Tailsa signed the papers with ease.
Seeing another Rolls-Royce under her name made her look at James differently.
She had thought James was a successful guy worth millions.
But today's events made her realize his wealth was far from simple.
He was likely a billionaire, a true player.
For ordinary people, reaching the millions, or even tens of millions, might take a lifetime of effort and luck.
But breaking into the billions usually required family might.
She speculated that maybe James's father had been pretending to be poor, hiding the fact they were billionaires, maybe to test James's character.
Much like those stories where heirs were kept unaware of their fortunes for years.
Or perhaps a wealthy, long-lost biological father found him, transforming James from a nobody into someone of importance.
Having a rich boyfriend would thrill most people, but Tailsa couldn't feel happy.
This meant they weren't of the same class, and he might never be able to marry her.
Conflicted, Tailsa wondered if an arranged marriage would hold sway over his family.
She'd heard of rich people wanting just the child, not the child's mother...
The more she thought, the more afraid she became.
When all was said and done, Perla and Winnie Morgan went outside to discuss commissions.
James sat in the lounge, waiting for the receipt and some paperwork.
Noticing Tailsa's troubled expression, he asked,
"Baby, aren't you happy about the car?"
Tailsa gave him a wistful glance,
"Not unhappy, just thinking about our future."
James chuckled, "I'll love you just the same, keeping you happy and carefree."
Tailsa sighed, "But I feel like you're getting further away from me."
James teased, "We were so close last night, that's practically negative distance!"
Tailsa huffed at him, "Stop joking. I'm serious. You're changing every day, and it scares me a bit."
"What's there to fear? No matter how I change, my love for you stays the same."
James assumed she was worried about his many romantic interests, so he added comfortingly,
"Don't overthink it. You're my most important girl. No matter how many women there are around me, you're the one I love most."
Tailsa, moved by his words, leaned closer, nestled against him, and murmured,
"You're so handsome and well-off, I feel like I'm not worthy of you."
Her admission took James by surprise.
Even someone of Tailsa's status felt insecure?
He gently rubbed her shoulder, kissed her forehead, and borrowed a line from TV:
"If you don't match me, then no one in this world does."
Tailsa felt much better, leaning in to softly say against his cheek,
"Hmph, silver-tongued. You must sweet-talk all the girls the same way, right?"
"No,"
James caught the key point in her words and said earnestly,
"It's not sweet-talk. I mean it wholeheartedly."
"Only a fool would believe you, you playboy,"
Tailsa teased, her mood lifting as she looked at this man she liked more and more. Softly, she asked,
"Will you ever leave me one day?"
"Never," James replied resolutely.
"Then..."
Tailsa's eyes danced away nervously,
"Will you ever think about marrying me?"
James's brow furrowed.
This question was tricky.
Previously, when Tailsa's affection was at 79, she wanted him to meet her parents, which he declined.
That led to her affection dropping significantly over time.
Now that it was back at 79, it felt like déjà vu.
He knew answering "yes" could very well push her affection to 80, but he didn't want to do that.
Answering like that might mean getting to 100 affection points could really require marriage.
For now, he didn't want to get married.
To avoid the same mistake of losing affection points, he decided to take charge.
He needed to stop letting Tailsa lead him around by the nose.
"Before I answer that, let me ask you..."
James said calmly,
"Do you love me?"
Tailsa was caught off guard, quickly answering,
"Of course! Why else would I want to marry you?"
"You don't love me,"
James stated plainly, raising a hand to stop her from speaking,
"When you love someone, it shows, even if you try to hide it. I don't see love in your eyes, just a desire to possess."
"I... don't," Tailsa stammered, flustered.
She desperately wanted to prove herself, but realized she hadn't done anything meaningful for James beyond physical connection.
Instead, she recalled all James's patience and indulgence towards her.
A man who could afford a Rolls-Royce, yet catered to her whims like a prince charming, while she had been acting like a spoiled princess.
The realization struck her -
she hadn't truly fallen for James, she was simply drawn to the idea of marrying well.
Marriage should be a testament to love, she thought.
She saw his love but never gave hers.
Now, asking him to marry her seemed a bit much.
Shaking her head in anguish, her eyes filled with tears.
James smiled at this,
This campus beauty resembled his past selfâ
Asked by someone he liked to prove his true feelings.
Back then, he'd been clueless on how to prove it, wanting to bare his heart, only to be toyed with.
Now the tables had turned.
He held the upper hand, while Tailsa seemed tongue-tied and dazed.
The rare chance to relish this moment, James was about to up the intensity,
But Perla and Winnie Morgan entered the lounge.
Not wanting to be interrupted, he gestured them out.
They quickly bowed in apology and retreated.
James resumed, with a soul-searching tone,
"Look at Amanda. She likes me too. But does she get jealous? Act irrationally? Pester about marriage?"
"If you truly love me, think of me more, rather than using marriage to bind me."
"Marriage is just a piece of paper. What matters is the person."
"If they're not right, the relationship fails. The paper can be torn. In the end, wouldn't writing 'divorced' on your marital status be even more painful?"
Tailsa, who was deeply saddened and feeling guilty, was about to cry,
But hearing James praise Amanda's virtues incited her stubborn pride, drying her tears instantly.
She wanted to restrain her temper, be gentle and generous like the main woman, and make a good impression on James.
But she couldn't help it.
Seeing other women around him made her want to claw them apart.
She could compromise on marriage but not on other women.
She planned to exhaust James daily, making him so tired he'd have no energy to date.