chapter 36 -Almost there

Lara's P.O.V. :

"I look okay, right?" I asked looking at my reflection in the mirror from top to the bottom.

"Okay? You're looking stunning, Lary.  Mr. Adams is going to cry for oxygen after taking a single look at you." She said, assuring and applied red lipstick on her lips.

I smiled hopefully and then looked at my appearance for the last time.

It's a big night today. I thought

"Guys, do you think our plan's gonna work?" Angie asked, unsure.

"Yes!" Ash and I answered confidently.

"Let's go and show the men that we are better than those barbie looking girls." I said remembering the way how shamelessly he was flirting with those girls from the baking competition.

Flashback:

"Oh, how we wanted you guys to win this competition." One of the Chinese girls who came third in the competition said and clung to his arm. And Mr. Shane looked totally cool with her clinging to him.

Control your anger, Lara. Control!

"And how we wanted you to win this competition. Beautiful girls like you should have won this competition but unfortunately, girls like her won it." he said looking at me and then took the girl's hand and kissed it.

I know what you are trying to do. But guess what, I am not going to fall in your trap.

The girl kept her head on his shoulder and he just kept smirking looking at me.

Control Lara. Just control the lava of your anger. Don't show him that you're getting jealous. I repeatedly chanted this in my mind

"You are absolutely right, brother. It's such a shame that the non deserving people won the competition." Ian said looking at Ash, teasingly.

Ash made her hand into a fist but I stopped her from doing anything for which she would regret later.

"The last time I checked, it was a baking competition and not a fashion show." Ash said, mockingly.

"Girls who are less prettier always get jealous of the more pretty ones, it's natural. Don't mind them please." Jake said taking one of the three girls' hand into his and caressing her cheeks in front of Angie.

Angie's eyes filled with tears but I patted her back which made her restraint her tears from coming out of the eyes.

"Don't react girls. They are trying to make us jealous. We'll show them tomorrow whom they are messing with." I whispered to my girls.

Shane's P.O.V. :

"Where are the girls? Are they planning to take the whole night to get ready?" Jake asked, sipping his glass of wine.

"Don't know brother. I am all nervous for tonight. Tonight's a big deal for me." I said gulping down the whole glass of the wine in one go. I was all restless and nervous for tonight.

"Don't worry. Keep calm and just be your usual self. I proposed Angelia, Ian proposed Ashley now it's your turn to propose to Lara. Everything's gonna be fine. " Jake said patting on my shoulder.

I just nodded my head however I couldn't calm myself.

"But we shouldn't have made them jealous. Now they won't go easy on us." Ian said keeping the glass on the bar's slab

Jake nodded his head in agreement whereas I started glancing here and there to find the peace of my mind. Her.

I looked around and studied the environment. The Chang's Villa was filled with hundreds of people. Mr. Chang and aunt Suzie were dressed in their tradition Chinese clothes and were busy welcoming their guests whereas their other relatives were attending their other guests.

I shifted my gaze from the lovebirds and started looking around. I found the three girls from yesterday's competition dancing on the dance floor on one of their Chinese traditional songs and few male guests were drooling over them.

I could see everyone in the party but the one person, one particular girl who stole my heart from me, the one person I was dying to see was nowhere to be seen.

Where are you, Lara?

Calling her by her first name automatically brings smile on my face. It makes me feel that we have come one step closer. I smiled at that thought.

"Shane, where's Lara? My sisters are dying to meet her." Aunt Suzie asked keeping her hand on my left shoulder

I slowly turned to face her. I wish I knew. I wanted to say but stopped.

"She's in the room maybe-" I was cut off in the middle when I noticed aunt Suzie looking behind me through my shoulder with dilated eyes.

I slowly turned behind and suddenly I started feeling the lack of oxygen. I was unable to breathe properly. It was like my breathe got hitched.

