The next morning, Daphne was woken up by the butler.

The butler looked like a nice and kind gentleman. They met each other yesterday.

At this moment, the butler was standing in front of her with a set of clothes in his hand. He asked, "Mrs. Russell, why are you sleeping on the couch?"

"You should get prepared. The employees from the City Hall will be here any minute now!"

Daphne rubbed her forehead. Since she didn't sleep well last night, her head felt heavy.

She frowned and looked at the butler with a confused expression, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

The butler smiled at her as he said, "Congratulations on passing the test. Mr. Russell has decided to marry you. From now on, you are officially his wife."

Almost instantly, Daphne came back to her senses.

Everything seemed to happen too fast.

She looked at the butler in shock as she asked, "Are you sure that he wants to marry me?"

Daphne thought about yesterday. She literally ran away when she saw his terrifying appearance.

Why did Mr. Russell reach this decision?

"Yes, I am sure. Mr. Russell thought about it seriously before reaching this decision."

Daphne was speechless.

She didn't think he thought it through at all.

They only met each other for a while yesterday. His decision was unbelievably hasty!

Nonetheless, it was still good news to Daphne.

She could finally fulfill the Anderson family's request.

Although Mr. Russell was a disfigured man, she was still happy to have a place she called home.

Since Dorothy returned to the Anderson family five years ago, that place wasn't her home anymore.

After she changed into formal attire, the employees from the City Hall arrived.

They asked Daphne to stand in the living room for a photo shoot, and then let her sign the agreement for marriage. Under the guidance of the butler, she walked upstairs.

After they went back downstairs, the employees presented Daphne with a marriage certificate.

"Congratulations! You are now Mrs. Russell."

One of the female employees held Daphne's hand with an envious look. "You are so lucky to be married to such a handsome man."

Daphne twitched her lips.

"A very handsome husband...?" she thought to herself.

Out of curiosity, she flipped open the marriage certificate.

Female: Daphne Anderson.

Male: Sebastian Russell.

Only Daphne's face was attached to the photo column.

She let out a long sigh of relief. She felt grateful because Mr. Russell didn't attach his photo to the column.

If he did, Daphne wouldn't have the guts to look at that document for the rest of her life.

"Mrs. Russell, you should prepare yourself."

The butler smiled from ear to ear as he said, "You'll spend the night with Mr. Russell today. I hope you are ready to welcome him as your new husband."

"There will be only you and Mr. Russell in the house today."

Daphne didn't know what to say.

When she heard the butler's words, she felt depressed instantly.

She remembered the night she saw Mr. Russell. When his hands touched her arm, it felt slimy and disgusting.

She said with a pale complexion, "Do I really have to spend the night with him?"

It was just too sudden. She wasn't mentally prepared to face him again.

The butler nodded seriously as he said, "Yes, you don't have a choice."

"They are already a married couple. It'll be weird if she still doesn't know her husband's actual appearance," the butler thought.

It took him a lot of effort to convince Sebastian to let Daphne see his true face.

Daphne felt hopeless and despair.

After breakfast, she hid in her room. Then, she texted her best friend, Gracie Ryan, "Can you recommend some horror movies to me? I want to build my courage before facing that man. Thanks!"

Gracie replied, "You do know you sound ridiculous, right?"

After that, Gracie flooded her mailbox with all sorts of horror movies.

Daphne wrapped herself in her blankets as she binged on the horror movies for the entire day. As a result, she went to the bathroom and puked because of the jump scares.

When night fell, Daphne thought she was already immune to all the scary things in the world.

Even if Mr. Russell appeared in front of her right now, she wouldn't feel afraid anymore!

She decided to go downstairs to drink some water. She switched on the television to see today's news, hoping that it would lighten up her mood.

After watching horror movies for the entire day, Daphne felt exhausted.

"Just a while ago, Jay Carr and Charlotte Robinson were spotted entering and leaving a hotel. The media has confirmed with their respective managers that they are indeed in a relationship. They also promised to announce their engagement at a later date."

Looking at the couple on the screen, she felt annoyed.

Pressing on the remote control, she changed to another channel.

"Having won the Golden Bull Award, Jay Carr and Madeleine Robinson are currently the hot topics in the entertainment industry. Ever since they announced their relationship in public, the lovely couple..."

Daphne changed the channel again.

