Taming Mr. Cold And Arrogant

Sophia's POV:

"Good morning, love birds, how was your sleep?" I winked at Bryan when he entered the kitchen with his girlfriend following behind him. 

"You deprived our sleep!" He glared at me playfully but I just giggled. 

"Oh, really? Is it your sleep I deprived, or the magic that I------"

"Don't you dare enter my room again without knocking, Sophia Yzabelle!"

I laughed as I remembered the scene from last night. 

"Babe, this is Belle, my sister and Belle this is Aira, my girlfriend." He glared at me when I was about to say something after he finished speaking. 

"Hi, Belle, nice to finally meet you. Bryan always tells me about you." Aira smiles at me as she offers her hand for a handshake. 

"Nice to meet you too, Aira." I said taking her hand. "I'm so happy that my brother has finally met someone whom he can call a 'girlfriend."

I emphasized the last word which makes her blush and for me to gain another glare from Bryan who's standing behind her. 

"Anyway, let's eat. I made pancakes and scrambled eggs, it's the best partner with a hot coffee."

I walked towards the kitchen counter to get more plates and also to make two cups of coffee for them. 

We were in the middle of our breakfast when my phone vibrates inside my pocket. I checked to see who sent me a text message and sighed when I saw it's come from Craig. I immediately finish my last pancake and excused myself to call him. 

I didn't know Bryan followed me and I was shocked when I saw him standing behind me after ending the call. 

"My goodness, Bryan! How long have you been there?" I asked as I put the phone back in my pocket. 

"Uhm... since you started your conversation with your friend."

"So you listened to what we talked about?"

"Of course, not! I busied myself looking at my cute picture when I was young."

I rolled my eyes when he pointed his picture in a frame over the console table. 

I was about to go back to the kitchen when he put his arm around my shoulder. 

"Let's talk about what happened, Belle."

I sighed as I looked at him and then nodded. He dragged me to the porch and we sat on the wooden bench with him beside me. 

"So what happened and suddenly you came here? I'm sure it's not about Joseph because I know you, you'll call me instead of coming here if it's him"

"Well, he's not the main reason but he's also a part of it."

"Does it concern your husband?"

I nodded and looked down at my hand which has a ring mark on the ring finger. 

"He hired a private investigator to know everything about me, my past, my previous life and the reason why I married him."

"Uhuh... so what happened?"

I closed my eyes and started telling him what happened. But I started with Daniel's sudden change, the way he treats me these past few weeks, and the progress in our marriage. I also opened my hopes and expectations about our relationship. 

And of course, the questions about my Mom, Layla and Joseph that seemed to be the biggest barrier for us to be together, and the last event that seemed to have changed everything and put them back from where they were started. 

"Ohh, then I must be thankful for him."

That's his first comment after I told him what happened. 

"What do you mean you must be thankful for him?" I asked him, confused.

"Because if it wasn't for him, you won't come here and you won't t remember that I still exists." He said, grinning at me. 

"Bryan, I'm serious! This is not a kind of joke."

"Fine, I'm just trying to light up your mood."

He laughed at me as he raised his hand in a surrender position, but I remained looking at him with a scowl on my face. 

I heard him sigh and he took my hand and massages my palm. 

"Do you love him?"

I gulped before I tried to say something which was not related to his question. 

"I don't know why he easily believed in all of Joseph's lies. He doesn't even know him and I was the one who's with him in these past few months, forgodsake! He judged me so quickly without giving me a chance to explain! And do you know what hurts me the most? He said that I can't fool him and that he will never fall into my tricks!"

"You didn't answer my question, Belle. Do you love him?"

-'Oh, my goodness!'-

I was forced to look at him and nodded as I bite my lips. 

"Don't you think he's only jealous?"

I shook my head and gave him a painful smile. 

"Why would he be jealous, if he doesn't love me? I tried to tell him my feelings but he rejected me and he told me that I shouldn't mention the word love because I didn't really know its meaning."

"Whoa! I think he's also in love with you, Belle. Maybe he's only jealous, so he easily believed what Joseph told him."

I shook my head. 

"If he's in love with me, then why didn't he listen to me? Why didn't he let me explain? He was so mad with me, Bryan, that he forgot that I can also feel pain! He said he hired someone to investigate me but what happened, did he really do an investigation? He just talked to Joseph and it's all over!"

"By the way, how did he know him?"

"Actually, he doesn't know him personally, he only heard his name from me when we were in a restaurant. It was the time I called you that I saw that bastard looking at us inside the restaurant. And maybe since then, he started his investigation."

"Okay, but have you tried to explain to him why you married him?"

"I did it, Bryan, but he didn't want to listen. Joseph had already twisted his mind as he already believed that I'm a whore and a s.l.u.t, who cheated on my ex-fiance and betrayed those people who trusted me!"

I paused when I felt the tears forming around my eyes. I don't know how to explain what I feel. I am mad and disappointed at the same time.

