Michael nodded and watched as Kate left. From the way that she was acting, he could tell that he was just hoping to get some space for herself. Most probably, she was currently overwhelmed by her current emotions.

Michael just shook his head slightly, before he got up as well, heading for the counter.

As he approached the counter, the cool air from the display case brushed against his face. The barista looked up with a friendly smile.

"What can I get for you?" she asked.

"Two flavored lemonades, please," Michael replied. "One strawberry, one mango."

"Sure thing," she said, typing in the order. "Take a seat, and I'll bring them out to you."

Michael nodded and returned to the table, before taking out his phone. He typed a text message to Adrian, informing him about the eating routine.

And apart from that, he also asked Adrian to come to the coffee shop and pick the bike that he had left here. He would leave the key with the barista here. He also made sure to send the location of the coffee shop.

Considering the current weather, it was clear that Kate was having it rough. So, Michael thought, he could as well use a car. But, Michael had no intention of asking Adrian to come over with another car.

At the moment, Adrian was still busy, organizing the future development plan of Sky Technologies. Even though he was usually fast, he was making a big plan.

It was a plan that was going to involve the creation of a technology giant in the world. So, the foundation had to be solid enough.

That was why Michael had informed Adrian that he would come to pick the bike when he was free, and not at the moment.

Instead, Michael thought that they would just take a cab back.

Michael waited for a while, before the drinks were served. But even then, Kate had not yet returned. This made him quite puzzled.

But, he understood. Kate was after all just 18 years old. Due to her personality and routine, she had most probably never had romantic encounters, and this was probably her first one.

Hence, it was understandable that she would be shy. But due to her pride, she was most probably intending to hide from Michael, not willing to show this side of herself to him.

Michael had to wait for about 5 more minutes, before he saw Kate coming over. This time, he could see that she was much more composed than before.

Kate sat down, and was not surprised when she saw the drink on the table. Due to the visits that she had made to Michael's apartment, Michael already knew her preferences when it came to drinks.

She preferred strawberry flavored lemonade. As for Michael, he did not have much of a preference when it came to this. So, he just casually selected mango.

The two of them silently sipped on their drinks through the straws, enjoying the cold drinks and the cool environment of the coffee shop.

And as time went by, the coffee shop began getting busy, with more people coming in. After all, it was already approaching 1 p.m.

"Are you engaged to someone?" Out of the blue, Kate suddenly asked a question.

"Ah?" Michael was dumbfounded by the sudden question, as he looked at Kate with an astonished expression on his face.

This time, despite him possessing the ability to control his facial expression, he could not do it. First of all, this was just too sudden and unexpected. And secondly, in front of Kate, he did not see the need to hide his natural expression, unless necessary.

Looking at Michael's shocked expression, Kate also seemed slightly embarrassed. Still, she gritted her teeth and directly stared into Michael's eyes, waiting for his response.

Seeing that Kate was looking at him like that, Michael understood that she was waiting for his response.

"Are you serious?" Michael could not help but ask. He could already make some guesses on what direction this conversation was heading.

"Of course. You have such a mysterious background. Just our Morgan family, it already makes such arrangements for us. It is inevitable that your background, which is bigger than my Morgan family, it will also do the same.

Therefore, I'm quite curious, are you perhaps engaged to someone now? Or, are there any arrangements for your engagement to someone?" Kate explained.

Michael was left speechless for a moment. Still, he was able to reply, "Actually, my background is kind of complicated. But even then, I have my own say in terms of my future partner. So, nobody can decide on my engagement to anyone, apart from myself."

Maybe if he really had close ties to the Santos family, they might have made arrangements for him. But, he and the Santos family were not that close. Thus, it was impossible for them to be able to make any marriage arrangements for him.

On the other hand, considering his current abilities and the availability of the system, even the Santos family could not control him. Maybe at the moment, he did not have the capability of going against the Santos family. But that will not last for long.

If he could speed things up, it was possible for him to be able to go beyond the Santos family within just a year. After all, it was not just about the SP, but due to the skilled bio humans that he had around him.

They could earn money from the stock market, they could advance the products produced by Sky Technologies, produce better recipes for the restaurant chain, and it was easy for them to be able to negotiate cooperation with different suppliers.

As for the issue of the suppliers for the supermarket chain, in case they did not want to cooperate, Michael could as well acquire the companies that belonged to the suppliers.

That way, he could easily resolve any issues in between.

So, unless something happened and the system vanished, vanishing together with all the things that it had given him so far, it was impossible for anyone to make decisions for him in terms of marriage and his future.

Receiving Michael's response, Kate was silent for a moment. In real sense, she was not sure how to proceed. She had previously planned how this conversation was going to go, but now, she was stumped.

Initially, she expected Michael's response to be either there was an arrangement for him, or it was yet to happen. She had not expected that Michael had the final say on this matter.

"Are you sure that nobody can compel you to marry someone else? Maybe because of the inheritance, they might need you to marry someone in order to maintain it, otherwise lose it?" Kate probed after a few seconds of silence.

Michael shrugged his shoulders as he said, "Lucky for me, I have the final say on this issue. I have the freedom of choice."

For a moment, Kate could not help but feel envious of Michael. If only she also had this freedom, would she have to get worried all the time about the potential partner that the family would arrange for her?

If she had freedom over this matter, she could have just concentrated on her career, and later on consider this after revenge.

Though, that was most probably going to be the trajectory that she would have taken, had she not met Michael. But now, with Michael being here, and herself being clear of her feelings, though not yet mature, she understood that it would be impossible for her to have made the same choice.

Kate took a deep breath, as though she was making a very big decision. Then, she gazed at Michael, without averting her gaze in the slightest, as she opened her mouth and spoke.

"I will be honest with you. Since the day that you dealt with the gangsters back in Drenn city, I began admiring you. Then, at the shooting range, the skills that you demonstrated made me even more amazed.

Raymond also told me about your driving skills, which was quite surprising. And I have to say, with the array of skills that you have, it is quite shocking.

Leaving that aside, currently, I am experiencing a lot of pressure, from my family. I am just 18, but they are already making arrangements for my engagement.

Even though this is not marriage, and the marriage might happen maybe in the next two or three years, but still, I don't want to be tied down by some engagement to someone that I don't even have any feelings to.

Previously, with your assistance, I was able to avoid David, whose actions in the dark are detestable.

But unfortunately, even though I have managed to avoid getting engaged to David, the family is already making arrangements to look for another partner for me.

Nobody can tell if the next partner that they make arrangements for me will be worse than David. If that is the case, then my life will be a living hell.

I still have a goal that I need to fulfill, and I am not willing to let it go because of some family arrangement. And I am sure that I will not be able to continue with my goal, if I end up getting married. And, it is not as though I can complete this goal within just 3 years.

Previously, I asked you if it was possible for the two of us to get engaged. At that time, I have to admit, I was just acting impulsively, and trying to look for a way out.

But this time, it is not just from the pressure, but my genuine feelings. Even though they have not matured, but I am sure, I am falling for you..."

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