this tradition that our family has been doing for decades now. No exceptions, Charles." Their father said seriously that made Xander shocked. Yeah, actually I'm also surprised on what I'm seeing and hearing right now… I have never thought that their father is a very unreasonable man.

"But dad---" Xander said once again but was interrupted when his father suddenly speaks.

"My decision is final!" Their father shouted that made Chloe startled.

"You will marry the only son of the Martinez Family, Alexandria..." Their father said while talking to her who's very emotional right now. Actually, you can hear her sobs and cry within the room.

"Whether you like it or not…" Their father said as he continued speaking. What? Is he serious? I… I have never met someone as cold hearted like him… Is this man...really their father? I was deep in my thoughts when Chloe suddenly gets wild once again.

"No!" We heard Chloe said before she pushed her brother away from her and shove everything that was on top of the side table that shocked all of us.

"Chloe!" I heard her mother and brother said in unison as they tried to stop her from removing the needle that was inserted in her right hand.

"No! No! No!!!" Chloe shouted continuously while Xander hugs her to stop her from moving too much while her mom is already crying at her side as she tries to calm her daughter and her father… He is just standing there simply looking at her daughter. What kind of father is he?

"Chloe, please calm down… Please…" We heard Xander said as he tries to talk to her more calmly but obviously, he's already panicking now. What should I do? Should I really need to reveal myself already? Tsk. I don't know why but my heart is pumping so hard right now. Geez! What should I do?

"No! I don't want to marry him! I don't want to marry anyone other than him!" Chloe suddenly said that made all of shocked. What did she just say?

"What?" Her mother suddenly asked in confusion while still looking at her. D-did she just say...him!?

"Wait, what was that mean?" Their father suddenly asked in confusion. No way… I don't think I still have any other choice now...

"Anne Alexandria Chloe, what do you mean by that? Tell me!" His father asked before he suddenly pulled Chloe on her elbow away from Xander that made them both shocked.

"D-dad… P-please let me explain this." I heard Xander said in panic.

"Alexis, you're hurting your daughter!" Their mother said but their father didn't listen to them and held Chloe's elbow even more tightly.

"I-it hurts, dad…" I heard Chloe said that leaves me with no choice. Tsk.

"P-please let go of her…" I said before I diverted my attention to them that immediately gets their attention. Tsk. I can feel that they're all staring at me right now especially their crazy father.

"What did you just say?" I heard their father asked in a very serious tone. I just gulped. There's no turning back now, Dylan… You have to do this… I took a deep breath first before I returned my attention to them and saw their father throwing me a death glare. Okay, you can do this, Dylan… You are a La Flair...

"I'm sorry to say this but Mr. Ramirez… Chloe can't marry that Martinez guy." I said as I tried not to sound scared or overwhelmed by him right now. Relax, Dylan… You have to relax and think of a way on how to make them believe them!

"And who the hell are you to say that to me? We don't even know you, young man." Their father said that made me stopped. Sh*t!

"I… I am…" I said as I tried to calm myself because honestly speaking, my heart is beating so loudly right now to the point that I can actually hear it so clearly!

"I am, Dylan… I am Chloe's boyfriend." And there I finally said that made their parents shocked.

"What!?" Their mother said in disbelief.

"What the hell are you saying, young man? Do you wish to die now?" And that's their father's reaction before he finally let go of Chloe that gives shivers through my body. No! Of course, not!

"Dad, no! He's a friend of mine!" Xander suddenly said that made their father divert his attention to them. Phew. Thanks to that, Xander… Now I can breathe properly because I didn't notice that I have been holding my breath a while ago.

"What?" Their father asked sternly. Good luck to us, Xander...

"Charles, you know this guy?" We heard their mother suddenly asked that made this guy simply just nod.

"Yes, mom and he's telling the truth… He really is Chloe's boyfriend." Xander said before he turns to look at me. What? It's your turn now so don't pass it to me so easily just like that!

"You knew this all along but you didn't tell us?" Their father suddenly said before he glared at me. Oh no… Xander… You have to do something before your father might really kill me.

"I'm sorry, mom but this is Chloe's relationship and I don't have any rights to meddle with their affairs…" Xander simply said. Oh come on! Give them a better reason, you crazy!

"I don't care who you are, young man but my daughter is already betrothed to someone else better than you so it's better to choose the right thing and leave my daughter while I'm still giving you a chance to live." Their father told me once again as he divert his attention to me. Tsk.

"Dad, don't say things like that to my friend!" I heard Xander said while he's hugging Chloe right now.

"I don't care whether he is a son of a rich man because my decision is final." Their father said in an authoritative voice. N-no way… How can I possibly convince this person right now!?

"B-but, dad---" I heard Xander said but was interrupted when their father suddenly speaks again.

"It's already too late, Charles. Believe me… It's already too late so let's stop this at once because no matter what reasons you'll give me now… No one can ever changed my mind especially this guy." I heard their father said. Tsk. He's obviously underestimating me...

"I am not what you think I am, Mr. Ramirez..." I said seriously that made him smirk at me.

"Really? Then who do you think you are, young man?" Their father said sarcastically that irritates me. No one can ever underestimate a La Flair...

"I am Dylan La Flair, the eldest son and now the owner of the La Flair Conglomerates." I said seriously while looking at him straight in his eyes that made him shocked.

"What did you just say?" I heard he asked in disbelief. I don't care how powerful you are, Mr. Alexis Ramirez but I won't let anyone look down on us…