MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Crystal did not know what to say. She felt like she was in a real bind. She thought - I don't want to tell him that I care about him, but if I refuse, he may never let me go...

"I'll be happy if you say that you care about me," Nathan continued. "Why must you torture me so...? Haven't I done enough to prove my love for you?"

"You have done enough for me," Crystal admitted. She glared at him and said, "Similarly, you have done enough for Helen. Do you deny it?"

Nathan rolled his eyes and said, "You have always been jealous. I forgot about that." 

"Jealous?" Crystal scoffed. "I am not jealous. I am hurt... You hurt me..."

"That's not my fault," Nathan argued. "If you had told me that you minded, instead of pretending that you didn't, things would have been different. Besides, Helen is not pregnant with my child."

"Now, who's lying to themselves?" Crystal growled. "If that were the case, you would not have hidden so many things from me."

Nathan's eyes filled with tears, and he said, "I will tell you everything, starting now. Perhaps it will make a difference. Let me tell you what happened."

Crystal thought about it for a second, and then she said, "If you let me go, I will listen. I can't think of anything you could say to change anything, though..."

Nathan let her go, and then he slowly told her the whole story. He explained why he pretended to be sick, treated her cold, and pretended to be nice to Helen. Then he told her about the paternity test of the child and that he had not instructed his guards to crucify and whip her. "They should never have done that," he said sadly. "My Grandfather ordered them to do that."

When he was done talking, he looked Crystal in the eyes and waited to hear what she would say.

"This story sounds moving, but I don't believe it," Crystal murmured. "I don't think there is such a ruthless Grandpa in the world." 

Nathan grimaced. "You have seen him," he

argued. "You have seen how horrible he is. How can you doubt that he is capable of this?"

Crystal frowned. "Do you have any evidence?" she asked. "I only have your word… and that is not enough."

"I am your evidence," Nathan replied. "I was captured by Eric. That should be all the evidence that you need."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Crystal asked.

"It is everything!" Nathan exclaimed. "Don't you see?!?!"

She did not. He seemed so sad and sincere, though, that it broke her heart to deny him. "I am sorry," she said, "but I need more evidence; real evidence, not this flimsy, nonsensical explanation…."

"Please," Nathan begged. "Give me a chance to show you some evidence. Come back home with me, and I will prove to you that I am not lying."

"Okay, I'll go home with you!" Crystal said sarcastically." Sure! That sounds like a great f******g idea. Once we are there, you would never let me out of your sight. Isn't that so? Do you think that I'm a fool?"

Nathan's face turned white. "I have never thought that you were a fool," he said. "On the contrary, you are very smart!"

Crystal gave him a dirty look and said, "I don't need you sucking up to me, and you may as well not bother because it won't change anything."

"I wasn't sucking up," Nathan argued. "But never mind that. If you aren't going to come home with me, then where will you go?"

"As if I would tell you!" Crystal laughed cruelly.

"I'm only asking because I care about you," Nathan murmured.

Hearing this, Crystal felt like her heart was being stabbed. "Bullshit... You do not care... You are just trying to get me to let my guard down."

Tears began to stream down Nathan's face.

"I care for you deeply," he said.

"Bullshit, I don't believe you!"

"You have to believe me," Nathan cried.

"My heart was rent asunder when I learned about what happened to you! If I had a knife, I would cut my heart out of my chest and show you!"

"Cut it out." Crystal rolled her eyes and said, "Don't be such a drama queen." It hurt her to see him hurting, but this was more than she could handle.

"Please don't roll your eyes at me," Nathan begged. "I am bearing my soul here, and you dare to make a jest of it! And why is that? You are reluctant to let me plunge a knife into my chest. Is that because you love me? Crystal, I thought you were extraordinarily strong, but now I find out you are a coward. Only a coward would be too afraid to profess their love!"

"It has nothing to do with fear!" Crystal exclaimed. She took a deep breath and said, "You are egomaniac, and you live in a fantasy world. I do not love you. In fact, I am sick of you!"

"Since you don't love me, why do you care if I die?" Nathan demanded.

"We have been over this, and it is getting old," Crystal replied. "But if you insist..." She walked to the coffee table and picked up the knife that was sitting beside a fruit plate. He asked for it - she thought bitterly as she walked back. She offered him the blade without saying anything.

Nathan took the knife from her hand and aimed the sharp end at his chest. He began to apply pressure, and a small pool of blood appeared and ran down his chest. "So be it," he said. "I will show you my heart. But Crystal... once I take it out, I cannot put it back."

"Don't think that I'm going to stop you." Crystal glared at him.

Men are so stupid - she thought as she picked up a wastebasket. She handed it to him and said, "You can put your heart here, where it has always belonged. Oh, and try not to stain my sheets with your blood." She hoped that her indifferent attitude would give him cause to pause.

It did not, though. Without looking up, Nathan increased the pressure. The flow of blood increased, and a groan passed through his lips. It was clear that he was in an incredible amount of pain.

"You're crazy!" Crystal muttered. Tears began to trickle from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"I'm not," Nathan argued. "My thinking is crystal clear. I would rather die than live without your love."

The knife scraped across Nathan's sternum and created a sound reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. Suddenly, blood began to gush out of the wound. The sound turned Crystal's stomach, and she began to feel dizzy. Her lower lip started trembling, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Finally, Crystal could not take it anymore. This is one game of chicken that has gone too far - she thought. "You can stop that now," she said. "Please..."

"Why?" Nathan's brow furrowed as he looked up.

"I just don't want you to do this!" Crystal exclaimed. "It is disturbing, and I don't like it. You say you love me. Well, if you do, prove it by not putting me through this ordeal…."

Nathan nodded, and as he withdrew the blade, he used his free hand to stop the bleeding. When he saw how upset she was, he smiled, patted the bed, and said, "Come here. Sit down."

Crystal nodded, and without overthinking it, she sat down beside him. Her hands were trembling, and he held them and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "What were you afraid of?" he asked. "Were you afraid that I would kill myself? Is that it?"

Crystal looked away. She was crying uncontrollably by now, and she was ashamed. "Why do you care if I live or if I die?" Nathan wondered. "Is it because I have a position in your heart?"

Crystal continued to sob silently. By now, she had covered her face with her hands, and she felt the beginnings of a panic attack coming on.

Despite her despondence, Nathan carried on with his little speech.. He said, "I have died once, and the fear of death has no hold on me. But if you admit that you care for me, then I will live for you! Please, love me once, and I will be at your disposal!"