"Shane..." Aunt Suzie started saying something but my mind wasn't in the state of processing any of her words

I was busy admiring the breathtaking beauty descending the stairs in her red gown with her hair left down with lose curls with a flower wreath on her head and minimal makeup on her face. Can anyone be so beautiful? Can anyone be so mesmerizing that you even forget how to breathe? My mind kept questioning.

And my mind answered on it's own when my eyes saw her coming closer to me. Yes, she is the answer to all of my questions.

My legs automatically started moving towards her and stopped just an inch from her. She looked so gorgeous that I wanted to kiss the hell out of her but me being a gentleman,  I took her right hand into mine and without averting my eyes from hers I held it to my mouth to kiss it. But before my lips could make contact with her hand, she took it away and walked past me leaving me hanging there.

What the heck?

She walked towards aunt Suzie and hugged her and so did Ashley and Angielia ignoring my brothers.

"Why are they behaving like this?" Jake came and stood beside me

"I told you, they are going to give us hard time." Ian said and stood on my right

"If they are planning to this then I am not sure that this party is going to go well." I said loosing my tie a little to ease myself

*******

"She is Lara Adams, the girl I was talking about. She is like a daughter to me." Aunt Suzie said proudly which made Ms. Jones look at her with shock followed by a genuine smile on her face.

That smile of yours is gonna take my life someday, Lara.

"Nice to meet you, honey. And you look so beautiful...Shane, you're a lucky man." A lady in her late 60s said the former part to Ms. Jones and the latter to me. I nodded my head proudly.

"Yes, that I am. I am really lucky to have her as my woman." I said and pulled Lara closer to me by her waist. The ladies giggled and Ms. Jones blushed.

"You are making me insane today." I huskily whispered into her ears brushing my lips on her ear. She looked at me with wide innocent eyes and then blushed harder making her cheeks grow dark shade of pink.

"Mr. Adams, I want you to meet Mr. Jack Hamilton, the CEO of Hamilton ent. " Mr. Chang said introducing me to a man of around my age.

"Hello, Mr. Hamilton. Nice to meet you." I said extending my right hand for a hand shake still holding Lara's waist.

"Same here, Mr. Adams." He shook hands with me and then averted his eyes towards Lara. I could see his pupil dilated seeing her.

"She's my wife." I said pulling her closer which made her gasp and keep her hand on my chest gently. Perfect!

"What are you doing?" She whispered into my ears and unintentionally brushed her lips on my ear which made me tighten my grip around her waist.

"Showing everyone that you belong to me." I whispered back in the same manner which made her blush harder

"So...I..belong to you?" She asked still keeping her voice as low as possible so that the people around us couldn't hear.

"Of course." I said without giving it a second thought. Her eyes widened at that.

Shit! This is not the way I want to tell her about my feelings. No ways!

"What I meant is that, you are not Lara Jones right now but Mrs. Shane Adams which ultimately makes you mine, even though we are just acting." I said trying to handle the situation

"Oh..uh..yeah." She said disappointed

Is she really disappointed? Does that mean she also has the same feelings for me?

"Nice to meet you both. I'll see you around then." Mr. Whatever his name was said and excused himself when he saw that he was being ignored.

I don't allow Lara to give attention to anyone when I am around. I smirked at my thought

"Lary, come over." Ashley called her and she tried to get free from my grip

"Let me go, Shane." She struggled to escape from my grip

"Did I tell you how gorgeous you're looking today?" He said caressing my cheeks.

"No, you didn't." I replied shortly and pushed him gently and walked away from him

Lara's P.O.V. :

"What did he say?" Angie asked as soon as I approached them

I just stood there blushing like a newly wedded bride.

"He is whipped already." Ash teased making me blush harder

"Excuse me..." I heard someone calling me from behind. I turned around to find a handsome man of around Shane's age dressed up in navy blue suit standing in front of me wearing the most charming smile on his face.

"Yes?" I asked

"I wanted to know if you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?" he asked

"What?" I asked laughing a little

He smiled again and said, "I have a wish, A wish to make you fall for me. By the way it's Zac Blanc."

