Chapter 146 Will you marry me?
Chapter 146 Will you marry me?
Chapter 146: Will you marry me?
The cameras were already rolling before Roy moved.
No announcement. No countdown. Just a quiet shift in the room as phones lifted, lenses focused, and the hum of a live stream settled into place. Coco stood across from him, unaware that thousands of eyes were watching, unaware that this moment had already slipped beyond privacy.
Roy stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
The room froze.
Coco’s breath caught. “Roy… what are you doing?”
He didn’t look away from her. His knee pressed into the floor like he meant to stay there as long as it took. His voice was steady, not loud, not dramatic.
“I’m asking you to forgive yourself,” he said. “Because I already forgave you a long time ago.”
A murmur rippled through the people watching live. Comments exploded. Hearts flooded the screen.
Coco shook her head slowly. “This isn’t …”
“It is,” Roy cut in. “This is exactly what it is. I’m not here to perform. I’m not here to win votes. I’m here because I lost you once and I won’t pretend I survived it.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.
“I want you to marry me again,” he said. “Not because we’re perfect. Not because the past didn’t happen. But because I still choose you. Every version of you. Even the one you hate.”
Coco’s hands trembled at her sides. “Roy… you don’t understand what I’ve done.”
“I do,” he said. “And I’m still here.”
She looked around then, finally noticing the cameras, the phones, the red LIVE icon glowing on screens.
“This is being streamed,” she whispered.
Roy nodded. “I know.”
Her voice dropped. “Why would you do this in front of everyone?”
“So you won’t think you’re hiding,” he said. “So you won’t think this is a trick. So you won’t think you imagined it later.”
He lifted the ring slightly. “Marry me again, Coco. Forgive yourself. Come home.”
Across the city, Chief Kaave sat in his living room, eyes fixed on the massive screen in front of him. The live stream played without interruption. Roy on one knee. Coco frozen in place.
Vill stood nearby, tense. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Georgiana sat stiffly, her jaw tight.
“This is not strategy,” Vill said flatly. “This is real.”
Chief Kaave didn’t respond.
Georgiana scoffed. “Father, open your eyes. She’s not acting.”
Chief Kaave leaned back slightly, fingers steepled. “I trust my daughter.”
Vill laughed under his breath. “You trust her heart? That’s a mistake.”
Chief Kaave’s gaze stayed on the screen. “Coco has never failed me.”
Georgiana stood. “She’s about to.”
He finally looked at her. “Sit down.”
Vill shook his head. “If she marries him, you will lose leverage.”
Chief Kaave’s voice was calm. “Or I gain proximity.”
“She’s not reporting,” Georgiana snapped. “She’s choosing him.”
Chief Kaave waved a dismissive hand. “Enough. You see betrayal. I see patience and a very smart kid.”
Vill’s eyes narrowed. “You’re wrong.”
Chief Kaave didn’t answer. He turned back to the screen, watching his daughter’s face, watching the hesitation break.
Brandy sat alone in her room, phone in her hand, the live stream reflected in her widened eyes.
“No way,” she whispered. “Coco…”
She leaned closer to the screen as Roy spoke again, as Coco’s lips parted without sound.
“This is real,” Brandy said softly. “This isn’t one of her plays.”
Her phone buzzed with messages. She ignored them all.
Back in the room, Coco’s silence stretched. Roy stayed on his knee. He didn’t rush her. He didn’t speak again.
“You’re putting me in a position,” Coco said finally.
“I know,” he replied. “I’ve been there.”
Her voice cracked. “If I say yes… everything changes.”
Roy nodded. “It already has.”
Tears gathered in her eyes. “I hurt you.”
“I survived,” he said. “But I don’t want to survive without you.”
She laughed weakly through the tears. “You’re unbelievable.”
He smiled. “And you still love me.”
Coco looked down at him for a long moment. Then she exhaled, a long, shaking breath.
“Yes,” she said.
The word hit the room like thunder.
“Yes,” she repeated. “I’ll marry you again.”
The live stream exploded.
Roy stood quickly, pulling her into his arms as applause broke out from people who didn’t know the whole story but felt the weight of the moment anyway.
“I’m sorry,” Coco said into his chest. “For leaving. For lying. For thinking I had to destroy myself to be strong.”
Roy held her face in his hands. “I’m sorry too. For letting you go.”
He kissed her then. Not hurried. Not for the cameras. Just enough to seal the choice.
In another part of the mansion, Inna stood quietly in the doorway of her room, phone on the bed behind her, the same live stream paused mid-kiss. She didn’t cry loudly. She didn’t scream. She walked to the closet and pulled out a suitcase.
“So this is how it ends,” she murmured.
She packed slowly. Clothes folded neatly. Shoes placed carefully. No rush. No drama.
When she finished, she zipped the suitcase shut and looked around the room one last time.
“I tried,” she said to the empty space.
She picked up the suitcase and walked out without looking back.
Tems watched the live stream from the kitchen, tears streaking down her face.
“She can’t do this,” she cried. “After everything? After Inna?”
Claudia stood beside her, quiet, tired.
“This is madness,” Tems snapped. “She destroyed us.”
Claudia sighed. “She loved him.”
“That’s not love,” Tems said bitterly. “That’s obsession.”
Claudia shook her head slowly. “No. That’s the heart.”
Tems wiped her face angrily. “The heart is stupid.”
Claudia gave a small, sad smile. “Exactly. The heart is a very stupid organ.”
She placed a hand on Tems’ shoulder. “And it never listens to reason.”
Tems looked back at the screen, watching Roy hold Coco like nothing else existed.
Her hands clenched. “I hate her.”
Claudia didn’t correct her. She only said, “Hate won’t change what the heart has chosen.”