Married to the Demon She Dreads

All throughout the ride, Lillian was dreading what was going to happen. Her hands were sweaty and she was perspiring out of nervousness. Lucas' men had been stalking her throughout the two weeks and there was no way she could escape them. She knew very well that he put them on her tail to make sure she would not back out on their deal.

Her phone pinged. She shakily opened the message inbox.

"The agreement will be signed today," Thomas, the consigliere, wrote.

Lillian gripped her phone tightly, feeling disgusted at herself. She was going to marry a criminal. The man must have killed hundreds of people with his bare hands without any mercy. The dreams she had of marrying a good person who would love her with his heart had shattered to pieces in front of her very eyes and was replaced by fear.

How could a relationship built on fear last?

Six months. She would be married to the demon for six months. But what was he going to do to her in those six months? At day, he would be aloof to her but at night…

She grasped the seat of the car, her heart racing in dread as images of his brutality haunted her. He was a mafia lord, someone who used other girls for pleasure. She had read all the rumors about him about how he ruthlessly killed off his opponents. A criminal like him must have had many liaisons with women and treated them with disdain.

And now, she was going to be one of his many bed warmers. The very thought of it made her teary and helpless. But if she refused him, her father would be harmed. She could not see her father in such a helpless state again.

"Ma'am, we're here," the taxi driver announced. She looked up to see the tall golden gates of the luxurious mansion in front of her. The gates slowly flew open for them.

Lillian's hands went cold and she immediately wiped her eyes. She felt her heart pounding hard against her chest and she had the urge to run away from there but she was rooted to her spot.

Thomas was standing at the entrance with the maids, ready to welcome her. Some of the maids were whispering loudly, wondering who this woman was and why there was such an urgency to welcome her.

The consigliere opened the car's door.

"Welcome madame," he greeted her with a slight bow.

Lillian glanced at him for a minute before nodding. She was tongue tied, too scared to talk. Thomas could feel her fear and pitied the girl. She was clearly confused and scared by the turn of events. After all, Lucas Hao was the Demon of the Underworld. Getting married to him was not a matter of prestige but a social suicide.

"The maids will lead you to your bedroom," Thomas went on. "Your wedding dress is ready and-"

"Wedding dress?" Lillian echoed.

"Sir thought it more appropriate that since it's since you'll be registering your marriage today, you might want to wear it," Thomas clarified. To his surprise, Lillian shook her head.

"I'm fine with what I'm wearing," she said in a clear tone. "Tell him thank you on my behalf but I'll have to decline this...gift."

Thomas was a little taken aback by her words but Lillian was firm on her decision. She had chosen a simple off-white frock with no designs and a pair of jeans. There was no point in dressing up for a marriage contract. Wedding dresses should be worn for a proper ceremony where the bride and groom truly loved each other. But to her, this was a marriage of convenience with no love involved. Hence, she could not wear that wedding dress.

"I...I'll tell the boss about your request," Thomas said. Lillian politely nodded and followed one of the maids inside towards the bedroom.

She entered the simple yet chic bedroom and her eyes momentarily widened in awe. The room was divided into two parts, with one being the sleeping area and the other one being a mini leisure segment. The king sized spring bed was made of sleek black wood and a comfortable leather headboard. There were several small ottomans lined up in front of it while tiled bedside stands held French style lamps on them, illuminating the room.

The fireplace was located within a tall block of granite wall which partitioned the room. A fire was burning merrily in it. Right next to the fireplace were long black couch sets placed around a long glass table. At one corner was a black desk for work and beside it was a small bookshelf.

The room did not have any windows but one large glass door at the end slid open to reveal a mini yard. Lillian stepped into the yard and was surprised to find that the grass beneath her feet were real. Several plants were lined up along the railing, overlooking the hillside view.

However, the most surprising part of the garden was a maple tree planted at the far end corner. Lillian was in awe as she stared at the magnificent maple tree with its orange leaves, standing magnificently on top of the hills. One leaf fell from the tree.

Lillian reached out her hand to catch it. She stared at the leaf for a long time and in spite of herself, smiled a little. Only a few weeks ago, she had made a wish to be happy.

Where's the happiness? She wondered. But seeing the maple leaf in her hand, she felt a glimmer of hope.

"I wish, I can be happy again," she whispered and blew on the leaf, sending it floating into the air. Maybe she was being naive and silly to hope for such a thing. But even in despair, she would keep on making the same wish. After all, what else did she have except for hope?

"Madame."

Startled, she turned around to find a maid waiting for her.

"Master Hao is here," the maid informed her. "He's waiting downstairs for you."

"I'm coming," Lillian said in a soft tone, turning back to see where her little leaf had gone but it had disappeared from sight.

"Let's go," she said, tearing her eyes away from the maple tree.

….

"She refused to wear the dress, sir," Thomas told his boss. Lucas' gaze darkened and Thomas was scared of the dangerous gleam in his boss' eyes. But Lucas did not say anything.

"Where is she?" he simply asked.

They were in the living room where they will sign the papers. As the lawyer and consigliere, Thomas would process the papers for them. Lucas was sitting on a couch with his legs crossed in an elegant manner but a dark aura was intimidating everyone around him. Even Thomas was worried about what his unpredictable boss was going to do to his new bride.

Why the hell is he getting married? Thomas wondered for the hundredth time.

They heard the upstairs bedroom door open. Lucas glanced up to see Lillian was slowly descending from the stairs. Their eyes met and Lillian was instantly filled with dread once again. He kept her captivated in his gaze, not allowing her to look away even from that distance. She felt her cheeks burning up, embarrassed to show her fear to him. Her heart was erratic and she wanted to run away from that man.

But his intense glare made it hard for her to even think straight. There was something about him which seemed familiar but he terrified her so much that she could not feel anything else. Her senses had gone numb with distress and she just wanted the nightmare to end.

Six months. Six months was going to be a long, torturous nightmare with this demon. He was going to engulf her in his darkness, rendering her unable to escape.

He slowly stood up as she came closer. There was no ceremony. No wedding vows nor the numerous promises of spending a lifetime together with each other. This loveless marriage was going to be her doom.

Lucas held up the paper to her.

"Sign," he ordered. Lillian's hands were trembling as she took the pen from Thomas' hand and carefully leaned down on the table. She paused for a moment, staring at the blank space.

Lillian did not even read the contract. It did not matter anyway because she was in no position to bargain. She would have to give Lucas Hao whatever he wanted from her whether it was her body or her soul. He was going to be her captor for the next six months.

The only thing she would not give him, was her love.

Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind and signed the papers. As soon as she was done, Lucas took the papers from her hands and swiftly signed it.

"Take these to the marriage registrar's office," he ordered Thomas. "Tell them to process it by today. I'll be going out on some urgent business now and will return tonight."

He did not spare Lillian a second glance. Whether she should be offended by his indifference or glad, she did not know. At least she would not see him around for a few hours.

But…

She glanced at Lucas' retreating back, still confused over the whole affair.

Why did he marry me? She wondered. What the hell is he thinking?