He extended his hand for a handshake. I chuckled and accepted his handshake. He took my hand and kissed the back of it.

"I am Lara-" I was cut off when a hand encircled around my waist

"Mrs. Lara Shane Adams." Shane replied giving death glare to Mr. Blanc

"Married? Already? Why?" he asked with a bit of hurt and humor in his voice

"What do you mean by 'why' ? Do you have any problem with that? She's not only married but she's also the mother of my 4 years old daughter." He said through gritted teeth.

Mr. Jealous Adams! I rolled my eyes and blushed a little.

Mr. Blanc lifted his hands in surrender and walked away from there not before winking at me. I just rolled my eyes at that and chuckled

Ash and Angie smiled at me teasingly and winked then they walked away from there. Jake and Ian followed them like lost puppies.

I looked at Shane who was gritting his teeth and clenching his jaw.

"Are you jealous?" I asked as soon as he loosened his grip around my waist.

"No." he said without thinking and looked everywhere but me.

Aa-ha..OKAY, so he is not yet over his ego. Fine then, let me play this game my way.

"Isn't he so handsome?" I asked fake drooling over Mr. Blanc who was now flirting with Ash and Angie and was on the verge of being killed by The Dorrmann Brothers.

"I swear I will change the geography of his face.." he seethed

"And his smile, oh..that smile is worth dying for." I ignored his previous comment and continued annoying him

"I'll make sure he doesn't have any teeth left to brush by tomorrow morning." he said angrily and loosened his tie around his neck

"Did you say something?" I asked trying to hold back the smile that was threatening to erupt.

"No." he said and walked away without looking at me

Jealous Brute!

*****

Shane's P.O.V. :

"We shouldn't have made them jealous. Now they are playing our game against us." Ian complained gulping down the whole glass of wine down his throat

"I never thought Angelia would ignore me this way. It's killing me." Jake said and he too drank down his glass of red wine

I was least interested in their complains and more focused on each and every step of Lara. I was making sure that no man comes anywhere near her. No one is allowed to talk or flirt with my Woman.

Well she hasn't become my woman yet but I'll make sure to make her mine by the end of this night.

I was sipping my wine when I saw a man in Navy Blue suit talking to Lara. Without wasting even a second, I walked towards them and heard him using his silly pickup line on her.

How dare he?

He then asked her name and before she could say her name along with Jones at the back of her name, I snaked my hand around her waist and answered instead of her.

"Mrs. Lara Shane Adams." I said sternly making him know that she is taken and not available in any way.

I seemed shocked and hurt.

Take that you asshole.

I smirked inwardly keeping the stoic expression on my face unaltered.

"Married? Already? Why?" He asked shocked. Well, anybody would be shocked to know she's already married as she looks younger.

I'll have to make this jerk believe that she's married.

Time for another shock, Asshole! I smirked

"Why? Do you have any problem with that? She's not only married but also is the mother of my 4 years old daughter." I said sternly to which he seemed shocked and finally raised his hands in surrender and walked away from there but not before winking at her.

The nerve of that jerk!

I was trying to control my anger because I didn't want to create any scene because firstly, it's Mr. and Mrs. Chang's special day and secondly, because it's going to be one of the special days of Lara and mine.

"Are you jealous?" I heard her ask as soon as I loosened my grip around her waist.

"No." I said without thinking twice and looked everywhere but her.

I know what you are trying to do, Lara. But guess what? It's not gonna work on me. I know self restraint.

"Isn't he so handsome?" She asked looking at that jerk with dreamy eyes.

What the...!

"I swear I will change the geography of his face..." I fumed.

How can she drool over some other man and that too in front of me?

"And his smile, oh..that smile is worth dying for." She ignored my previous comment and continued annoying me.

He smiles like tooth monster.

"I'll make sure he doesn't have any teeth left to brush by tomorrow morning." I said angrily and loosened my tie around his neck.

Why am I feeling so hot right now?

Control Shane, control! I chanted this  mantra inside my head.

"Did you say something?" She asked raising her eye brows.

