A large mass of men and women alike hurriedly gathered outside the gates of the grand villa of the Marshall family. The air was filled with excitement and anticipation as all eyes were fixed at the entrance. The number of people in attendance only grew further with the endless arrival of even more individuals joining the fray, and the atmosphere was electric.

The beautiful Ashley’s proposal aired on TV, and it caused waves of frenzy throughout the entire nation. Her engagement to Joseph, who was widely known as the First Golden Bachelor, was finally made official. As expected, the blockbuster announcement drove their fans wild in ecstasy.

Almost everyone in the country was abuzz and tuned in on the current event. One could say that it was the hottest topic in ages and the talk of the town. Packs of travelers from different regions traversed hundreds of miles to bear witness to this special occasion. At the same time, bystanders who were driven by their curiosity couldn’t help but watch the massive build-up of people in the area. They all swarmed outside the villa to personally see the breathtaking beauty of the newly engaged couple.

Over ten burly men stood out from the crowd with their imposing aura, and they stationed themselves strategically with purpose. The group had received explicit instructions from Leonard to shield Joseph from any untoward behavior from overzealous fans and prevent any access in and out of the premises. These enforcers were tasked with maintaining order throughout the duration of the public event.

Their huge figures blocked the door to the villa. With their bulging muscles and menacing faces, no one dared to trespass. It was clear that rule-breakers would suffer grave consequences.

In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the busy scene outside, the luxurious main house of the Marshall family was peaceful, and only some voices echoed across the vicinity. Two elderly individuals and a young couple were engaged in a conversation in the center of the hall.

“Grandpa, I deeply apologize. I didn’t think that the proposal would have stirred up quite the commotion,” Ashley said in a guilty tone to Leonard.

“Nonsense, my dear. It’s no trouble at all. I actually prefer that there be more people gathered here. The grander and more festive your proposal is, the more blessings will surely come to your marriage. Besides, I am confident that Joseph is more than capable of handling the affair outside, am I right?” Leonard said with raised eyebrows and a warm smile.

A brief moment of silence hung in the air, and everyone turned to look at Joseph, who nodded in agreement.

After responding to Leonard’s statement, Joseph walked out of the door. Ashley immediately got up to her feet and quickly followed behind. “Joseph, what do you plan to do? These people are here to send their blessings and well-wishes. It is a kind-hearted gesture that I fully appreciate. You’d better not do anything foolish or treat them poorly if you know what’s good for you.”

Still keeping his mouth shut, Joseph took Ashley by the arm and led her out of the house and didn’t stop until they were out of sight of the people inside the house.

Noticing the confused expression on Ashley’s charming face, Joseph gently ran his fingers through her luscious hair and said in a sweet tone, “It seems that your exquisite beauty has put me in quite a dilemma. I’m still going through multiple ideas on how to deal with your die-hard fans. How about we escape all this instead and you run away with me? I love you so much.”

Upon hearing his suggestion, Ashley was stunned as she studied the man’s handsome features and carefully processed his words, trying to replace out if he was joking or not.

‘Can this guy hear himself? This is absolutely absurd. Eloping doesn’t seem to be a viable option for us. How does he come up with these thoughts? He is quite the remarkable man, just full of surprises.’

Joseph saw the disbelief in Ashley’s face and immediately shifted the conversation to an entirely different topic. “By the way, has your brother come back yet?”

“Yes, he returned around yesterday afternoon. He is good with my proposal and has expressed his full support.” Ashley narrowed her eyes in confusion but decided to shrug it off.

“Hmmm, alright. I just might have a great idea on how to go about this.” Joseph suddenly grinned in confidence, his eyes brimming with enthusiasm. It was clear he was on to something.

“What is it? Aren’t you going to share it with me?” Ashley couldn’t help but be driven restless with curiosity. ‘Will this idea of his prove to be actually effective later on? Whatever it is, I hope and pray that it works.’

“Honey, it wouldn’t hurt for you to show some semblance of faith to your genius of a husband. You have nothing to worry about. Leave it to me.” With a playful wink, Joseph closed the space between them and planted a k**s on Ashley’s lips. He flashed a stunning smile and said, “Let’s go. I give you my word that everything will go as smoothly as planned.”

The tall and handsome Joseph turned around and pulled the dazed Ashley towards the sound of the clamoring crowd outside.

He deliberately chose a longer route on their way to the courtyard, strolling as if it were a typical day in the park. Still breathless, Ashley matched Joseph’s strides as they held each other’s hand. It felt like a brief moment of peace despite the pressing matter ahead.

They were surrounded by tall green trees, colorful and fragrant flowers, and pebbles of different shapes and sizes. A pond full of frogs and fish could be seen on one side while fluttering butterflies hovered some expertly trimmed bushes on the other, and glorious rays of sunshine seemed to light up the path ahead. It was a scene straight out of a fairytale. The beautiful couple fit perfectly right into this picturesque landscape.

