“Call him one more time,” Annie said to Melanie. “He’s supposed to come and propose to you. There’s no reason for him to ignore your call!”Melanie suppressed the uneasiness rising in her chest, and dialed Jefford’s number again. This time round, she heard the automated voice saying that the number she just dialed was unable to respond.The anniversary celebration was in full swing now, and it was held in the most lively district in Harbor City. Even if Jefford hadn’t arrived, he would at least be nearby and certainly within signal range.If he were out of signal range, he probably wouldn’t be able to make it to the anniversary celebration in time.Her eyes dimmed.Annie saw the change in her eyes, and comforted her, “It’s fine. Perhaps he’s driving down a street where the signal is poor? And he’s always trying to be secretive and mysterious. Perhaps he might walk in and propose to you at the very last moment.”Annie went on, “I found out that staff members have all the engagemen
Everyone realized that something was wrong, and Melanie herself sensed the temperature in the air dipping.If this were truly a surprise, it was a huge one indeed. So much so, it had become frightening!Jefford even arranged for international media partners to live-stream the event to hype up the engagement ceremony, and make sure that every single shareholder in Yancey Group didn’t miss the news.International media partners, invited guests, friends, and relatives of the Jones family were in shock.Proposal segment? Did the groom flee the scene?At that moment, the crowd burst into an excited flurry of murmurs.Lena’s brow arched. Hah! Melanie was now as embarrassed as she was proud just now!Her mother Lily jabbed her back, and said, “Hurry up! Add fuel to the fire that your good sister started!”“Yes!” Lena received her mother’s hint. She hurriedly leaned into the crowd, focusing on the area where reporters were nearby. She pretended to be a passer-by, and said, “Hey, do y
In order to get on with the engagement segment, the groom-to-be leapt on stage instead of walking up the stairs on either side of the stage and stood right next to Melanie.Seeing Melanie’s dazed face, he stepped forward and said sincerely, “I’m sorry I came so late. I promise this won’t ever happen again.”He said it softly and without a microphone, but his voice echoed through the silent banquet and everyone could clearly hear what he said. His voice was deep, affectionate and emotional, pure and untainted.Melanie remained in a daze. He leaned in closer to her and said with a smile, “What’s the matter? Are you still shocked? Here, give me a hug…”With that, he pulled Melanie in his arms and hugged her gently, whispering into her ear, “If I don’t come onstage, you won’t be able to give everyone else a satisfactory explanation. Just give me this chance to put on this show with you.”Gabriel’s voice rang in Melanie’s ears.Tears fell down her cheeks, and landed on his suit.He d
The gift inside the brocade box wasn't just any jewelry, but an exquisitely polished, top-quality emerald necklace with gold embellishments. Seeing this necklace, Melanie was somewhat bewildered. Hadn’t this been in Ermin's room? After Jefford gave it to Ermin, she had stored it in Ermin's bedside cabinet the same day... She blinked, carefully examining it, and noticed that this emerald seemed newer. It was likely that this necklace was an imitation of the one given to Ermin... Why did Jefford give her this? What did it mean? Even Gabriel was puzzled. At this moment, laughter erupted from the audience. The host couldn't resist teasing, "Mr. Frost, you are impatient... to give Miss Melanie a necklace right after your engagement? It seems that not long from now, everyone should prepare to attend your and Melanie's wedding!" Upon hearing this, Gabriel tensed up. He suddenly remembered Annie's worries before the anniversary celebration. At that time, Annie expressed c
"Melanie!" Suddenly, Damon's voice came from behind. Melanie and Annie turned around to see Damon and Mr. Lincoln walking over together. Mr. Lincoln said, "Miss, if we had known that your fiance was Mr. Frost from the Frost family, you wouldn’t have had to hide it from us. We have long heard that he has feelings for you." "Yes, Mr. Frost is a good man. You have good taste!" Damon also patted Melanie's shoulder. "Cough, cough, cough." Melanie almost couldn't stand being patted. "What's wrong?" Damon hurriedly asked. "Mr. Jones, Melanie hasn't been feeling well lately. She might have been too busy these past few days..." Annie quickly made up an excuse to help Melanie. "Yeah, she's been too busy. Look how thin she's become." Damon sighed and said with concern, "Then we'll go to Mr. Frost first. Take care of her, Annie." After speaking, Damon and Mr. Lincoln walked away together. Melanie took a deep breath, feeling a bit suffocated, but she didn't have an urge to c
"Are you hurt?" Nancy thought Melanie might have had too much to drink and was unsteady on her feet. Nancy hurriedly had someone carry her upstairs. Then, she helped Melanie change her clothes and made sobering soup for her. Melanie didn't explain. Her current dazed and crazed appearance was indeed no different from being drunk. Nancy brought her some snacks. She made sure Melanie drank the sobering soup and left only after seeing Melanie lie down in bed. As soon as Nancy closed the door, Melanie opened her eyes. She wasn't drunk, and she couldn't sleep at all. Instead, she somewhat regretted not drinking more alcohol to numb herself. Being so clear-headed was giving her a headache. She didn't know if she was hurt because of Jefford got cold feet, or because of her surprising discovery that she had become so bothered by Jefford being intimate with other women. She and Jefford were just business partners. Betrayal between business partners was as normal as it could b
Gabriel spoke emotionally. His love for her was overflowing. He tightly grasped Melanie's shoulder, leaning toward her. His eyes, which were reddened, never left her face for a moment. His Adam's apple undulating, he looked at her as if she were a coveted prey, but Melanie remained indifferent. She felt calm inside. If there was even a hint of panic, she could easily conceal it. This feeling was completely different from every time she was teased or bullied by Jefford... At this moment, she once again clearly realized that she was done for... She seemed to really care about that scumbag... - Gabriel maintained this aggressive posture for a while but found that the woman opposite him had no reaction. The hand gripping her shoulder gradually relaxed, and he leaned back. He returned to slouching on the sofa. He gave up... Regardless of whether Melanie underestimated his love for her or if he was just a gentleman, he couldn't do that to her using being drunk as an e
Melanie subconsciously swallowed, almost choking on herself. She really wanted to say to just call the police directly, but after hesitating for a moment, she still got up and said, "I'll go take a look." In the courtyard, several guards from the Jones family were tussling with Jefford. Jefford's face was bruised, and his head and hands covered in blood. Just like the guards said, he looked dirty, as if he had just fought for his life in a mud pit... Melanie frowned. She stood at the door and looked at him. Jefford, who had just been throwing punches and trying to rush in, instantly calmed down. He stared at her intently with his eyes, ignoring the blood still flowing from his hands. "You all can leave," Melanie said. "Miss..." The guards were worried about Melanie’s safety. "It's okay," Melanie reiterated. She didn't want a third person to hear her and Jefford’s conversation. "Yes." The guards and servants then all retreated. Melanie calmly walked down the st