Chapter

LAURA

"Blacky's fine now, Isko. You can give him water," Laura told Isko, a Miller Estate worker responsible for the horses. Blacky was their Friesian Horse breed.

She was at the clinic when Isko called about a horse acting sluggish. She rushed back to Miller Estate to examine Blacky and found that exhaustion and the hot weather were likely causes. Summer was tough on the animals.

"Thank you very much, Miss Laura," Isko said to her.

"You're welcome. If there's a problem here, don't hesitate to call me," she replied to him.

He nodded with a smile in response. Laura didn't stay long, as she needed to return to her veterinary clinic. She had told her assistant she would be back after stepping out.

She bid farewell to Isko and was about to walk towards her wrangler jeep when she stopped upon hearing her cellphone's ringtone coming from her pants pocket. She retrieved it to see who was calling and noticed it was Andi.

Her brow furrowed involuntarily as she read Andi's name on the screen. Andi wouldn't call unless it was important or an emergency.

Laura quickly answered the call. "Hello, Andi?"

"Laura," Andi replied, her voice laced with panic, which made Laura's frown deepen.

"What's wrong, Andi?" Laura asked, but Andi's response left her stunned.

"You need to come home – there's someone here claiming ownership of the mansion and Estate."

Laura's expression turned skeptical. "I'm the owner, Andi. I haven't sold anything," she clarified firmly.

"They showed documents proving ownership of Miller Estate, Laura."

"Maybe the documents they showed you are fake," she insisted.

"I-I don't know, Laura," Andi replied uncertainly.

"Did the person claiming ownership of the Estate introduce themselves?" she asked, curious about the individual's identity.

"Yes," Andi replied.

"Who?"

"Draco."

"Draco?" she repeated, her expression unreadable. When Andi mentioned the name, a specific person immediately came to her mind – she knew only one Draco.

Could that be him?

"What's his full name, Andi?" Laura asked, and after a moment's hesitation, Andi began,

"Draco Atlas Smi...?"

"Smith," Laura filled in, her mind racing.

"That's right, Laura. Draco Atlas Smith."

Laura bit her lower lip. Yes, Draco was her husband, but that didn't give him claim to the Miller Estate. Taking a deep breath, Laura said, "Alright, Andi. I'm on my way." She ended the call and headed toward her wrangler jeep, which she only used when she was at the Miller Estate.

Once she was in the vehicle, Laura immediately drove off. As she was on her way, she couldn't help but wonder what Draco was doing at the Miller Estate and why he was claiming ownership. She also thought about what Andi said – that Draco had documents supposedly proving he was the owner of Miller Estate.

He hadn't contacted her for a week after their civil wedding, and now he just shows up claiming ownership of the Miller Estate? Draco hadn't reached out to her since their wedding a week ago. After they signed the marriage contract, he left immediately, like it was just a business deal. No explanation, no goodbye.

To be honest, Draco's absence had actually been a relief. She hadn't wanted to get married either, and would have never agreed to it if not for the sake of Miller Estate.

Before long, Laura arrived at the mansion and parked her wrangler jeep next to a sleek black luxury car that likely belonged to Draco.

She quickly got out of the vehicle and stepped into the mansion, where Andi greeted her with a bewildered expression.

"Andi," Laura said, and they almost spoke in unison.

"Laura." As she entered, her gaze drifted toward the staircase, where she saw household staff carrying boxes downstairs. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What are those?" she asked the staff, noticing the look of confusion in their eyes.

"Laura, Sir Draco ordered us to move your belongings from your room to the maids' quarters," Andi explained. "We objected, but he got angry, insisting he's the new owner of the mansion and the entire Estate, and that we should obey him. If we don't comply, he threatened to fire us all." Laura's hands clenched into fists as she listened to Andi's words.

"Where is Draco?" she asked in a stern tone.

"In the master bedroom – your room," Andi replied.

Upon learning his location, Laura quickly ascended the stairs to the second floor, where the master bedroom was located.

She's mad—no, she's furious. How dare he threaten them.

When she reached the master bedroom door, she opened it without knocking – why bother, it was her room, after all. She entered with her fists still clenched and scanned the room for Draco. Her eyes immediately landed on him, and she saw that he was unbuttoning his white long-sleeved shirt, revealing his chiseled chest as he turned to face her.

There's no emotion in his eyes as he gazed at her. Unlike her, anger can be traced in the expression of her eyes.

"What is the meaning of this? And why are you in my room?" she demanded, her voice and expression radiating anger.

"This is my room now," he replied in a cold tone.

"What?" She noticed his eyebrows furrow, clearly displeased with her raised voice.

"Don't raise your voice at me, Laura. This is my territory, and you'll show some respect," he said firmly.

Her hands clenched into fists again. "If I recall correctly, you married me to help my father hold on to his property." She saw his eyes flash with anger when she mentioned her father.

"Fucking innocent," Draco said in a cold voice, his tone laced with irritation.

"You think I married you to help your father regain all his properties that were nearly lost. You're both wrong, Laura."

"What do you mean?"

"I married you because I want to take revenge on your father, who owes my parents a huge debt," he said in a cold voice. "I'll make sure your life here with me isn't easy. Let's see if your father won't be hurt when he finds out what his only child has been through at my hands," Draco added, a wicked smirk spreading across his lips.

Now Laura understood everything. No wonder Draco's gaze had seemed so angry – it wasn't about her, but about her father. She was just collateral damage in his quest for revenge, a way to hurt her father through her suffering. His words sparked realization.

"So, everything that happened to my father was all your plan?" she asked, suspecting he was behind her father's troubles to further his revenge. He married her solely to exact revenge on her father. Draco didn't need to respond; the slight curl of his lip was answer enough. "And you think you'll succeed?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I'm Draco Atlas Smith. Nothing is impossible for me," he said, his voice icy cold.

"And I won't let you," she said.

Instead of responding, Draco stepped closer, his movements deliberate. Laura found herself backing away until she hit the wall, with nowhere else to go. She noticed the faint curl of his lips, but his eyes remained cold and expressionless.

Daco stopped in front of her. He was towering over her, so she had to lift her gaze to meet his eyes. At that moment, she looked like prey trapped by a predator.

"Try me then, Laura," he challenged her, his piercing eyes gazing intensely at her.

Laura stood her ground under Draco's piercing stare. "I'll file for annulment," she said firmly. With his true motives revealed, she had no intention of staying married to him. Her agreement to marry had been solely for the Miller Estate.

"Go ahead, Laura. File for annulment, but I'll make sure my plan still succeeds," Draco replied to her.

Laura barely breathed as Draco leaned in, his face inches from her ear. "But let me give you a heads-up on what’ll happen if you dare to file for annulment," he whispered menacingly. "You’ll lose Miller Estate entirely. And I’ll fire every single person working here and replace them all." He pulled back, his eyes locked on hers, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Do you want that?" he asked, as if he knew exactly where her weakness lay.

"Asshole," she spat at him.

He smirked evilly. "Don't worry, you'll see just how much of an asshole I can be in the coming days."

After that, Draco stepped back, his distance growing between them. "Anyway, feel free to leave the mansion, and you have the right to file for annulment. But if you choose that option, there will be consequences," he threatened, not waiting for her response before turning his back on her.

Laura's hands clenched into fists as she shot daggers at his retreating figure.