Andrew fell silent for a moment. He was thinking about that question. Who would give him more pain if he ever lost her? Was it Hannah or Alveena?
While Andrew was trying to find the answer in his heart, Tristan was also contemplating whether to tell Andrew about Hannah's behavior abroad.
'I know Andrew should know the truth. But I don't want his decision to be affected by Hannah's action. What if she is already genuine in starting over with my brother?' Tristan thought to himself.
'I should find out first whom he will choose between the two women. He should figure it out by himself. If he will choose Hannah then I will tell him the truth. Because if he truly loves her, Andrew will still forgive her despite what she has done.'
'I don't want him to choose Alveena just because he learns the truth about Hannah's inappropriate action. If he will choose Alveena, then it is because he truly loves her, not because of Hannah's mistake.'
These were the thoughts running in Tristan's mind right now. This was the reason why he was not telling Andrew about Hannah's attempt to seduce him abroad.
The most important thing was Andrew chose someone according to what he truly felt between those two women.
Tristan was waiting for his brother to speak up when Grandpa Lu approached them. Grandpa Lu heard that Andrew was back and he was with Tristan in the garden area.
He decided to see his two grandsons. He couldn't help but smile seeing his two grandsons getting along really well.
"Andrew, Tristan," he called them.
Andrew and Tristan gazed in the direction of their grandfather. They immediately stood up to greet him.
"Andrew, you are back. Why didn't you see me first upon arriving?" Grandpa Lu asked Andrew with a straight face. He just wanted to tease Andrew.
Tristan chuckled since Andrew didn't know what to say. He put his hand around Andrew's shoulder.
"Grandpa, don't be jealous. For the first time, my brother wanted to see me first!" Tristan defended his brother.
"Hmm, alright! Come with me, Andrew. There is something I wanna give you," Grandpa Lu said.
Tristan smiled inwardly. He knew that Grandpa Lu was about to give Andrew Grandma Cassandra's ring.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe wondered who would be the girl receiving that ring. Was it Alveena or Hannah? The decision was up to Andrew now.
Grandpa Lu and Andrew went to his study. Andrew had no idea what was the thing Grandpa Lu was planning to give him.
He sat on the sofa as Grandpa Lu picked something inside his mini-vault. It was a small square box.
Grandpa Lu walked over to Andrew. He handed over the box which Andrew accepted.
"What is this, Grandpa?" Andrew asked him.
Grandpa Lu sat beside him, holding his shoulder.
"Grandson, I am giving you your grandmother's ring. Give this to the woman you love and want to marry." Grandpa Lu smiled tenderly after saying that.
Andrew was taken aback when he heard that.
"Grandpa… are you sure about this? This ring is important to you. Why are you giving me this?"
"Because you are my grandson. Your grandma will be happy also to see this ring being put on the finger of the woman you love."
Andrew felt touched because Grandpa Lu was giving him this very important ring. He knew that between Tristan and him, Grandpa Lu and Grandma Cassandra were fond of Tristan.
"Grandpa… I-"
"Are you upset with your Grandpa, Andrew?" Grandpa Lu suddenly asked him. He somehow knew what Andrew was thinking.
Andrew didn't know what to say. He had to admit that he was always jealous of Tristan. Their grandparents always favored him before. He already expected it because he knew he was just a bastard son.
"Andrew, my grandson. Please forgive me if you felt like we didn't love you or made you feel that we loved Tristan more than you."
Andrew felt the lump in his throat. Hearing this from his grandpa, he couldn't help but feel emotional.
"Don't apologize, grandpa. I understand how you feel. I admit I felt jealous before. But I know my place. I am just-"
Andrew was not able to finish his words as Grandpa Lu cut him off immediately.
"No, don't ever think that! Andrew, you are part of the Davis Family. You are my grandson. I felt sorry for my shortcomings as your grandfather."
"Tristan was rebelling to us at that time. But you, on the other hand, became so obedient. With that, I focused more on him, making you feel that we neglected you."
"But remember this, Andrew. We never thought that you were an outsider. I love you as my grandson. And I am so happy that you and Tristan have finally reconciled."
Andrew could no longer contain his happiness. All his unhappiness before just disappeared. There was no more bitterness in his heart.
For the first time, he felt the genuine love and care of his grandfather. He hugged his grandpa as he was grateful to him.
"Grandpa, thank you so much! You don't know how much your words mean to me. All my life, I always thought I needed to persevere in order to prove my worth as part of the Davis Family."
"I'm so sorry, grandson. We didn't mean to make you feel like that. You don't have to prove something. You will always be part of our family."
After talking to Grandpa Lu, Andrew felt so happy as if he had just found the missing piece of his identity. He was so grateful that the Davis Family welcomed him although he was just a fruit of his father's mistake.
They never treated him as an outsider. Even Tristan's mother, Isabelle, treated him as her own son.
*****
At night, Andrew still kept thinking about Alveena and Hannah, trying to figure out his true feelings.
He was lying on his bed. He opened the rectangular box and it contained a diamond ring inside.
Grandpa Lu said he should give this to the woman he truly loved. The woman he wanted to marry and spend his life with.
After clearing his mind and assessing his feelings, Andrew had finally made up his mind. A gentle smile appeared on his handsome face as he imagined the face of the woman he truly loved.
"I should give Grandma's ring to her," Andrew mumbled.
After saying that, he picked up his phone and dialed Hannah's number. It rang for several seconds before it was answered.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAndrew: "Hannah, let's meet tomorrow. I will give you my answer."
Hannah: "Really? Okay, Andrew. Come here to my house in the morning. I will wait for you."
After discussing where and what time they would meet, Andrew hung up the phone. He already felt relieved now.
Tristan's words had helped him a lot. He was able to assess his feelings. He should choose now before it's too late. This was the only way to stop hurting the two women further.
*****
The next morning, Hannah prepared a romantic breakfast for the two of them. Today, Andrew was giving his answer.
Last night, she noticed that Andrew had a bright mood. Maybe he was going to agree with her proposal. Hannah was so happy.
It did not take long when she heard the ringing sound of the doorbell. She excitedly opened the door. Andrew was there standing outside.
She pounced on him, hugging him tightly. "Good morning, Babe!"
"Good morning," Andrew greeted her back.
She invited him in, pulling his hand. Hannah couldn't stop herself from smiling. She felt like something good was about to happen today.
The two finally entered the house.
"Come, let's eat first. I prepared breakfast for us!" Hannah told her with her cheerful voice.
Hannah was about to pull him towards the dining area but Andrew stopped her.
"Hannah, let's talk now," Andrew said with a serious expression on his face.
Hannah turned to face him. She smiled sweetly before nodding her head. As usual, Andrew was always eager to talk things between them. He was always like this before.
"Have you decided? Are you okay with my suggestion? If you want after breakfast we can process our papers right away. Today is Monday! The Civil Registry Office is open!" Hannah spoke spontaneously.
Andrew held Hannah's shoulders as he looked straight into her eyes.
"Hannah… I'm sorry… But I can't marry you."