"You know what, that time he came home, I was ready to tell him everything. My past, the reason I married him and to open up to him, but I was shocked when he told me he already knew the truth. So I expected the truth he was saying to be the real truth, but no, it's just another Joseph's lie. I thought he's changed, but I was wrong."

"And since you thought he has changed, you expect your relationship to go to another level."

I remained quiet and lowered my head. 

"Sometimes we are the one who create our own heartbreaks through expectation. If you haven't learned to fall in love with him, do you think you will be hurt by his words and his judgements that he threw you?"

He asked lifting up my chin by his finger. 

"What's the difference between his words before and his words now, has it changed?"

I shook my head. 

"You're right, it hasn't changed. He's still telling you all those words and only your feelings towards him has changed. You're not hurt because he judged you, but because you're disappointed that he didn't return your feelings. You expect too much from the cares he showed you and you thought he will do the same as you do for him."

He paused and smiled at me but didn't reach into his eyes. 

"What will I do now, control my feelings, will I prevent my heart from loving him? Bryan, I wish I could, but I don't know how."

"I didn't say that, Belle." He shook his head. "Yes, you can continue to love him and you can always hope, but never expect anything, because sometimes expectations lead to disappointment. And it's better to be surprised rather than disappointed."

After hearing the words expectations and disappointments, a decision suddenly came to my mind

"What if I just quit and stop all of this?"

He straightened his seat and looked at me, frowning. 

"What do you mean, you will quit? 

"I'll stop looking for justice. I'm quitting----"

"Are you crazy?" He interrupted me, raising his voice. "You've been doing this for more than six years, Sophia, and then you will suddenly quit?"

"That's exactly my point, Bryan! I've been doing this for over six years but until now, nothing seems to have happened! Joseph is still there and I'm still having nightmares. Besides, I already found Layla, but she said she doesn't remember anything about what happened. Either she has already forgotten what happened or she just doesn't want to help me!"

"But you can't just quit, Belle, I'm sure there's still another way.  And there's only one step ahead and you will get the justice you were looking for!"

"What did you say? One step ahead? Another way?" I looked straight at him. "Forgodsake! During those f.u.c.k.i.n.g six years, my life has stopped because of finding Layla and the search for justice that doesn't seem to me! And I'm tired of it, Bryan!"

"Tired? Since when did you learn to say the word 'tired', Yzabelle?"

"You don't understand me----"

"Well, it's a f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit if I don't understand you! I've been on your side from the very beginning!  When your Mom left you and when your father almost disowned you because he chose to believe that f.u.c.k.i.n.g fiance of yours! I was beside you when you had nightmares almost every night and until now, I'm still trying to help you and protect you at the same time! So now tell me, what part of your life I don't understand?"

I could no longer prevent my tears from running down my cheeks as he told me those words and glared at me.

"That's not what I mean, Bryan----"

"Or maybe because of him that's why you're going to quit now?"

"No! It's not about him!" I know he's referring to Daniel. 

"Then why?"

"It's because I'm tired! I'm so tired of seeking justice that until now nothing has happened. I'm so tired of waking up in the morning and thinking about how I will survive all day without thinking about that f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard and what he did to me! I'm tired of living in my past and I want to move on now."

I paused as I tried to prevent the sobs that wanted to rise up in my throat. 

"And do you know what I have realized last night? The real reason why I've been doing this was not for justice or for myself, but because of my father. I'm just doing all this, because of him. I was mad at him because he didn't support me when I needed him as a father and I want to prove to him that he was wrong. I want him to realize his mistake of not choosing his own daughter over money and business!"

"But what about your personal battle with Joseph?"

"We have tried everything we can, but maybe it's time to think about the present and the future. Do you know what Craig told me? When I've too caught up on what happened in the past, I will miss what's in front of me."

He looked at me, confused and as if I had grown into two heads. He also stood up to cup my face and neck and then slapped my forehead lightly. 

"Ouch! What are you doing?" I asked, glaring at him. 

"I was just checking if you have a fever or you're just possessed."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I wanted to punch him but I couldn't help the smile that crept on my lips as I remembered the same scene a few weeks ago. 

"Are you sure you really want to quit?"

I nodded. 

"What made you decide to quit?"

"I told you because I'm tired." I shrugged. 

"Liar! Your mind can deny it, but your heart cannot, Belle. I know that he's involved in your decision, but I want you to remember this, beg him to love you, because even if you do nothing, he will notice you and love you as you deserve. He will accept you for whoever you are and whatever the past you've had. You don't need someone to complete you, you only need someone to accept you completely."

"Ahh... that's a heart-touching message, Bryan. I didn't know you had in you." this time I give him the joke he gave me earlier. 

"I'm serious, Yzabelle!" I just smiled when he playfully narrowed his eyes on me. "You will always have my back you know that, right?"

"I know and thank you for always being there and for everything that you've done for me." I stood up and hugged him on his waist. "Thank you, brother."