2: An Unexpected Surprise

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Surprise

**Marco Marone (narrating)**

“ Quick, Tilde, my future wife will be here any minute," I urged my makeup artist, trying to hurry her up as she continued fixing my hair. Ugh, my skin feels so disgusting right now; this makeup is turning out so grotesque that any woman who looks at me will surely prefer to run away than be by my side.

Well... my name is Marco. If you need an introduction, it will be the expected one of a man accustomed to a life of luxury—I lived a life of ostentation, fun, and lots of indulgence. I loved the destructive lifestyle that led me to ruin. However, at this very moment, I am waiting for Matilde, my professional makeup artist, to finish completing my burns to scare off yet another of my arranged wives set up by my brother.

It all started a few years ago when I was at a committee meeting. There was a terrible fire, and when I thought I was going to die with the debris falling on me, a woman was the only one who came to rescue me. When she managed to save me, we ran between the fire and the falling debris around us. She was gravely injured to the point of not surviving, but I still remember well: she handed me a chain that she wore around her neck.

“ Find this girl and take care of her for me, please," she implored with a failing voice, showing me the bloodstained jewel. It was a pendant of a flower with roots around it, peculiar and rare to see. “ She only had me," she whispered, tears in her eyes. “ She's my daughter." “ She has the same necklace as this one." “ You'll know who she is; no one else has this jewel."

But even traveling all over the USA, I couldn't find this girl. And she has the same golden choker, but I don't know her age, what she looks like, photos, nothing, no clue, just this damned necklace that doesn't help me at all.

And yes, I want to keep this promise. I want to know how this girl is doing and take care of her, no matter the size of the challenge. Because I know how to honor my word, especially to someone like that woman who risked her life.

Back to the topic, today I will receive another wife. I wonder if she will be like the others, gold-diggers who show disgust and repulsion. It will be quite difficult for Maciel to convince me to marry one of them. After all, I leave them at the house and test their fidelity, and they all betray me with my true appearance, showing only to be yet another gold-digger. I admit I have fun, but I am getting tired of him trying to trap me into a forced and senseless marriage, especially since I have a mission to fulfill.

“ Done, it’s finished!" she announced with a triumphant smile.

I turned to the mirror and nearly had a heart attack from laughing so hard. The makeup she had done on me was simply perfect... or rather, deformingly perfect and creepy. A horror masterpiece that would make anyone run for the hills.

“ Excellent work," I sighed, admiring the grotesqueness of my new appearance. I put on my best suit, sporting my best bored expression. Today was another day to scare off another potential wife. If all went well, it would be another canceled marriage contract and, consequently, another torturous period without any suitable woman to keep me company.

My brother and I were the last of our family; both he and I needed a wife to ensure the continuation of the family lineage. Besides, this partnership would play an important role in our family’s future. The ideal woman would be pure, kind, and willing to accept our peculiarities. But my brother, in his infinite wisdom, was not very demanding. In fact, he was completely negligent about this matter. He believed any woman would fit what we needed, ignoring my pleas for a wife who would keep me company and not just fulfill her duty, which is why... he wants to force me to accept anyone even knowing the results could be catastrophic.

I left the room and followed the staircase that led me to the center of the large hall. I had barely stepped on one stair when the front door opened as if by magic. And there she was: the strangest creature I had ever seen in my life. A vision that rivaled my bizarre makeup; if we were betting on who wanted to make whom run away, this was by far the one he should have least chosen.

"I'm hoping she doesn't sign the contract like the others and backs out," I thought desperately. "I won’t marry her! Especially... this creature that showed up."

Where the hell did they find this creature? In some forgotten swamp? I don't care that she's a bit chubby, which is bad enough, but rather her disproportionate clothes and those old shoes that look like they came out of a dusty closet. I can see from fifty meters away that she’s actually pretty, but... she wasn’t the girl I was expecting. The Skill family deceived me! I was investigating this Dhany, who, from the photos, was beautiful and elegant, and now they send me this... aberration. I just wanted to have that pearl in my hands for a few days, and now I find myself forced to deal with this.

The girl is wearing a suffocating dress, and it's evident she's struggling to breathe in it. I won’t even bother with that; let her suffocate to death. And with the way her breasts are squished, I'm sure all her internal organs will spill out.

As soon as she saw me, her hands went to her mouth and she stared at me in astonishment. I'm sure she'll run; she doesn't even try to disguise her fear. I descended the stairs feeling like the most handsome man in the world, while... what the hell is happening? Is she coming closer?

“ So, you're the powerful man everyone talks about?" she asks, insecure yet a bit petulant. Her gaze wavers, showing a bit of remorse.

"I should be the one looking at her with pity," I thought sarcastically.

“ I am Marco, the youngest son of the Marone family," I replied arrogantly. "Who are you? I don’t recognize you as a Skill."

“ I'm an illegitimate," she explained, averting her eyes, insecure. "I wasn't the one who was supposed to come, but my guardian threw me in place of my foster sister."

“ Dhanyela?"

“ Yes."

“ Go away, if you're not a Skill..." I said firmly, intending to turn my back on her.

“ Sir..." the butler interrupted me, holding a contract on a tray. "She is legally a Skill. She's been part of that family for several years. Her mother married Luiz Skill."

I glared at the butler with fury. His interference only made me even more irritated.

“ I don’t care about that!" I asserted, snatching the contract from his hands. "She is not the woman I want!"

I approached the girl, who watched me with terror in her eyes.

“ Leave now, before I regret it!" I ordered cruelly.

“ Ah... but she’s scared enough not to marry," I commented, and saw the panic grow in her eyes, mingling with curiosity. “ Just say what you want to know already."

