Joyce logged into her favorite online game, as she did almost every day. A casino game. To relax. She enjoyed playing with people from all over the world. Her English wasn't perfect, but it was good enough to communicate. That evening, there weren't many players. She got up to get a glass of water. When she returned, a player had joined the table. He greeted her, as any polite player would. She replied to his hello.

She was French and lived on an island in the Indian Ocean. Bojan was Serbian. Fortunately, he also spoke the language of Shakespeare. They struck up a friendly and refreshing conversation. They joked around a lot, and Joyce liked that.

They ended up exchanging contact information so they could chat outside of the game. Little by little, a bond developed between them.

He loved her exoticism, she loved his kindness. Together, they could talk about anything. They shared a passion for music. Bojan played electric guitar and Joyce played piano. Weekly messages quickly turned into daily messages. More and more every day.

Over time, their glances during video calls seemed to express more than friendship. They were both hurt by romantic disappointment. They had each promised themselves they would never love again, so they would never suffer again. Joyce had given up on romantic feelings. Bojan still felt the pain of his breakup.

It was difficult for them to trust another person again. At the same time, they unconsciously trusted each other.

They laughed a lot together, more and more often. Evenings turned into nights. Bojan was the first to admit that he was starting to have feelings for Joyce, who refused to allow herself to feel the same. Nevertheless, every time they finished talking, she had only one desire: to call him back to see him and hear his comforting voice again.

While Joyce lived in paradise, Bojan had to endure a very complicated situation in his country. Protests were on the rise. The disagreement between the government and the population was becoming increasingly heated. The world press ignored these events, as if they did not exist. The skyrocketing prices were impoverishing the country's inhabitants. It was difficult to find work if you were not part of political groups approved by the government, which was trying to maintain a good image in the eyes of the rest of the world.

As the days passed, love blossomed between Joyce and Bojan. It might have seemed like a romantic rescue, but their feelings were very real. They grew stronger and stronger. There was only one way out: to get closer, to be together for real and not just virtually.

Their mission was to do everything they could to get Bojan out of his hellish situation and join Joyce on her island. They each had families. The task was not going to be easy for either of them, but it was even more complicated for Bojan. With a distance of 10,000 km between them, it was a real challenge.

Bojan was doing everything he could to join the woman who was now the love of his life. His other half. Joyce felt the same way. But the obstacles were piling up. In the streets of Belgrade, conflicts were multiplying, jeopardizing their plan to be together and finally live their love to the fullest.

It was becoming increasingly difficult. Joyce was afraid for Bojan, who feared he would not be able to come because of the terrible situation developing in his country. If a civil war broke out, it would be impossible for him to leave. Time was working against them. On the one hand, they longed to be together, and on the other, they suffered from the circumstances. Now sadness settled in at the end of every conversation.

Despite everything, they wanted to stay positive. Every morning and every evening, they made sure to laugh and keep smiling to support each other. The universe couldn't have brought them together just to prevent them from ever meeting.

Although Bojan had expressly told Joyce that it was his honor to raise the necessary funds to join her, Joyce racked her brains to find a quick solution as well. She believed in love again. She didn't want to lose him; for her, he was undoubtedly the last love of her life.

That night, Joyce had a dream and woke up with a start. She sat in bed for several minutes, trying to remember every moment of the dream that had given her hope.

She took her car and drove to the nearest tobacco shop. She bought a lottery ticket. The draw was only a week away. Joyce hadn't said anything to Bojan; she didn't want to disappoint him. She wasn't religious, but every morning she looked up at the sky and begged the universe to grant her mercy so that this intense love could become a reality.

Every night, Joyce and Bojan spent the whole night expressing their love and talking about how wonderful their dream would be when it came true.

Every night, Joyce and Bojan spent the whole night expressing their love and talking about how wonderful their dream would be when it came true.

The day of the draw finally arrived. Joyce was in front of her screen, ticket in hand. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. The numbers came out very slowly, keeping the suspense going. Joyce's eyes were fixed on the screen. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was one number away from winning the jackpot. She looked at the amount corresponding to her combination, holding her breath... €13,852! She began to cry. It wasn't millions, of course, but the universe had heard her. With that money, she could easily pay for the plane ticket that would reunite her and her beloved.

She immediately called Bojan to tell him the news. That evening, there were tears. Tears of joy and love.