Chapter 417 Matthew’s Proposal
During the three months where Veronica was recovering from her broken arm, Matthew looked after her and took very good care of her round the clock. The only time he did not take care of her was when she was working at the company. That said, she had also fully experienced just how strong Matthew was—physically.
One simply had to acknowledge the differences in strength when things boiled down to it, which was why Veronica could only surrender to Matthew in the bedroom. It was the wisest strategy on her part and the best thing for the both of them.
Seeing that she was on the verge of surrendering, Matthew smiled and flicked the tip of her nose lovingly, then said indulgently, “I can carry you to the bath—”
“O-Oh, no, it’s fine. I can bathe myself!” she answered and quickly pushed him aside, then dashed into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
She had already witnessed his stamina first-hand and she was not about to take any chances by agreeing to bathe with him. If she did, they would never leave the house and get the marriage certificate.
They each put on a change of clothes after they showered, but at that moment, Veronica’s stomach rumbled loudly. She turned to look up at Matthew in mute despair and said, “I’m hungry…”
He hummed in response. “Let’s have a late lunch, then,” he suggested while wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her into the waiting elevator.
“Maybe we should go to the Civil Affairs Bureau first. They might be getting off work by the time we’re done eating,” she pointed out worriedly as she took out her phone and checked the time on the screen. It was already 3.50PM.
“We can always grab a quick bite on the way. It won’t take up much time,” Matthew said as he ruffled her hair affectionately. He took her hand and led her out of the elevator when the doors opened. They were both using masks so that the ever-famous Matthew would not draw attention to himself or be noticed by anyone on the street.
He drove to One Piece Restaurant where they had a quick lunch before they made their way over to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Along the way, Veronica was scrolling through her phone when she said, “Hey, it’s the twenty-seventh of April today. I think it’s a pretty good day for us to get our certificate, don’t you think?”
“I think every day with you is a pretty good day,” he replied softly as he cast her a meaningful sidelong glance.
She clicked her tongue. “Well, aren’t you just the sweetest?”
“No, I think you are. I mean, I know exactly how sweet you taste, after all,” he teased while raising a brow at her as a smile curled on his lips.
“You—” She was just about to say something about his devilish behavior when she noticed that the car was rolling to a stop. “Hey, why did you pull up here?”
He unfastened his seatbelt and opened the door on his side. “Wait for me in the car,” he said.
“Oh, okay.” She thought he needed to use the washroom or something.
She stayed seated in the car for about five minutes after which Matthew returned. “Where did you go?” she asked.
He closed the door and turned to look at her solemnly. “Close your eyes.”
“Huh?” Veronica frowned, not at all comprehending why he wanted her to close her eyes, but she did as she was told anyway.
At that moment, she felt him clasp her hand and before she knew it, something cold slid around her ring finger.
She opened her eyes at once and saw that there was a pink diamond ring on her finger. The diamond resembled some kind of a rose, but it was subtle and complemented the delicate and simple band. She admired it for a few seconds before she looked up at Matthew and asked curiously, “Why did you pick a rose?”
He shook his head as if he was surprised that she did not figure it out. “Your name has a ‘rose’ in it, remember? So, I had the designer come up with a briar rose-inspired diamond ring.”
“But why did you choose pink?” She gazed at the ring and muttered, “It’s pretty, but don’t you think it’s a little girly for me?”
“Silly thing,” he mused good-naturedly as he reached out to prod her temple. “Don’t you know what a briar rose stands for?”
“No,” she said honestly with a pout as her curiosity piqued. “I didn’t think you’d be an expert at things like these. It’s usually women who read into the meaning behind certain flowers and gemstones.”
It was only then that she realized why Matthew had chosen to go to One Piece Restaurant earlier. It was because they would be passing by the biggest jewelry atelier if they were to depart for the Civil Affairs Bureau from the restaurant, which meant he had already had the jewelry designer get ready the ring months ago!
It was no wonder that he had avoided talking about the marriage certificate whenever she brought the topic up during the last three months; he wanted to put a ring on her finger on the actual day they were going to get their marriage certificate!
“Do you like it?” he asked as he held her hand.
The ring made her slender fingers look even longer and her hand was the color of porcelain. She might as well be a hand model.
“I do,” she said, nodding.
The diamond was sparkling under the sunlight that spilled through the windscreen. It looked too dazzling to be worn.
“I’m glad you like it,” Matthew said. He gave her hand a squeeze as he gazed at her. “With that ring, I make you mine and only mine from this moment on.”
She met his smoldering gaze and felt a smile tug on her lips. She had always envisioned being proposed to in a field of flowers; or perhaps in the presence of her closest friends; or during a romantic candlelight dinner. However, little did she know that a proposal could be as simple and perfect as this. She was happier than words could describe.
“No,” she said as she shook her head. “With this ring, you make me your family. We’re a family, Matthew.”
Having said that, she held out her free hand to him, palm-up.
He gaped at her. “What?”
“Your ring! Where is it? You couldn’t possibly have just bought this one without a matching one for yourself.”
“Of course, I have a ring for myself,” he said while pulling out a black velvet box from his coat pocket and putting it in her palm.
She opened the box and saw that there was another ring in it. It was a men’s ring with a sturdy, simple band on which was a green leaf. The craftsmanship was intricate and breathtaking while the cut was perfect. It looked like it belonged in a museum.
‘Why is your ring a leaf?” Veronica asked in confusion.
“Why do you think that is?” He did not answer her and merely smiled roguishly.
Her ring was pink briar rose whereas his was a green leaf; they were two halves of a perfect picture.
Thankfully, Matthew was tasteful enough to pick understated designs that set him apart from the favorite selections of the nouveau riche, which included giant diamonds the size of quail eggs and gaudy designs which would have rendered the rings impractical.
The rings he had chosen were flattering and unique without being over-the-top, not to mention refined.
At that moment, Veronica held his hand and slid his ring onto his finger, then looked up at him with a grin. “From now on, you will be my husband. I swear, if you ever cheat on me—”
“I would never,” he promised.
She scoffed. “Have you seen the gorgeous women who parade themselves around you all the time? Your promise means nothing!” She snorted and added, “The only thing I ask of you is your loyalty.”
As she said this, she lifted a finger as if she was in the midst of a stern lecture and she even had a grave look on her face as her grin faded.
Matthew clasped her right hand and stated, “I promise.” Then, he pulled her into his arms and patted her back gently. “Mrs. Kings, I promise to love and cherish you. May we grow and take on the world together until death do us part.”
“Yeah, okay. Maybe we might part because of some other women, right?” She shoved him aside and glared at him.
The romantic moment slipped away and Matthew was decidedly unhappy as he pointed out in frustration, “Has anyone ever told you that you could be a real buzzkill sometimes?”
She laughed. “I was kidding!” She raised her hands and cupped his cheeks. “Mr. Kings, will you love and cherish me even when I’m being unreasonable; or childish; or stubborn; or a complete klutz in the kitchen? Do you promise to love me in spite of all my flaws?”
