Ch 14: Twisted Rod

Lucien had given Roy clear instructions that to win over Alice, he must overcome every obstacle. Only by marrying Alice could he attain immense wealth and success.

Roy stood up and walked outside, deep in thought as he reached his car. He pondered how much easier it would have been if Lucien had provided more assistance, sparing him from any trouble in marrying Alice.

Even as he sat in the car, Roy studied the address on the paper intently. All the way back to his mansion, his mind was occupied with thoughts of how he would win Alice over. There was no doubt that he possessed a charismatic personality, but the reality was that he was already married with children. How would he convince a young, unmarried girl to accept him?

Lost in these questions, Roy arrived at his mansion. Desmond followed him into the room.

"What are the orders?" Desmond asked.

"Marriage," Roy replied, taking a seat and briefly explaining the details.

"Is it possible with Maria still around?" Desmond asked.

"I have to follow Lucien's orders, no matter what. I don't care about anyone else. I need to marry Alice, and that's all there is to it," Roy said, looking at him.

"Where is this girl Alice from?" Desmond asked.

"Her father's name is Nathan," Roy said, pulling out the paper from his pocket and handing it over. Desmond read it and began to think. Suddenly, he was struck by a thought and said, "Wait, isn't that the same Nathan?"

"Who?" Roy immediately looked at him.

"Last year, he came to our mansion. He expressed a desire to buy some land here. You politely informed him that whenever land in this village goes up for sale, you purchase it, not allowing outsiders to buy it. We hosted him for two days, and he was very pleased," Desmond recalled. "Perhaps his goodwill from that day will now be of use."

Roy began to remember a faint image of Nathan's face. Desmond had a sharp memory and rarely forgot anything. The moment he saw the address, it all came back to him.

"Is it really him? If so, then our hospitality from back then will certainly help us now," Roy said.

"Yes, I remember he gave us his address and invited us to visit. I mentioned it to you once or twice, but you didn't pay much attention," Desmond said.

Roy thought for a while, then suddenly stood up and said, "Desmond, get ready. We're going to visit them today. From today onward, I will start moving toward Alice. And as soon as possible, I will bring Alice to this mansion as my wife."

"I'll get ready right away," Desmond said quickly and left the room.

Roy also went to his room. He asked Maria to pick out a nice suit for him and then went to take a bath. When he came out, Maria had laid out the suit on the bed. Roy changed his clothes, told Maria that he would be going to another city for a few days, and then left the room. Maria watched in surprise.

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Alice was lying on her bed, reading a book. Suddenly, she looked up from the book at the clock on the wall, then thought for a moment, put the book aside, and got off the bed, stretching before she moved the curtain aside and looked out the window.

The shadows of evening were gradually overtaking the daylight.

Alice gazed outside for a while and then left her room.

When Alice was tired, her favorite form of relaxation was sitting on the swing that hung on the terrace. It always helped her feel at peace.

When she reached the terrace, she took a small walk around, surveying her surroundings, and then sat on the swing, gently swaying back and forth. At that time, Grace was downstairs, having been called by Alice's mother for some task.

Grace was a good companion for Alice, not just as a servant but also as someone with whom she could chat and share her thoughts. Alice felt somewhat alone at that moment, but she knew that as soon as Grace was done with her task, she would come straight to her.

The sun had almost set on the horizon, leaving a reddish glow. Birds were returning to their nests, and the air had grown cooler.

Alice had a shawl wrapped around her, so she wasn't feeling too cold.

When Alice pulled her gaze away from the setting sun, the sky, and the departing birds, her eyes suddenly froze on a spot on the floor. She stared at that spot with astonished eyes. Suddenly, a wave of fear crept over her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She moved towards the spot where her gaze had landed. She bent down to take a closer look. It felt as though her soul was shivering, her heart pounding loudly. She reached out her hand to touch it but stopped short. Before her lay a bent iron rod—the same one Grace had held a few days earlier when she had claimed she would twist it. Could Grace really have done this? As Alice thought about it, goosebumps formed on her skin, and a strange fear ran down her spine.

Alice began to think, and once again, fear coursed through her like needles.

Alice stood up, and just as she turned to go downstairs, she froze.

Grace was standing by the stairs, arms crossed, watching her intently with a smile on her face.

"What happened, Miss Alice?" Grace asked.

"When did you get here?" Alice asked.

"I just arrived," Grace replied.

"Did you do this?" Alice asked, pointing to the iron rod, fear evident in her eyes.

"Yes... You don't believe it, do you?" Grace said in an odd tone, smiling as she approached. She was still smiling.

"But how? Do you have that much strength?" Alice's astonishment remained, and she kept staring at Grace's face.

"Yes, I do," Grace replied calmly, still smiling as she looked at the twisted iron rod.

"Grace... how did you do this?" Alice asked again, her mouth agape.

"Are you scared?" Grace asked instead of answering.

"Answer my question!" Alice demanded.

"You're scared, aren't you? You're worried. How could I do something like this? Do I have that kind of strength?" Grace said. "You said you would do it, and now the rod is bent. You kept saying that day that you would twist it."

Grace laughed and then added, "I did it to show off my strength. Do you know how? I took a hammer and bent the rod with it, then left it there. It took a lot of effort, but I did it. All for nothing."

"Grace, you're too much... Why did you even do that?" Alice said, relief washing over her.

"I was just teasing you. I'm sorry. Come here; I need to talk to you about something," Grace said, taking Alice's hand and seating her on the swing before standing behind her and slowly pushing the swing.

"What is it?" Alice asked.

"Do you know why your mother called me?" Grace asked with a smile.

"How would I know?" Alice replied.

"She's worried about your marriage. She asked me to persuade you regarding the match she mentioned. And if you have something else on your mind, you can tell me so I can inform your mother," Grace said.

Alice was taken aback by her words.