Suddenly, her expression changed to one of curiosity as she approached, and I saw her deliberately extend her hand.

“ Does it hurt?" she asked, reaching out a finger to touch my face. However, I pulled away, and she seemed not to have heard anything I said.

“ Can you leave now?" I asked, and she stepped back, smiling awkwardly.

Does she not understand that she will have a deficient and deformed man in her life? Figuratively speaking, but looking at her somewhat relaxed appearance, the chubby girl isn’t ugly, but... she’s not my type. I like slimmer women, with a more acceptable standard. But she’s passable, considering that, like the others, she won't live very long. Her hair isn’t too bad, poorly grown and dehydrated, ah, just a bit poorly cared for. Anyway, disapproved. This is the first wife I want far from me. I can’t even imagine touching this sloppy pile of fat.

“ Sir, you have an agreement with your brother: the bride who accepts you will be your wife and will have all the rights," commented Arthur, his voice firm and respectful.

“ Arthur, are you siding with my brother? Just tell him she ran away!" I asserted, my anger consuming me.

“ But I didn’t run away," she dared to contest me, her voice weak and hesitant.

“ You must marry as promised," insisted Arthur, maintaining the composure of a dedicated butler.

“ Do I have to join with her?" I asked, incredulity dominating me.

“ Well..." murmured the butler Arthur, analyzing her with a professional look. "She is a bit neglected: the tight shoes, the suffocating dress... She's suffering. Let’s sign the contract and Iolanda will take her to the room and help her dress."

“ I don’t want to sign the contract," I murmured, asking Arthur to tell my brother she gave up.

“ But it’s your word, sir!" insisted the wretched Arthur.

“ Bring the paper. Are you sure you want to marry me?" I asked rigidly, looking at her with disdain.

“ I don’t... I’m here forced," she replied, her voice low and sad.

“ What do you mean?"

“ I’m a gold-digging wife, sir. I need to stay because of your money," she announced abruptly, her gaze wavering. I could swear she was lying.

“ Who isn’t? I am a billionaire; my inheritance never stops growing," I announced proudly, puffing out my chest. She seemed somewhat mocking, but didn’t show anything.

“ Still, not all the money in the world has made any woman stay by my side with this face," I thought victoriously, knowing she wouldn't be able to endure it.

I was annoyed with this macabre being, but I still have to fulfill my promise to my brother. So... marriage completed! I signed the papers on the tray and turned my back. Iolanda will explain the house rules to her, but it’s a bit complicated to know if she will last. Things happen if people don’t follow the rules.

I only have Iolanda, the housekeeper, and Arthur, the butler, here. Two elders, the only ones who know the rules. But also... I've known them for so many years, and they will be perfect to instruct Alessa, my new and plump wife, on how to behave while she’s alive.

I follow the hallway and turn left into a dark wing. It’s where my brother and I usually stay; it’s one of the rules: that ragged woman cannot enter here.

Marrying her was the same as not marrying. I have no interest in touching her. I continue down the somber hallway to the last slightly ajar door, a faint light escaping from it.

My older brother rarely leaves; he stays isolated, as he constantly has to take care of his partner who has been in a coma for several years. Meanwhile, I will continue my life as if I’m not married.

I’m just going to inform him that I fulfilled my deal and am now a married man, but it won’t change anything. It’s just a mere contract to me.

Like everyone else, she will also think I am the twin brother of myself without all that makeup. This way, I can live my life and even mock her when I bring another woman and betray her right under her nose.

Soon they will know who is unlucky enough to be married to me. It will be so funny when she sees me walking around the house without my disguise. She won’t even realize it’s me. She would supposedly easily cheat on her husband with his fake twin brother, just like all the others did, but even for that, she doesn’t pique my interest.

“ Congratulations, a deal is a deal," my brother announced seriously, sitting by the bed and holding his partner's hand. His life is forever bound to her, and he doesn't complain. I swear I would bind myself to her as well without hesitation, but strangely enough, she is his legitimate partner, recognized and approved. It's unfortunate that she will remain trapped in a coma with no foreseeable awakening.

“ So, can I go now?" I asked eagerly, not even stepping inside, just observing him from the doorway. He doesn't like anyone invading his sacred space; I might be an exception, but I still notice his discomfort.

“ Yes, but... try to get closer to your wife. I know you didn't like her, but it’s for your safety and our family's. Our lineage has been threatened for a long time. There are so few of us left.

“ How are we going to reproduce if all the partners have been wiped out? Now we are forced to bond with inferiors. But it’s pointless; a marriage won't save her from the curse.

“ Stop whining near my partner," he growled, annoyed.

“ Sorry, well… I’m going to my room now. I just came to let you know the marriage is legalized. Now I’ll remove all this makeup and dress decently," I said, leaving with a sense of anticipation. It’s been so long since he forbade me from leaving the mansion.

“ She accepted you looking like a clown?" my brother asked, analyzing me with indignation.

“ Obviously, even like this, I’m someone they want," I joked, smiling flippantly.

“ If that were the case, you wouldn’t have scared off almost twenty wives," he retorted seriously.

My brother is one of those who never smiles. Bitterness dominates his heart. I feel bad for him. After all, he saw our entire family killed in our homeland. We fled after they started hunting and killing each one of us when our existence was revealed by some traitors.

I returned to my room and washed off all that makeup and mass under the shower. Soon, that aberration gave way to the man I am: clean, unmarked, except for a large scar on my back. Strangely, this scar created a magical seal, which reminds and torments me because of the promise I made to that woman who saved me.

But the more time passes, the more I feel hopeless about finding this girl. To this day, no sign, nothing. But if during this period I get a sign that she is near, I will get rid of this Alessa. Since that day, I have chosen only the owner of the necklace to be my future and only partner.