Chapter 3
Serena's POV
The man's voice sounded aloof, and I could sense the man was overconfident in himself; why wouldn't he be confident? I had nothing to offer him, after all.
I was certain he knew about my abandonment and the fact that I was practically destitute. I was pretty much sure I wasn't attractive by his standards and was without a single penny on me.
The only thing I had was a husband who barely acknowledged my existence. Though I had been given every privilege within the mansion as part of my marriage, my stepsister Stephanie's suggestion that he might have a mistress made me anxious. The fear of losing my carefree lifestyle drove me to seek her advice, which led me to use divorce tactics to bring him back home. I never imagined it would be so effective.
"Seven million dollars?" he asked, twirling his pen with an air of nonchalance. I was speechless, struggling to process the number. I needed to respond before this situation went further.
"I don't want—"
"Twenty million dollars?" He interrupted, not even giving me a chance to finish. His dismissive attitude was infuriating.
"I said I don't want—"
"Fifty million dollars!" The man cut me off again, his voice carrying a chilling authority. My eyes widened in shock. I could hardly believe someone would so casually discuss sums of money that most people only dream of, including myself.
When I was first brought to the mansion, I suspected my so-called husband might be wealthy and, at the same time, thought he might be on loan. However, hearing these numbers confirmed that he was indeed far from broke. The revelation was overwhelming.
I forced a nervous smile and rubbed my palms together, feeling like a child caught in an adult conversation. "Haha. Okay, okay. We can talk about this later," I said, attempting to leave. It seemed better to give an open-ended response rather than decide on the spot. To my surprise, he didn't back down.
"There's no 'later' in my world," he said coldly, his stern tone making me halt mid-step. His words were as chilling as they expected, leaving me feeling trapped.
And before I could think twice, I lost it.
"Are you so dense that you don't understand what I meant, dear husband?" I blurted out, unable to hold back my frustration. I wasn't sure if I should regret my words or not, but I knew better than to let him see any hint of weakness.
"What?! Miss Serena, you're crossing the line!"
"Let her go!" I heard my husband say to the guards who tried to stop me but I was already ascending the staircase going back to my room.
I wouldn't have been so blunt if he hadn't tried to put me in a tight spot. I couldn't believe myself the first time I saw the man, and yet I ended up causing a fight.
"What if he ended up divorcing me due to my words?" I thought looking a bit frustrated with my actions, I believe I could have done better instead of letting my emotions get the hell out of me.
I was pretty sure I was annoyed by the fact that if I hadn't used the divorce tactics, the man wouldn't have bothered to spare me a glance to talk more about visiting despite being married.
I sighed helplessly before pushing my body inside my room. I just want to rest and clear my head at that moment.
Leonardo's POV
Master's Bedroom
I sat on the couch, with Steward Gu standing in front of me. I still couldn't believe what had happened at the dining table earlier.
She was the first person to ask me if I was dense. I found it strangely amusing.
"Master, is something wrong?" Steward Gu asked. I could tell he was feeling tense due to my silence.
"Tell me about her," I said after a long pause.
"Do you mean Miss Serena?" he asked.
I narrowed my gaze. "Is there anything else I should know? Is there anyone else she meets apart from me?" I inquired.
"Not really, master. You're the only one in disguise who meets Miss Serena and her stepsister Mitchell," Steward Gu said.
"What do you mean by 'disguise'? Do you think I can't tell her I'm her husband when I meet her?" I asked, rubbing the temple of my jawline.
"Haha. I'm sure Master won't continue deceiving Miss Serena as you used to," Steward Gu blurted out before realizing his mistake. There was nothing he could do now but wait for his punishment.
"Wait. You mean I've been deceiving her by hanging out with her under another identity?" I asked, feeling a surge of anger as I picked up my phone.
"Do you want to grab some food or maybe ice cream?" I texted her immediately. I was ready to tell her the truth that I was her husband, and I knew she would say yes. After all, she's a foodie.
As expected, she responded quickly, "Yes, at the usual place, right?"
"Get me a simple dress and my usual mask," I ordered, standing up. Nervousness swept over me.
"Master, you don't have to force yourself. You can tell Miss Serena another time," Steward Gu said, noticing my nervousness. But I wouldn't agree to that.
"I have to do it tonight. It's not like I enjoy hanging out with her; I was just trying to keep myself busy. Don't you know that?"
"I'm aware of that, master."
Minutes later, after I was told she had left the mansion, I dressed in my usual simple clothes with my mask in hand and made my way out of the room. Just as I was about to leave, I turned to look at Steward Gu.
"You'll receive your punishment when I return, Steward Gu," I said, noticing the confusion on his face.
He must be wondering what he h
ad done wrong, but he would find out once I came back from telling her the truth.