Tina couldn't believe her ears when he accused her of having poor taste. Her eyes widened in shock. "Your taste is what's lacking!"
Phillip cast a sidelong glance at her, his tone cold. "Better than yours, at least."
"And how's that? You wouldn't know beauty if it hit you in the face. If you're not happy for me, fine, but did you come all this way to pick a fight? How old are you? Twelve?"
It was indeed childish.
"And how exactly is your taste any better?" Phillip rarely critiqued others, yet he found himself constantly irked by Alfred's behavior. "Do you fancy him for his loud voice, or is it his penchant for public displays of affection with women that catches your eye?"
"Oh, that."
It seemed he had heard or seen something about Alfred's antics. Tina knew what Alfred was like behind closed doors.
"I'm looking for a life partner, not a lover. Whether he's into Instagram influencers or movie stars doesn't concern me. A partnership devoid of love doesn't come with expectations of fidelity, does it?" "So, if you're just looking for a partner without love," Phillip questioned, "why not me?"
'Because I do have feelings for you.' Tina replied quietly in her heart.
Tina fiddled with a grape between her fingers before tossing it aside. "If there's no love involved, what difference does it make who I choose?"
Phillip responded, "If it makes no difference, choose me."
Her attempt at a retort had somehow twisted into a trap. Phillip's approach was uncharacteristically aggressive.
Confused about his motives, especially after they had called off their engagement six months ago, Tina found herself at a loss for words. "And why should I choose you?"
"I can offer you more than Alfred ever could, including loyalty and fidelity. You won't have to worry about me cheating or having children out of wedlock. Instead of wasting your energy guarding against his potential indiscretions, you could be doing anything you love."
Tina couldn't grasp what drove Phillip, the esteemed heir of the Richardson family, to put himself in such a vulnerable position, listing his advantages to her.
His usually impassive eyes locked onto hers. And, the night made it easy to mistake the depth in his gaze for affection.
Phillip took her wrist gently, his eyes lowered. "Tina, marry me."
The wind stirred the lake's surface, and Tina feared she might agree to his proposal.
The bright headlights of a car
illuminated the yard as it ele
gate. e. Tina quickly let go of Phillip
and jumped up, swiftly turning off the gazebo's hanging light S
As the car stopped and the window rolled down halfway, Tina approached and called out, "Hi, Larissa."
Larissa asked her, "What are you doing here so late?"
"Watching the moon." Tina pointed upwards with a feigned calm.
Larissa glanced up at the ink-blue sky. "It's the first day of the month. There's no moon tonight."
Tina confidently retorted, "If you have the moon in your heart, you can always see it."
"Oh, you."
Larissa spotted the black sedan not far away but didn't get a clear view of the license plate before Tina subtly moved to block her view. "Larissa, did you finish shooting?"
"Not yet. I went to Stonebridge to
visit Anne today. I'll head back to the set tomorrow." Larissa had just returned from the airport, too tired and late to notice Tina's slight movement. "Let's go back inside. It's chilly out. Don't catch a cold."
"Okay." Tina glanced back at the dark grapevines and then got into the house.
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