2. The Wounded Princess

The solemn atmosphere was still felt after Lexus and Stella said their wedding vows. Lexus then pinned a diamond ring on Stella's right ring finger. He knew that the woman who was now his wife was crying profusely.

'The wounded princess!'

That's how Lexus gave the nickname to Stella. He saw that the look on Stella's face was devoid of happiness.

'I'll make sure you'll be more hurt and miserable while living in my mansion! Because I'll make you the object of revenge, Stella. Ha! Ha! Ha!'

Evil intentions are imprinted in the heart of Lexus. No one escapes the target of his revenge.

Lexus was forced to smile when he heard the thunderous applause of the invited guests. There's something strange here, why don't the newlyweds kiss?

Everyone is shocked. Lexus just walked away, leaving Stella on the altar.

"Lexus, come back to the altar!"

Ackerley shouted from his spot as the Lexus walked past the front row of seats.

"Grandpa, according to the agreement between us... I've married one of the twin daughters of the Drechsler family. My job is done, isn't it?"

Lexus answered loudly. Meanwhile, Stella continued to cry, seeing Lexus throw her away.

"Lexus, don't embarrass the Rodriguez family! Follow Grandpa's wishes this time!"

As a mother, Janice Rodriguez spoke imploringly to Lexus.

"Please, Lexus...."

Lexus took a deep breath. He loved Janice too much. He never once disappointed Janice.

"Okay, just a moment and after this, no more haggling."

Janice smiled, then approached the child. She rubbed Lexus's arm while nodding. "Okay, no problem," Janice agreed.

Lexus kissed Janice briefly on the cheek, then returned to the altar.

"You've failed to educate Lexus, Jane. Look at your son! He's growing up as a rebel."

The sentence just now came from Daisy's scathing mouth. She is the wife of Ackerley. She always made Janice hurt. However, what could Janice be against the great madam of the Rodriguez family?

"Shut up, Daisy! Don't embarrass me!"

Ackerley finally spoke up. He sat back in his chair.

"Don't pay attention to Mom's words, Jane!"

Janice is in the arms of her husband, Elmer Rodriguez. Elmer loves Janice, even though they are not equals. That's what makes Daisy dislike her daughter-in-law.

"Why are you repeating the same mistake, Ackerley? You used to approve of Elmer and Janice's marriage, even though the Rodriguez family's castes are different. Now, you approve of the marriage of Lexus and an ugly girl from a poor family in London!"

Ugly girl? Can't everyone see that Lexus's wife is a beautiful girl?

"Shut up and enjoy today, Daisy! Or I won't hesitate to divorce you!"

Getting threats like that, of course, made Daisy speechless.

The sound of applause was heard again as Lexus approached Stella. He was stunned to see his wife's face, which looked naturally beautiful even though her eyes were sad.

"I'm gonna kiss you now, but don't get me wrong! Because I'm not at all interested in you. You're not my type of woman!"

Lexus does have a sharp tongue, like Daisy. He grabbed Stella's chin and started to press his lips against Stella's tiny lips.

Stella was silent, getting a rough kiss from Lexus. She didn't enjoy it at all. Because to her, Lexus is just an unknown bastard.

The ballroom became noisy again when the newlyweds kissed.

'Damn! Her lips are so sweet. I can't stop kissing her,' thought Lexus. He tried to hold back the urge to keep Stella from looking down on him.

After kissing Stella, Lexus stared intensely at his wife. He subconsciously held Stella's hand tightly. Oh, of course, it made Seth's eyes widen.

"This way, please, Young Master and Miss Steffy!"

Seth told which way to take Lexus and Stella. They left the ballroom and headed for the bridal dressing room.

***

Stella put a bouquet of flowers on the dressing table. She was getting ready to change clothes before the reception started.

"Stupid child! You don't know how to profit! Why are you putting on such a sad face?! Huh?!"

"Lucky we didn't kick you out of the house! Because you turned out to be useful too!"

The sentence of slur earlier came from Sophia and Odolf. The twins' parents constantly berated Stella, who had tried her best to play Steffy.

"If your identity is exposed, then I won't hesitate to remove Helen's aid. You know what will happen next if the aid is removed, right?"

Odolf never tired of threatening Stella. He knew that Stella's weakness was in her grandmotherーHellen Drechsler.

"Enough, Mom, Dad! Can't you just let my day be peaceful just once?!"

Stella's tears almost fell. However, she hastily endured it.

"Until you plunder the Rodriguez family's fortune and make us rich, then don't expect your life to be peaceful, Stella!" cried Odolf, who was crazy about treasure.

"You've been spending a lot of money on gambling, Dad. Can't you just get a job and stop gambling?"

Odolf's face red with understanding. He brought his mouth close to Stella's ear. Then, loudly, "Just do your job and don't say too much!"

At the same time, but in a different room, Lexus was busy giving orders to the assistant. He wants everyone he has sent to find Steffy.

"Stupid! Fire everyone who's incompetent and hire new people to look for Steffy!"

Lexus exclaimed impatiently. He smoked a cigarette while playing on his smartphone.

"Young Master, did you enjoy the kiss just now with Miss Stella?"

Seth asked curiously. He tried to quell Lexus's anger. However, he instead got a death glare from Lexus.

"Since when did you meddle in your Master's private affairs?! Just think, how did you get information about Steffy's whereabouts!"

'Didn't Young Master always ask me to find a virgin girl to accompany him to sleep? Why is he acting that I can't meddle in his bedroom affairs?'

Seth chuckled. He remembered Lexus's behavior, which was no different from the naughty guys out there.

"Young Master, detectives have searched all over England and found no trace of Miss Steffy. Howeverー"

Seth's voice trailed off when Lexus interrupted him.

"Check any airports, ports, or stations! You may find traces of her there."

Seth took a deep breath. He said, "We checked the airport and found data that Miss Steffy left for Bali, Indonesia. She... she went with Young Master Noah."

How surprised Lexus was when Seth told him who Steffy had gone with.

"Noah Bradley?! The eldest son of the Bradley family?!"