SWNOVELS Chapter 260
Jocelyn never imagined that Melvin would pull some extravagant stunt. After all, they belonged to different worlds. She came from a modest family, and he played games she couldn't even fathom, let alone
join.
But then, the city lights along the riverfront transformed.
On the big screen of the gallery up ahead, in bold letters that seemed to shout through the night, it read, "Jocelyn, I love you!"
Jocelyn was floored.
It wasn't just one screen. All the prime billboards usually flashing ads were now proclaiming Melvin's love for her.
She had heard that these ad spaces were charged by the second.
Drama from TV shows was unfolding in her life, and she was the star. She was at a total loss, unable to react.
Her phone buzzed incessantly in her hand.
Messages flooded in from locals who'd seen the billboards, all asking if she was the Jocelyn in question.
With a numb expression, she scrolled through the barrage of texts, her gaze locking onto Melvin's, who was smiling tenderly at her.
It was clear. She was the Jocelyn.
"Jocelyn, looks like someone's making a grand declaration," her colleague texted her along with a video.
Only then did she realize that it wasn't just the waterfront screens, but every billboard in the city center was emblazoned with the same message.
Her lips trembled as she stared blankly at Melvin.
Melvin took a step back, slowly sank to one knee, and with all the romance of a fairy tale prince, he said, "Jocelyn, I love you. Thank you for agreeing to marry me."
The moment he knelt before her, Jocelyn clamped a hand over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes, and she reached to pull him up, choking back sobs, "Oh, stand up."
But he rose only to enfold her in his arms once more. His eyes were full of emotion, locked onto the twinkling lights of the city as he hugged her tighter. His voice was a warm whisper, "For the formal proposal I owe you, and the wedding. I'll make it up to you bit by bit."
Her eyes moistened.
In truth, she didn't need any of this fanfare.
But he had done it, and despite herself, her vanity was tickled pink.
Zephyr leaned against the doorway, watching the new couple outside wrapped in each other's arms and mused, "Melvin's finally found his home. I thought he'd end up alone, but here he is already a married man."
Standing behind him, Yannick glanced at the couple before turning back to Zephyr, "When are you planning to tie the knot?"
Caught off guard, Zephyr shrugged, "Never. You?"
"Not planning to," Yannick replied, meeting his gaze.
"Planning to be a lone wolf your whole life?" Zephyr arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah," was Yannick's simple affirmation.
Zephyr chuckled, "Maybe we can keep each other company in our old age then."
"Deal," Yannick replied crisply.
A smile tugged at Zephyr's lips.
The declaration on the billboards of Yanova City lasted from dusk till dawn and shot to the top of Twitter's trending topics. Countless videos captured the spectacle. Everyone was buzzing about who this Jocelyn could be, to warrant such an extravagant display of affection.
Many envied the girl.
Of course, there was also rampant speculation about who could be so flush with cash to declare their love so publicly.
That night, a fortune was spent.
Indeed, the romance of the wealthy is something beyond the average person's reach.
Jocelyn spent the night on the yacht, where she and Melvin did nothing but watch the riverside scenery and the repeated message that declared Melvin's love for her. The whole city knew that a man loved Jocelyn.
...
The next day, they were still lounging in bed, not yet ready to leave the yacht, when Daisy sent Jocelyn a video, asking if it was her.
Jocelyn replied with a phone call in laugh, "Mom, that was Melvin proposing to me."
Melvin didn't catch what Daisy said, but Jocelyn hung up with a smile.
"What did Daisy say?" Melvin wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close again.
Jocelyn chuckled, "My mom said she can't even explain it to all the neighbors. She's planning to announce on a megaphone that the famous Jocelyn from last night is her daughter." Melvin laughed, "Daisy's got a sense of humor."
"You went over the top," Jocelyn realized belatedly.
"My goal was to tell the whole world I love you," Melvin declared earnestly.
Jocelyn rolled her eyes, "Isn't that a bit cliché?"
"Cliché?" Melvin frowned, "Don't girls all dream of the 'overbearing CEO falls for me' story?"
She just rolled her eyes again.
Melvin thought she had been thrilled last night, but now she seemed almost put off.
"Don't you like it?" he began to doubt.
Maybe Jocelyn was different.
He didn't want to do anything she disliked.
"I do," Jocelyn stopped teasing him.
What woman doesn't harbor some vanity? Whether young or old, they all wish to be cherished and adored.
But...
"Just don't spend so much money on this kind of thing again. If you really want to show me your love, one ad space is enough. So much money for one night - it hurts," Jocelyn felt the sting genuinely. After all, money doesn't grow on trees.
Melvin relaxed, "The money I earned is worth spending on you."
"We didn't do a prenup, right?" Jocelyn suddenly asked.
"No."
"So, your money is also mine?"
"Yeah."
"Well, then I feel bad for my money. Is that okay?"
Holding onto his waist, Jocelyn whispered, "This once was enough. I've felt your love."
Melvin kissed her lips, his eyes only for her, "Okay. I'll listen to you."
They kissed passionately, hoping time could stand still at this moment, living each day simply and sweetly.
It wasn't until after a leisurely lunch that they finally left the yacht.
The others had partied into the dawn and were now yawning, ready for sleep.
Jocelyn waved goodbye to them, and once the crowd had thinned, she hopped into the car.
"Why so formal, huh?" Melvin always had a knack for leaving a party whenever he wanted, and it was more a matter of the other guests knowing when to make a discreet exit.
"People brought gifts. It's only polite to see them out," Jocelyn remarked, eyeing the two boxes in the backseat.
They headed back to their new home first, where Jocelyn sat cross-legged on the living room floor, taking out the gifts. On the way back to her parents', they had even stopped to buy a ledger - a record of who gave what.
"No need to keep track," Melvin said, looking at the pile. "Too much hassle."
"But if we don't record it, how much do we give when it's their turn to tie the knot or celebrate something? You know it's customary to reciprocate," Jocelyn argued, understanding the importance of keeping track for future gift-giving.
Melvin's reply was simple, "We always give more, never less."
"That won't do. We need to have an idea," Jocelyn insisted, opening each gift, jotting down names.
Seeing her determination, Melvin sat beside her to keep her company.
"I'm just now realizing how hefty these gifts are," Jocelyn mused.
"If we hadn't agreed to keep things low-key, they would have been bringing suitcases," Melvin said, unfazed. Jocelyn frowned. "Is everyone really that extravagant?"
Melvin shot her a look that said, "Of course."
It was only now that Jocelyn realized the true extent of Melvin's network - his social clout was indeed terrifying.
After several hours of counting, they were finally done.
Once everything was tidied up, she sat next to Melvin. Holding his hand, she hesitantly broached a new subject. "I've heard that the views at Heaven Lake are quite something. When should we go check it out?"