It was still the same news.

In the end, Daphne turned off the TV and put the remote control aside. Feeling tired, she laid on the couch and closed her eyes.

Jay Carr and Khloe Robinson.

The former being her boyfriend for six years.

And the latter was her best friend of eight years.

Five days ago, Daphne went to visit Jay at his workplace. She wanted to give him a surprise.

When she was about to open the door leading to the resting lounge with her spare key, she heard uneven breathing echoing from the room.

"Jay, when will you break up with Daphne? I can't wait any longer."

"It's gonna happen sooner or later. Don't be anxious."

"Daphne is a beautiful woman. I'm worried that you might fall for her again!"

"Baby, why would I fall for her? She gave birth to children around five years ago. I'll never get married to a dirty b*tch like her!"

Jay and Chloe's words were like knives stabbing into Daphne heart.

Five years ago, Jay's career was at its lowest point because he was framed by others for something he didn't do.

As Daphne looked for evidence to prove Jay's innocence, she tried her best to earn money for the lawsuits filed against him.

That was when Dorothy was reunited with the Anderson family. Since then, Daphne's parents didn't treat her as their own anymore. She didn't feel comfortable asking them for money, so she turned to Khloe instead.

Khloe told Daphne that she could earn buckets by being a surrogate mother.

However, the man who agreed to go through the process professionally went against his words.

After ingesting the ovulation stimulator, Daphne was locked up in a dark room.

That stranger tortured her for the entire night.

In the end...

Daphne got the money and she managed to win the lawsuit filed against Jay. Jay earned his reputation and he was given another chance to advance his career.

Five years passed. When Jay led a successful career in the entertainment industry, he betrayed Daphne and went for Khloe instead.

Jay was disgusted by Daphne's past.

He hated the fact that she had given birth to another man's children.

However, she had sacrificed everything for Jay.

Lying on the couch, Daphne's tears rolled down her cheeks.

She was in love with Jay for 6 years.

She wasted 6 years of her life for a worthless man.

While thinking about her sad past, she bawled her eyes out for 2 hours straight.

Finally, Daphne looked at the time. It was already past 9 at night.

Mr. Russell had yet to arrive.

"I guess he won't come, will he?" Daphne thought.

Daphne heaved in a deep breath as she looked at the wine cabinet in the living room.

There were all kinds of wines in it.

Though she didn't have good alcohol tolerance, she couldn't suppress the urge to have a sip.

She wanted the alcohol to numb her pain.

Daphne grabbed the wine bottle on impulse. She opened it and took a swig.

While she was drinking, she could feel the burning sensation trickling down her throat.

"Jay, you b*stard!" She shouted at the top of her lungs while weeping profusely.

"I hope your career goes down the hill! You filthy assh*le!"

"It doesn't matter if you have good looks! You are rotten inside! You're even uglier than Mr. Russell!"

Outside the door, Sebastian was about to enter the house. He froze when he heard that.

Sebastian opened the door with a gloomy expression.

The room was filled with the smell of alcohol.

On the tea table, there were a few bottles of wine, which he had treasured for many years. Each of them was worth millions.

Now, the wine bottles were completely empty.

A woman with a flushed complexion was laying on the sofa. While cursing under her breath, she would occasionally mention Sebastian's name.

She was in a mess.

A trace of displeasure flashed across Sebastian's face.

Did she finally reveal her true colors after becoming his wife?

Hearing the sound from the door, Daphne burped and turned around.

"Who are you?"

She was so drunk that she had completely lost her bearings. When she noticed someone coming in from the door, she stood up to welcome him.

It was a handsome man. He had a high nose bridge and defined facial features.

"He's just as handsome as Jay!" Daphne thought.

"Wait, he is Jay!"

How dare he appear in front of Daphne?

Furious, Daphne pursed her lips and raised her hand. She was about to slap him, but Sebastian caught her wrist in time.

Sebastian's eyes were filled with rage as he said, "Just how much did you drink?"

Her body was weak and unstable. When he grabbed her wrist, she staggered and fell to the ground. "I didn't drink..."

Then, she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Jay, I miss you so much."

With her cheeks flushed in red, Daphne called out to Sebastian flirtatiously, "Jay, please don't think that I'm a dirty woman. I didn't do it on purpose..." She sounded like a teenager in love.