Yes! Yes! Yes! I am jealous. I am jealous like hell. I just want to go and smack his face and beat the hell out of that jerk and punish you until you get sore in the morning for making me jealous. I wanted to say this aloud but my sane part of my mind told me to calm done. So I did.

"No." I said calmly and walked away without looking at her.

You're making it hard for me to control myself, Lara.

******

Lara's P.O.V. :

"Thank you everyone for coming here and joining in our happiness. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts." Aunt Suzie said and looked at everyone with teary eyes.

We all nodded our heads and clapped when the couple cut the huge vanilla cake. They both stood there hands in hands looking at each other with the smile on their faces and love in their eyes for each other.

"Don't they look so perfect? Like soulmates?" I asked looking at them dreamily. I don't know whom I asked this question to.

"Yeah, they do." I heard Shane saying, standing beside me.

"When did you come?" I asked

"I never left." He said and put his hand around my waist pulling me closer to him.

I smiled at him a little and then diverted my eyes to the Chang couple once again

"What do you wish for your partner to be like, Lara?" Suddenly I heard him ask this question. I looked at him shocked but when I found him seriously looking at me I knew, he genuinely wanted to know the answer.

"I am a simple girl and want everything to be simple. I don't want anything to be out of world, just a normal sweet love story. A love story in which I am with the love of my life who loves me and cares for me. I want him to be caring, understanding, respecting and loving. I would accept him even if he is poor. I would accept him even if he isn't good looking. I would accept him the way he is and would expect the same from him. " I said looking into his eyes because the 'he' is none other than he himself.

He looked at me and smiled genuinely. The smile he gave me was one of those rarest smiles of his he gives when he doesn't think twice before smiling. The purest of the pure smile. The smile I fell for.

I smiled back and again diverted my gaze towards Mr. Chang and aunt Suzie.

I wish that one day we become like them, Shane. I wish that we grow old together and create many experiences that we could tell to our kids some day. I wish that we stay together until the last breathe we take, Shane. I wish! I thought looking at him with a smile lingering on my face and hope gleaming in my eyes.

He looked at me and raised his eyes brows asking me why I was looking at him.

*****

"Lara, it's the time. It's now or never. Just go and confess your love to him." Angie said encouragingly

I nodded my head in determination and hugged both of my friends one last time before going to Mr. Adams.

They both kissed my cheeks and wished me good luck.

Shane's P.O.V. :

"Just go and tell her how much you love her brother. Go and confess your love." Jake patted my shoulder and we man hugged.

I have called Lara at the fountain near the lake of Hunan. I have made all the arrangements there. Lights, flowers, music, everything is ready.

I hope I don't mess up anything. I thought.

Lara, here comes your man-to-be.

Lara's P.O.V. :

I reached the place on a white cart which was waiting for me outside the Chang's villa with a note on it. It's your cart to bring you to me. I knew it was sent by Shane.

I was escorted down the cart by the cart driver. I felt like a princess.

I got down the cart carefully and was mesmerized by the beauty that I witnessed in front of me.

The whole lake was covered with red and white flowers. The place was lighted making everything visible to the eyes. There started the carpet made of the petals of red roses where I stood. I smiled and looked around in search of Shane. I lifted my gown a little and started walking on the flower carpet taking slow steps making sure I don't fall down.

When I reached at the end of the rose petal path, I stopped and looked around hoping to find Shane but couldn't find him.

I twisted the butterfly ring in my finger and waited for him anxiously.

I waited there for almost 20 minutes but still didn't get any sign of him. Where are you, Shane? I stood by the lake and behold the beauty of the nature.

What might have happened to Shane? Why isn't he here till now? Should I call him? I questioned myself and was about to call him when my mobile rang and his name appeared on it. Butterflies started dancing inside my belly. I smiled looking at his name and picked the call.

"Hello..." I was cut off short by him

"Mom got into an accident again. We need fly back tonight." he said, trying not to sound panicked.

"What?" I asked panicking

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