?Chapter 1444:


    He hesitated again, then gave a small nod.


    “Normally, parents wouldn’t want their daughter to marry someone from aplicated family background,” Freya admitted, steady and calm. “But if the man’s exceptional—then it’s different.”


    Exceptional meant everything: career, integrity, character. And Melvin had already proven himself on all counts.


    “If background is all that’s bothering you, let it go,” Freya continued. “You’ve built a life that stands on its own. You can give her something solid.”


    “My family, they weren’t good people,” Melvin confessed, the words cutting deeper than he expected.


    “For some, marriage is about two families,” Freya said. “But with you and Jessica, it can be about just you two.”


    She knew Jessica’s family, knew their warmth. Melvin’s past didn’t scare her. Even if they married, not much about their lives would really have to change.


    “If you’re still nervous, you could always marry into her family,” Freya added with a faint smile.


    Melvin blinked, caught off guard. “Marry into her family?”


    Freya nodded, entirely serious.


    Melvin stood silent, thinking harder than he ever had before.


    “So tell me,” Freya said, steady and direct, “why did you reject her?”


    Melvin looked up at her, the calm usually in his eyes reced by something raw, almost nervous.


    Freya didn’t push him. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”


    “I probably never mentioned this,” Melvin said slowly, his lips pressing into a tight line. “My parents abandoned me when I was quite young. After that, I was on my own. Now that they know I’m doing well, they won’t stop showing up.” He let out a sharp breath. “I don’t want Jessica dragged into that. I don’t want her dealing with that kind of mess.”


    “That’s why you turned her down?” Freya asked, surprised by the weight of his answer.


    Melvin nodded. It wasn’t that he wanted to reject Jessica. But his family was a mess. If his parents ever found out he married someone rich, it would bring disaster straight to Jessica’s doorstep.


    He didn’t want Jessica facing that ugliness. And he definitely didn’t want her family beingughed at behind their backs.


    He knew how this world worked. People loved tearing others down, especially when they didn’t think you deserved happiness. And Jessica deserved better than whispers and ridicule.


    “Find time to talk to her,” Freya advised gently. “The things you’re afraid of might not even matter to her.”<fn9daf> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fn9daf>


    Melvin’s jaw tensed. Doubt still flickered in his eyes.


    “If you lose her over this, that’s the real regret,” Freya added.


    Melvin didn’t speak for a long time. Then finally, he looked up at Freya and asked quietly, “Should I really go to her?”


    .


    .


    .