Chapter 587: An Outrageous Confession

When Yuri Walsh asked what she was doing, Melody Summers smiled politely and replied, "It’s nothing... I just thought tonight’s attack was pretty scary, so I wanted to see what people were saying online."

Yuri Walsh let out an "Oh." He assumed she was just frightened by the evening’s chaos and gently reassured her, "Those rebels were all cleared out tonight. The authorities are conducting a thorough search of the East District and the South District. It’s unlikely any slipped through the cracks, so you don’t need to be afraid."

After he finished speaking, Yuri Walsh suddenly turned to look at Melody Summers. Meeting her confused gaze, he raised a hand, pointed to her temple, and said softly, "Your face is a little dirty. It looks like you got some ash on it... Should I wipe it off?"

Melody Summers paused, taken aback, then shook her head and said nonchalantly, "Oh, it’s fine. I’ll just wash up when I get home!"

’I was in that fire for so long just now. The cuffs of my pants are scorched, and my jacket has holes burned through it by embers. I bet my face is more than just a little dirty. I’m going to need a good, long shower when I get home.’

But Yuri Walsh acted as if he hadn’t heard her. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and said gently, "Don’t move... I’ll wipe it off for you."

Watching Yuri Walsh reach toward her with the handkerchief, Melody Summers instinctively dodged back, not letting him touch her.

She was puzzled. ’He’s being a bit too forward,’ she thought. ’So forward it’s almost... strange.’

Melody Summers truly couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation, so she could only brace herself and say, "Really, there’s no need. We’re almost home, I’ll just wash up then!"

Hearing Melody Summers refuse, Yuri Walsh simply held his pose with the handkerchief, watching her silently. His stare made her skin crawl, and she couldn’t understand what had gotten into him.

After a moment of silence, the hand Yuri Walsh was holding the handkerchief with slowly lowered.

He seemed to sigh in resignation and said softly, "...Melody, I know this might be a bit sudden, but I really can’t control myself anymore..."

As Melody Summers watched, bewildered, Yuri Walsh took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes, which seemed particularly clear in the night, and said softly, "The truth is... I’ve always liked you. I know you’re single right now. Would you be willing to give things a try with me?"

Melody Summers: "..."

For a moment, Melody Summers thought she must be so exhausted from the night’s events that she was starting to hear things.

’Otherwise, how could something so surreal be happening to her?’

’A guy she’d only met a handful of times—practically a stranger—was suddenly confessing his feelings to her for no reason whatsoever?!’

’Could anything in the world be more ridiculous?!’

But that wasn’t even the most important part. The most important part was...

Melody Summers’s eyes widened as she stared at Yuri Walsh in utter disbelief. "...What are you talking about? A-Aren’t you already engaged??"

’Just a few days ago, she’d heard the gossip about the young master of the Walsh Family getting engaged to the eldest daughter of the Jennings Family. So what was the meaning of Yuri Walsh suddenly confessing to her now??’

Her mind was reeling with questions. She looked at Yuri Walsh as if he were an alien.

Hearing her, Yuri Walsh thought she was just concerned about his relationship with Joy Jennings, so he quickly explained, "Don’t misunderstand! My engagement to Joy Jennings is just a business alliance. Our families are partners, that’s all. There are no feelings between us."

He then looked at Melody Summers with an expectant gaze and said in a gentle voice, "Melody, you’re the only one I like. You’re the only person who’s ever made my heart flutter. Can you please give me a chance?"

Yuri Walsh’s words struck Melody Summers like bolts of lightning. She felt as if her entire worldview had just been obliterated.

’Had I suddenly forgotten how to understand English?’

’Why did his words sound... like he was asking me to be his mistress?!’

At that thought, Melody Summers’s brain seemed to short-circuit.

He had been holding these words in for too long. Seeing Melody’s silence, he couldn’t help but continue, talking almost to himself. "I actually started liking you a long time ago, but back then, I saw you with another man and assumed you were a couple... It wasn’t until later that I found out he was just your cousin. I misunderstood the situation..."

"Melody, I actually wanted to confess my feelings before the blizzard, but when I called, you didn’t pick up. When I tried again, I discovered you had blocked my number..."

"After the blizzard, my family got involved in the project for the reconstruction zone’s medical center. I was completely tied up with that, so I didn’t have time to think about other things..."

At this, Yuri Walsh gave a helpless smile and added softly, almost in a sigh, "It feels like we’re always missing our chance..."

"But Melody, I really, truly like you. I’ve never actively pursued a girl before, but I want to try this time... Since you’ve always been single, then... can you give me a chance?"

Just as Yuri Walsh finished, Melody Summers finally snapped out of her shock. She stared at him, her expression a complex mix of emotions, and said, "Yuri Walsh, do you even know what you’re saying? Do I need to remind you? You’re engaged!"

’An engaged man confessing his feelings to another woman...’ Melody couldn’t comprehend it. ’Has the world really gone this insane?’

Hearing her, Yuri Walsh rushed to explain, "Don’t worry, there really are no feelings between Joy Jennings and me! Our family and the Jennings Family are collaborating on a few projects right now, and our engagement is just a formality to secure the partnership!"

"It’s just... for the projects to proceed smoothly, I have to honor the engagement with Joy Jennings for now. It might be a little unfair to you temporarily..."

"But Melody, believe me. Just give me a few years. Once the projects are on the right track, I’ll divorce her for sure. When that time comes, I’ll give you the most lavish wedding ever! I won’t let you suffer any injustice!"

Yuri Walsh’s gaze was sincere and earnest. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he’d said—after all, in elite circles, marriage was fundamentally a transaction. People were bound by mutual interests, projecting an image of a solid union to the public while having no feelings for each other. In private, they lived separate lives and never interfered with one another.

But to Melody Summers, every word out of Yuri Walsh’s mouth was like a bomb, leaving her utterly shell-shocked.

Looking at the hopeful expression on Yuri Walsh’s face, only one thought crossed Melody Summers’s mind: ’It was a shame Zara Walsh died... That spot reserved for her in the Underworld really should have gone to her brother.’

’Yuri Walsh always looked so respectable on the surface. Who knew he was even more twisted than Zara Walsh!’

Seeing Melody Summers just frowning silently, Yuri Walsh started to feel anxious. ’He’d laid his heart bare, so why wasn’t she giving him any reaction at all?’

Anxious, Yuri Walsh instinctively reached out to take her hand.