CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 435: I WANT TO MARRY YOU

After the two girls looked at each other, one pointed to the business hours on the sign hanging by the door and said, "Wasn’t it always open at eight before?"

Simon Rhodes glanced at the business sign, reached out to switch it to the "Closed" side, and then whispered as quietly as possible, "Today is a special case; we’re only opening in the afternoon."

"Oh... alright then, we’ll come back in the afternoon. By the way, handsome, are you the new waiter here? We’ve never seen you before."

Simon answered casually, "I’m new here."

The other girl immediately smiled and said, "Then can we add you on WeChat, handsome?"

Simon replied, "I have a partner."

The girl smiled awkwardly and quickly explained, "It’s a misunderstanding; I just wanted to get a contact so that next time we can check before coming, to avoid this situation again."

"It’s just an exception today. If you’re free, you can come in the afternoon."

"Alright, we’ll come back in the afternoon."

Simon glanced at the "Closed" sign on the door, gently closed the glass door, looked at her still asleep on the hanging chair, and quietly walked to the chair next to her to sit down.

Susan Wilde woke up to find the shop empty and thought it was still early.

She grabbed her phone and saw it was almost noon.

"Have I been sleeping for so long?"

Simon put down the book in his hand and smiled at her, "Awake now?"

Susan got up and stretched, "It’s almost noon and still no customers?"

Simon didn’t answer but asked, "Have you slept enough?"

Susan rubbed her sore shoulders, wondering why no one was around today.

Simon didn’t explain anything to her, just waited for her to go to the restroom, and then quietly turned the sign back to "Open."

Airport.

Upon returning from a business trip, Ronan Rhodes called Charlotte Sheffield as soon as he got off the plane, but couldn’t get through.

He reported the trip details to Landon Sutton at the office and shamelessly requested a day off.

After leaving the company, he drove directly to Charlotte’s house, buying her a bouquet of roses on the way, even though she herself sold flowers.

Holding the bouquet and gifts he brought her from abroad, Ronan adjusted his suit before knocking on the door.

"Charlotte."

"Charlotte?"

No response.

Ronan then fished around in his pockets and found the key he had secretly made earlier.

Although he had made the key without Charlotte knowing, she eventually found out and tacitly approved of his actions.

He felt that they were living together now, even though they hadn’t yet confirmed their status as a couple.

Ronan had returned from this trip intending to set this matter straight; he wanted to give her a better life and believed he could offer her the happiness she desired.

Entering the apartment, he found it empty. Upon calling her again, he discovered her phone was left at home charging.

Guessing that she had probably gone out shopping or to the supermarket, Ronan simply lay down on the sofa to catch up on sleep.

Sometime later, Ronan awoke to the sound of rustling.

With sleepy eyes, he saw a silhouette standing in front of him. His hand felt a fluffy blanket on his body, and when he saw the girl who was covering him, he immediately smiled and grabbed Charlotte’s still extended hand, gently asking, "Where did you go?"

Charlotte averted her eyes momentarily before responding, "Just went out to buy some things. When did you get here?"

Ronan sat up on the sofa, looking at her, "Didn’t I tell you on the phone that I’d be back today?"

Charlotte seemed to just remember, "I forgot."

Ronan frowned, "Do you care so little about me?"

Charlotte subtly withdrew her hand from his and said, "I’m going to make dinner."

Ronan got up and grabbed her arm, "Wait."

Both their gazes fell on the vibrant red roses on the coffee table. Ronan picked them up and handed them to her, saying, "These are for you."

Charlotte glanced at him, murmuring, "I still have my own flowers that haven’t sold."

Ronan laughed, "These are from me. Are they the same as the ones you sell? A florist like you probably watches others giving flowers every day but hasn’t received any yourself, right?"

"That’s just a trick to charm young girls."

"You, as a florist, saying that is not right. Besides, aren’t you just a young girl?"

Charlotte looked at the bouquet of roses for two seconds, then said, "Just leave them there; I’m going to cook."

"Wait, I still have something I want to say." Ronan handed her the flowers and bent down to pick up a small square gift box that he previously placed beside the bouquet.

Opening the box, inside was a dazzling diamond ring.

"Charlotte, this is a decision I’ve made after careful consideration. I want to marry you. Will you marry me?"

This was Charlotte’s first proposal, and possibly her last.

To say she wasn’t moved would be a lie.

Perhaps from the beginning, she never thought Ronan would be a man willing to settle down and live a stable life.

She thought he was only temporarily interested, and that once the novelty wore off, he would shift his enthusiasm to another woman.

But over this period they spent together, she changed her perception of him.

Maybe it was due to her current situation, or maybe because no one had ever been by her side like him. Now she even felt he was the best man she had ever met.

His proposal seemed expected, but her answer was something she hadn’t made up her mind about.

She could feel his sincerity, which is why she dared not casually give him an answer. She understood her current situation too well and often complained about life’s injustices, yet it all seemed futile.

Looking at the shining ring, Charlotte’s eyes became moist, and she took a step back, smiling as she said, "Don’t joke around. Don’t I know what kind of person you are? I won’t fall for your tricks."

Ronan furrowed his brows and quickly explained, "I know when we first met and even before we met, I was not a settled man. To be honest, before meeting you, I never considered marriage. I even thought I would never tie my future to one woman. That was my mindset back then. But after meeting you, I began to change. I want to spend a stable life with you. I want to give you a better life and future. Now, all I need is you, Charlotte. I genuinely like you. Will you give me a chance?"

Charlotte turned away, heading straight to the kitchen, finally allowing the long-restrained tears to fall.

But when Ronan chased after her, she quickly wiped them away with her hand.

"Charlotte, what exactly are you worried about? I can tell that you’re not against me. Over this time, aside from confirming our relationship, there’s no difference from being a couple. I even thought you were waiting for me to propose. What are you hiding from me?"