Today was Olivia's twenty first birthday, but instead of a celebration, she had signed unexpected wedding papers.
In the blink of an eye she was married to a man who was a total stranger, then shipped off to the great Donovan estate as a bride.
Olivia's heart was thinking rapidly when the Donovan family servants escorted her through grand hallways into a strangely dark room where a middle aged woman was seemingly waiting for her.
This woman had sharp and stern eyes that signified years of service and keen studying of other people.
"Miss Shaw, please take off your clothes," the old servant said with a cold expression and cunningly impatient eyes. A hint of impertinence laced her words.
Olivia bit her lower lip nervously. "Why do I have to take off my clothes?"
She had just arrived to the mansion where her new husband resided, though the marriage was an impromptu situation, the woman's sudden demand still had her taken aback.
The servant smiled with faint contempt. "Madam has spent a huge sum of money on you as a fortune bride. You won't turn down this little inspection, would you?"
Olivia's face paled, then flushed red.
Inspection?
So her stripping in front of the servants and her body being checked was called an inspection.
Embarrassed, she tugged at the corner of her shirt.
"I... I've never had a boyfriend before..." she whispered. If that was what they were trying to confirm.
The servant acted as if she hadn't heard her and said impatiently, "Hurry up. Madam is waiting for my return."
Olivia bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. Just the day before, she had still been the second daughter of the Shaw family. Despite her position as the family's second daughter, she had never been treated as a daughter of an aristocratic family. She'd always been abused, ignored and treated like trash that didn't deserve attention.
But despite the fact that her own family had always seemed to despise her, she'd never suffered the humiliation of being made to take off her clothes in front of total strangers.
The fact that her father, her stepmother and sister despised her was something that had been very obvious to her for a very long time, after all, she was her father's illegitimate child.
But she hadn't expected that, to earn a large investment for Shaw Corporation, her father would sell her off as a bride to another family.
Before leaving the house, her step sister Jessica Shaw had even called her back, warning her that her future husband was a rumored devil, a man known to be in the underworld. Olivia knew it hadn't been a friendly warning, but a way to taunt her and let her feel even more hopeless for the married life she was soon going to be thrusted into.
When it came to the Donovan family in Crown City, everyone knew they had been powerful for centuries and dominated the fate of the entire country. Their power stretched far and wide making them both feared and revered by anyone who heard the mention of their name.
Benjamin Donovan, head of the family, was known by outsiders as "Master Donovan."
Rumors painted him in all sorts of diabolical colors. Many said he was a murderous, deceitful, and ruthless devil.
At just the sound of his name, people would scatter in fear. The thought of becoming his wife was beyond imagination. Yet, when the Donovan family's elderly madam sought a young bride of fortune after Master Donovan's grave injury, Olivia was the one chosen.
The Shaws needed money. The Donovans needed a bride. It was a bargain between both families.
But on Olivia's very first day in the Donovan household, she was taken into a dark chamber for a physical inspection.
The middle aged woman grew irritated at Olivia's reluctance. She frowned in displeasure while saying,
"Miss Shaw, I've been respectful enough to you, don't act so pampered! I know exactly what kind of young woman you are. Do you think I want to do this either? Instead of resisting, you should be praying for your life, no one knows how long you'll even live. Master Donovan has taken countless lives, and he doesn't seem interested in this marriage. Who knows if the next death will be your turn..."
If those words had been meant to scare her, they certainly did. Benjamin Donovan's reputation was something she was very well aware of herself.
Gulping in fear, Olivia quickly blurted.
"I'll do it!"
"I... I'll strip," she said.
The servant raised her brows and sneered, eyeing the young girl up and down. Though she didn't show it visibly, she couldn't help but admit that this young bride was quite lovely. The elder madame's taste was indeed impeccable.
Olivia's heart shaped face looked innocently sweet. Her eyes looked large, shaped like an almond, they were as clear as glass, bright and without impurities. Her delicate skin was milky white and soft, looking youthful and bouncy to the touch.
At only twenty-one years old, she was still a young lady. If she survived, she would surely grow into one of the most captivating women in the country.
