Chapter 545

Aiden paid no heed to the curious gazes around him. With solemnity tinged by nervousness, he slowly uncurled his fingers to reveal the ring resting in his palm before Willow. It was a trendy design for the time—crafted from pure gold, with a ruby set in the center and delicate floral engravings along the band. By later standards, the style might have been considered tacky, but at this moment, it seemed to shimmer brilliantly in Willow’s eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to find his voice. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his tone earnest and unwavering. "Willow, I want to spend the next ten, twenty, thirty years—and beyond—as your husband, caring for you, protecting you, loving you, until death parts us. I swear on this military uniform that I will never fail you or betray you. Willow… will you marry me?" The threshing ground fell into an eerie silence. Then, like cold water splashed into sizzling oil, the crowd erupted. "What’s going on? What’s Aiden doing?" "I heard