Daphne tears seeped through Sebastian's shirt. Now, his waist was wet.

Sebastian frowned.

His face dropped as he looked at Daphne, who was hugging his waist.

She looked really adorable.

Although she was looking at him with loving eyes, she was still calling out to another man.

Sebastian reached out and carried her in his arms. Then, he walked upstairs.

At the bathroom upstairs, Daphne had already prepared hot water in the bathtub for Sebastian to use when he came back.

Now, the water was extremely cold.

"Splash!"

Daphne was thrown into the bathtub.

When she got into the water, her white T-shirt adhered to her body, which revealed her slim and attractive figure.

Even though the bathtub was filled with cold water, Sebastian felt a rush of heat when he laid eyes on her body.

To be honest, he hated women to the core.

Ever since he ravished that woman five years ago, he was disgusted by the sight of women.

He wouldn't allow any woman to touch him, not even his sister.

However, when Daphne hugged him, he didn't feel disgusted at all. For some reason, he even liked the feeling.

"It's so cold..."

Daphne was trembling from head to toe in the bathtub.

Since she had drunk a lot of alcohol, the cold water didn't sober her up at all. If anything, she started spouting nonsense again.

"Jay," Daphne said.

Daphne laid in the bathtub as she called out to Jay's name coquettishly, "I'm cold."

She reached out and grabbed the hems of Sebastian's trousers. "Can you hug me?"

Right now, Daphne couldn't even see clearly. With her cheeks flushed in red, she looked at him and said,

"Can you take me outside? I feel so cold..."

The way she flirted with him was like music to his ears.

Sebastian hadn't felt this way for a long time.

He had to admit that Daphne stirred something in him.

However, she was still calling out to Jay's name.

Sebastian squatted down and raised her chin with his hand. "Who am I?"

Daphne pursed her lips. Then, she said, "You are Jay Carr."

Since she wasn't in her right mind at the moment, Jay was the only person she could see.

Sebastian frowned and pressed her head into the icy cold water.

The chilling water engulfed her head as she flailed her arms helplessly. Still, she couldn't sober up.

After a while, he let go and stared coldly into her eyes. "Now, what's my name?"

"Jay... Carr."

Once again, he pressed her head into the water.

Daphne choked on the water as tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Sebastian while sobbing, "Why don't you tell me your name then?"

Sebastian raised his hand and touched her soft lips. Then, he said, "I'm your husband."

"My hubby...?" Daphne said while looking at him with puppy eyes.

When he heard that, Sebastian had the sudden urge to make a move on her. It had been so long since he felt sexually aroused by a woman.

Daphne reached out and cupped his face. With her eyes brimming with tears, she said, "I don't want to be in the tub anymore!"

"Stop bullying me, I've acknowledged you as my husband!"

Daphne was a natural beauty. Now, she looked even more gorgeous with her red cheeks and tear-stained face.

Sebastian looked at her and said in a low and hoarse voice, "You drunkard."

"Do you want to know what it means to get bullied?"

Daphne looked at him with intoxicated eyes. Then, she shook her head.

Sebastian replied in a hoarse voice, "I'll teach you."

Once he finished speaking, he climbed into the bathtub.

......

The next day.

It was early in the morning.

With curtains drawn to the side, the dazzling sunlight filtered through the windows.

Beside the French windows, a man stood with his back to Daphne. He was looking out of the windows.

The man had a tall figure. Even from his back, one could feel the intimidating aura emanated from him.

Daphne woke up with a headache.

Last night, she had a very wild dream. On her wedding night, she had an affair with a handsome man in the bathtub.

Her dream was too ridiculous. After thinking about it for a while, she opened her eyes.

The moment she woke up, she saw a man facing the windows right in front of her. Feeling shocked, she couldn't even speak properly.

"You... you!"

"Who are you!"

Why was there a man in her room?

The man was tall and straight. Judging from his figure, she knew that he was definitely not Mr. Russell.

"Who is that?" Daphne thought.

Did she really have an affair last night?

When he heard Daphne's shocked tone, Sebastian frowned and turned to look at her. "You're not allowed to drink in the future."

Last night, she finished millions of dollars worth of wine.

Even though he didn't really care about the price, he still felt a twinge of regret because those were his precious collections.

After he finished speaking, Sebastian walked out of the room indifferently.

Daphne was petrified. She sat on the bed for a while before coming back to her senses.