After walking for what felt like quite a long time, the pair finally arrived at the noisy scene by the door. Joseph was used to dealing with crowds and playing with the admiring public’s affection. Still, he was caught off guard by the immense magnitude of the turn up of people that he couldn’t help but chuckle in amazement. “Honey, you really are something else!”

Joseph had actually planned ever since for the marriage to take place in public to involve their adoring fans. Today was about the proposal, and yet it already garnered the unwavering attention of the masses. It was a good sign, and he was pleased with how things were going.

Ashley didn’t take the compliment too kindly as one would expect. She rolled her eyes and said, “I’m not so sure it’s me who the majority came to see. If you were to observe, most of the people outside are young women. They are here to gawk, possibly flirt and throw themselves at this handsome gentleman everyone is so crazy about. These ladies also want to make fun of me.”

“Why do I sense a hint of jealousy from your tone?” Joseph couldn’t help bursting out laughing and looked at her with a coy expression.

“Mr. Marshall, let’s turn the tables around for a moment. What if someone else professes his love for me? How will that make you feel?” Ashley fired back with a smirk on her lips.

Being the well-rounded person that she was, Ashley knew many ways to deal with Joseph. If he wanted to tease her, she would readily take him on and outsmart him with ease.

The smile from Joseph’s face suddenly vanished. He couldn’t allow anyone else to compete for her affection. The mere thought of a man opening up his feelings towards Ashley made his heart rage. “My dear wife, let me remind you that I am not your enemy here. Please calm down.” Joseph was quick to quell Ashley’s growing temper.

“Whatever, we’ll settle it later. Don’t think that you’re out of the woods just yet.” Traces of jealousy were evident on Ashley’s face. It was clear that she was genuinely bothered.

Although he succeeded in keeping a calm expression, Joseph was truly intimidated by her words. He thought about responding but decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. It wasn’t worth further displeasing this woman.

‘Oh, this is just great. Now I have something to look forward to later. As if there wasn’t much on my plate already.’ Joseph sighed from within as a tinge of coldness flashed through his dark eyes.

A deafening roar of cheers and applause sounded throughout the grounds when Joseph and Ashley entered the scene. It was the moment everyone had been waiting for. They were finally in the presence of their idols.

The lively crowd instantly fell silent once Joseph waved his hand. All eyes were glued to the mesmerizing couple in front of them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my fiancée and I are completely humbled and overwhelmed with your constant show of support and love. We thank each and every one of you who came here today. You are all welcome to witness our wedding in the near future.”

Joseph worked well with the audience and held them captive to his words. His air of nobility and confidence showed with the way he spoke and carried himself. His appeal to the masses further increased with his low, smooth, and powerful voice.

“To express our heartfelt gratitude for your prayers and praises, I am happy to announce some good news to you all.”

Intrigue and curiosity overcame everyone who was watching. They all longed to know what it was. The crowd voiced out in unison, “What’s the good news?”

Ashley furrowed her eyebrows instinctively. She was also caught by surprise. ‘What did this man have underneath his sleeve?’

With another wave of his hand, the people settled down once more. Joseph paused for a moment to emphasize what was coming and said slowly, “My future brother-in-law, Mike, the CEO of the Guzman Group, is still an eligible bachelor. His parents have always wanted him to replace a life partner and start a family. To speed up the process, they have tasked me to be his matchmaker. Calling all single women of legal age, you are all welcome to participate and present yourselves accordingly at the office headquarters of the Guzman Group. A strict headcount must be followed, so please be advised of our first come, first serve policy.”

Such an unexpected and controversial announcement elicited a mixed reaction from the crowd. Everyone was either excited by this opportunity or astounded. Meanwhile, Ashley was totally speechless.

Seconds began ticking away, and almost a full minute had passed. Only a group of men were left anxiously gathering and waiting outside the door.

After watching the events unfold and everything spiral out of control, the only thing Ashley could do was to feel bad for her dear brother. The good news that Joseph shared with all was completely outrageous.

“Are you done?” Ashley asked, still completely dumbfounded.

“Not yet. It seems we still have some company. What could they possibly want?” Joseph squinted and stared right at the door with cold eyes, carefully assessing the situation.

Joseph strode towards the door alone, and as he inched nearer, he curled his fists, and his jaw tightened. With a serious tone, he spoke to the men outside. “Show’s over.”

His message was pretty obvious. Their presence was unwelcome. It was time for the group to leave and go home. Ashley immediately understood. She knew her partner well, and it seemed that he was getting ticked off. Things were not looking pretty.

But despite Joseph’s threatening demeanor, a few fearless men still managed to speak up. “We seek an audience with our goddess. We need a word with her.”

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