Her fair, slender fingers hovered over the first button of her shirt. Just as she was about to undo it, a voice suddenly shouted from outside,
"Aunt Ellie! Madam orders you to bring her to the room immediately! Master Donovan's condition has worsened!"
The middle aged servant, Aunt Ellie froze for a moment, then replied, "But I haven't examined her yet..."
"Master Donovan won't keep her anyway," the person outside said bluntly. "It doesn't matter if she's still pure or not. Just bring her!"
Aunt Ellie hesitated, then nodded. Given Master Donovan's condition, he probably wouldn't even notice.
She shot Olivia a strict look before saying sternly. "Follow me!"
Olivia let out a sigh of relief, not believing she'd actually managed to escape having to strip. She hastily buttoned up her shirt. But the thought of meeting the legendary devil himself made her chest tighten with nerves.
She lowered her head and followed Aunt Ellie. After about ten minutes, Aunt Ellie stopped in front of a large antique courtyard, built in a four-sided style. Flowering shrubs filled the garden, snowy petals scattered across the ground.
Spring had made the scenery breathtaking.
"Is this... where he lives?" Olivia murmured, wondering why the devil had a personal courtyard wing in his own home instead of living inside the main mansion with everyone else.
Aunt Ellie gave her a small shove towards the steps that led up to the porch of the front door, "Madam bought you to chase away bad luck and help master Donovan recover. Make sure to serve him well. Perhaps he'll recover under your care."
After saying this, she cast one last fearful glance at the courtyard as if being here alone was frightening enough to make anyone not want to spend another second lingering around before she whirled and hurried away.
The yard became silent. Deathly silent.
Taking a deep breath, Olivia slowly walked up the steps. The front door slowly creaked open just at the moment she raised her hand to knock.
The nerves wrung taut deep inside her seemed to tighten further.
Why did this remind her of old horror movies, the scene where an obviously eerie house stood on its own but an unsuspecting victim walks into the house but finds something demonic within. But if she thought about it, Benjamin Donovan could be said to be that demonic entity.
The space was large and dimly lit, it looked like she'd walked into an ancient vintage mansion.
There was no one in sight, not even a mouse. Walking through the hallways, Olivia found that all the doors were shut.
She found an exquisite looking door that evidently looked like the master bedroom.
This should be his room right?
She stared at the door and reached out to knock.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
No response.
She hesitated before crouching by the door, the place was utterly still that it felt like there was no one inside.
She didn't know how long she waited outside that door, time seemed to stretch by and she continued to linger by the door uncertainly when a sudden thought crept into her mind: they had said Master Donovan was dying. Could it be... he was already dead?
Startled by her own thought, Olivia didn't even realise when she gathered her courage and gently pushed the door.
It was unlocked.
She stopped herself, slowly peeking through the crack. The room appeared empty, so she slipped inside.
The decorations were simple, the only striking feature was a very large bed with hanging curtains in the center.
Heart pounding, Olivia stepped forward approaching the bed, a slow wind coming from a balcony whooshing into the room. She gently lifted the curtains around the bedframe.
She had prepared herself to see a corpse. Well, being a widow on the very first day of marriage, maybe she would break a world record.
But instead of death, she found life—though it was scarred.
It was a man's back, so lean that his bones showed. Scars covered every inch of it, each one deeply gashing that one wouldn't want to even think about how that scar had occurred.
And yet, despite the battered body, there was something terrifyingly powerful about him: broad shoulders, narrow waist, pale skin stretched over lean muscle. His very presence radiated dominance.
Olivia gasped and stumbled back, face burning. She covered her eyes. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude..."
The man on the bed calmly pulled on the clothes beside him. His piercing gaze swept over her slender figure. His low, husky voice drawled,
"Are you my bride?"
Still shielding her eyes, Olivia's lips trembled. "Y-yes."
Benjamin Donovan studied her, then ordered, "Come here."
Dumbfounded, Olivia slowly lowered her hands—only to be struck breathless.
The face before her was so handsome it made her heart stop.
In her twenty-one years of life, she had never seen a man like him.