Assigning the new bride's duties.

Maybe it was because of all that had happened or because she had slept prior to going down for dinner. Because sleep refused to come to her that night.

Alice sat on the edge of her bed, eyes wide open, her mind restless even as the mansion lay blanketed in the quiet of night. She had only been here for a few hours, but it already felt like she was trapped in hell.

It wasn't just that she was disliked. Hades was disliked—and even worse, feared. That fear had been pretty obvious at the dinner table, thick enough to choke on.

Her situation was clear:

Option one — endure the inevitable bullying for a year. Let everyone trample over her and whisper behind her back.

Option two — get close to Hades, the human storm cloud, so people would steer clear of her by default.

She shivered at the thought. Hades looked like the type who'd snap her neck without blinking if she so much as got into his space uninvited.

So that left one last option: pretend to be close to him without actually getting close. That way, she'd kill two birds with one stone.

She laughed like an evil witch as the plan took root in her mind. But before she could fully bask in her genius, reality yanked her back.

She needed to be sure Pricillia was keeping her end of the deal. But the biggest problem remained—she could not call Pricillia unless the woman reached out first. The woman had told her to be careful when she got here. Because the Wildfires probably had hidden cameras and mics everywhere. So they could only text. But Pricillia hadn't texted her yet.

Worse still, she could not get in touch with Paula. The estate's server didn't connect to the North so Paula's number was practically nonexistent here. She was isolated, cut off from any familiar lifeline.

Alice sighed, hoping things would look better by morning.

But when morning came, it was even worse.

"Here is a list of your activities and how you will be supporting the estate," Betty said in a surprisingly warm tone, handing her a thick file.

Betty acted very suspiciously, but she didn't have time to ponder on that.

Alice's face turned pale as she opened the document. It was like staring into a nightmare.

"Take your time to go through it. We will be on the move in an hour." Betty's tone remained calm. She turned sharply and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Alice standing there in shock.

This... was not happening.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice someone standing beside her until a head suddenly peered at the document.

Alice jumped, clutching the file to her chest. "What—"

"Why are you so lost in your thoughts?" Suzy asked curiously.

Alice glanced around, confused. "When did you get here? And what are you doing on this floor?"

As far as she could remember, this was her floor. Her home. And Suzy didn't live in this building. Her family lived in another one within the estate.

Suzy shrugged casually, snatching the document from Alice's hands with the confidence of someone who owned the place.

"Hey!" Alice protested, but Suzy was already strutting into her room like it was hers.

Alice had no choice but to follow, fuming.

Suzy flopped onto the couch, crossing her legs as she flipped through the file with an infuriating smirk. "Sit," she said, pointing at the seat couch across her. "I'll explain it to you in detail."

Alice hesitated but eventually sank onto the couch, her last shred of dignity clinging by a thread. She stared at Suzy with the desperate hope that half the horrors in that document were just a misunderstanding.

But from the grin on Suzy's face, it felt like that was her wishful thinking.

Suzy's grin widened. "You're in for a wild ride."

Alice gulped. Yep. This was trouble.

Suzy, clearly enjoying her moment of authority, cleared her throat like a seasoned lecturer. "I'm sure you're already aware that this estate is like a city on its own." She gestured dramatically. "Or should I say a community where the Wildfire family is basically royalty?"

Alice blinked. "Royalty?"

Suzy waved dismissively. "Eh, forget that. The point is, if you drive around the estate, you'll find pretty much everything—restaurants, malls, shopping centers, racing tracks, even sports complexes. And we all contribute to keeping this place running smoothly."

Alice had a sinking feeling where this was going.

Suzy glanced at the document with a proud grin. "Since you're a lawyer and now a Wildfire by marriage, you've been naturally assigned to the legal team. I'm a member too." She puffed out her chest. "We'll be looking up to you since your reputation from law school precedes you."

Alice's soul left her body for a second. Reputation?

Hahaha

Okay... she was dead.

"Also, as an environmental conservationist—"

Alice's brain screeched to a halt. Environmental— what?

Suzy was oblivious to whatever reaction her statement was getting out of Alice because she continued, "You're on the environmental team too. There's a tree-planting event once a month. Super boring. But yeah—I'm sure you would like that."

Tree planting?!

Aurora!!!

Just... why?!

Suzy's eyes lit up as she flipped to another page. "Oh! You'll also be working closely with Linda."