Chapter 171 Marry me

Chapter 171 Marry me

Danny smiled at her, and for a split second, Love’s heart skipped a wild beat inside her chest.

It was that same heart-stopping smile she had seen a thousand times on movie screens, the exact one that had made millions of women around the world fall hopelessly in love with him.

But she knew better than to let herself believe it meant anything special just for her. Danny smiled at everyone like that: fans, reporters, co-stars. It wasn’t anything unique or personal.

“I…” he had barely started to answer when another voice cut through the moment and interrupted him.

“There you are,” a glamorous woman called out as she walked over with a bright, confident smile and smoothly slipped her arm through Danny’s.

It was Chantelle, one of the biggest actresses in all of Hollywood and the female lead in the movie they were filming together. She looked completely at ease standing so close to him, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Come on,” she said, flashing him a playful grin. “Let’s go grab some lunch.”

Danny glanced back at Love with an apologetic smile, like he wanted to explain himself or say something more, but before he could get another word out, Chantelle was already leading him away.

Love stood there silently, watching them disappear down the hallway together. A small smile stayed frozen on her lips, but inside, a quiet wave of disappointment settled deep in her heart.

The scene they had filmed together had been her only part in the entire movie. Once production wrapped up, there was no real reason for her to stick around anymore, and she never saw Danny again after that day.

Still, she wasn’t ready to give up on her dream, not even close.

A few weeks later, when Danny started filming another new movie, Love jumped right in and auditioned immediately, hoping for another shot at getting close to him.

Once again, she managed to land a minor role. Even if it only meant a few short minutes on screen, it felt like enough for her. She just wanted any opportunity to be near him and keep building that connection.

During filming, things suddenly took an unexpected and painful turn. A small accident happened on set. It wasn’t serious enough to shut down production completely, but Love wasn’t so lucky.

She lost her footing during one of the scenes and fell awkwardly, sending a sharp burst of pain shooting through her ankle the second she hit the ground.

Before anyone else could even react, Danny rushed over on pure instinct. Concern flooded his face as he dropped down beside her. “Are you okay?” he asked, crouching there and ready to help in any way he could.

A second later, the medical team hurried over and gently took over. Danny stepped back to give them space, but his worried eyes never left her for a moment.

The doctors quickly confirmed that Love had badly injured her ankle and needed to be taken to the hospital right away for proper treatment.

While she was there getting checked out, another issue came up. She had been feeling nauseous for several days already.

At first she blamed it on all the stress from nonstop auditions and long filming hours, but since she was already in the hospital, the doctors suggested running a few extra tests just to be safe.

Love agreed without thinking too much about it. She simply wanted to make sure everything was okay with her body.

Later that afternoon, someone knocked gently on the door of her hospital room. She looked up, and her eyes widened in total shock. Danny walked inside carrying a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers.

For a second, she honestly wondered if she was dreaming the whole thing.

He smiled warmly as he came closer. “Hey,” he said softly, holding out the bouquet. “I came to visit my mom, and I found out you were staying in the same hospital. So… these are for you.”

Love accepted the flowers carefully, her heart beating so fast it almost hurt. “Thank you,” she whispered, barely able to believe he was really standing there.

Danny glanced down at the thick bandage wrapped around her ankle. “How are you feeling?” he asked with real concern in his voice.

Love nodded with a gentle smile. “Much better now.” She couldn’t stop looking into his warm brown eyes. Being this close to him felt almost unreal, like something out of one of her favorite movies. “The doctor said I should be able to go home tomorrow.”

Then curiosity got the better of her. She looked at him with genuine concern. “But… what’s wrong with your mom?”

The moment the question left her mouth, Danny’s expression grew noticeably heavier. The smile faded from his face, and his shoulders dropped. “Cancer damaged both of her kidneys,” he said, his voice growing quieter. “I wanted to donate one of mine.”

He looked away for a second before letting out a bitter laugh. “But the doctors said I’m not healthy enough. Too much drinking over the years.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, regret filling his eyes. “I’ve stopped now. I’m really trying to turn things around.” His voice carried this genuine determination that hit her hard. “But she needs a kidney transplant as soon as possible.”

Love’s heart tightened painfully in her chest. Seeing the raw pain in his eyes made her forget everything else in that moment. Then an idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

“I can ask the doctors if I’m a match,” she said softly, smiling at him. “I don’t know if it’ll work, but I’d like to try.”

Danny froze completely. His eyes searched her face like he was trying to figure out whether she was actually serious. “You’d really do that for my mom?”

Love nodded without even a second of hesitation. “Of course,” she said, smiling naturally. Finally, she felt like he was truly seeing her for the first time. At the same time, she already knew one important thing.

She couldn’t tell her parents. If Leonard and Lucinda found out about this, there was no chance they would ever allow her to go through with it.

Danny stared at her with gratitude shining brightly in his eyes. “I don’t even know how I could ever repay you,” he said, his voice completely sincere. “Believe me, I’ll do anything.”

Love slowly lifted an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Anything?”

Danny answered without the slightest hesitation. “My mom means everything to me.” His expression was firm and full of emotion. “I’ll do anything.”

Love took a slow, steady breath, her heart pounding wildly inside her chest. Then she looked straight into his eyes and said it. “Then marry me.”

The entire hospital room instantly fell silent.