Last night, she remembered that she felt horrible after watching the news about Jay and Khloe.

So, she drank a little bit of alcohol.

Later on...

"No way!" Daphne shouted.

Looking at the bruises and scars on her body, Daphne felt horrified.

Last night was her first night with Mr. Russell as newlyweds. Her husband didn't return home yesterday, so she had sex with a stranger last night...

All of a sudden, she thought of the rumors about Mr. Russell being a psychopath.

Daphne knew what was going to happen to her from now on.

That man who had sex with her even stayed back to warn her about drinking alcohol in the future.

She would never drink alcohol anymore!

While she was beating up herself about the incident, someone opened the door,

Brian who was wearing a pastel yellow shirt tiptoed inside. "I'm hungry."

Looking at the cute little child in front of her, Daphne frowned as she thought, "He's hungry again?"

She didn't think too much about it as she put on her jacket. Then, she went downstairs to prepare breakfast for Brian. While she was busy preparing breakfast, Daphne rolled up her sleeves, revealing her bruised arm.

Sitting at the dining table, Brian frowned when he saw the red marks. When she finished preparing two portions of food, Brian fixated his gaze on Daphne. He had black and round eyes and his skin was fair.

Besides, he also had defined facial features.

Looking at his serious gaze, Daphne found Brian really adorable.

She bent down and tried to make her voice as soft as possible. "What's wrong, Brian?"

Brian pointed at her arm and said, "Did you hurt yourself?"

After that, he jumped off the chair and went to pick up the first aid kit in the cabinet.

"Oh, I'm fine, don't worry."

Daphne took the box away from him and said, "I can do it myself."

Only then did Brian go back to his seat. He watched Daphne quietly while eating.

Daphne opened the first aid kit.

If Brian didn't tell her about her injuries, she wouldn't even realize that there were many bruises on her body.

Daphne applied the ointment on her arms as she cursed that stranger who had sex with her internally.

After she finished applying the ointment, she threw her arms into the air as she said, "I'm done!"

"Your legs are bruised as well."

She was speechless for a moment. How did Brian know that her leg was injured?

At this moment, her phone rang.

"Daphne, now that you're done with your marriage registration, can you come to Pranson Media now?"

Gracie's voice echoed through the receiver.

"The person in charge said that we are shooting a lot of drama scenes today. One of the actresses also asked for you..." Daphne frowned as she said, "I'll be right there."

While Jay and Daphne were still in a relationship, Jay told her that she could work as a substitute actress in his company. That way, they could see each other every day without attracting unnecessary attention.

So, Daphne applied and got the job in Pranson Media.

Since stuntwomen earned the most amongst the other roles, she decided to work as one.

As she was the only stunt–woman in Pranson Media, everyone in the crew needed her for dangerous stunts.

"Brian, I'm heading to work now!"

Daphne was already at the entrance to search for her shoes.

"You're not allowed to go."

Brian climbed down the chair and rushed towards the door. He spread his hands and stopped her from leaving.

"You need to rest if you're injured."

Though he was just a young child, Brian sounded domineering as he expressed his concerns.

Daphne felt moved. She squatted down and ruffled his hair affectionately. "This is nothing."

As a stunt–woman, bruises and cuts were normal injuries to her.

"No, you can't go to work!"

He gritted his teeth and bit his lip. Then, he showed Daphne his palms, "Five minutes."

"You can leave in five minutes."

"All right then."

It wouldn't hurt to wait for five minutes.

After letting out a sigh of relief Brian took out his mobile phone and searched for Damien contact. Then, he sent a message to his brother.

Upstairs, Damien, who was wearing the same yellow pajamas as Brian, stormed to the study and pushed the door quickly.

"Daddy, I need your help!" Damien shouted.

Five minutes were almost up.

Daphne put on her shoes while smiling at Braint. "Four minutes have passed. You still have one minute."

"After that, you can't stop me from going to work, okay?"

Brian nodded seriously as he replied, "Okay."

When the time was almost up, Daphne phone rang.

"Daphne, you don't have to come to work today."

Gracie's voice was filled with excitement as she continued, "All the employees in Pranson Media can go home early. We have a day off." Daphne was stunned. "A day off?"

"That's right."

Gracie said enviously, "I heard that some hotshot didn't want his wife to work today. So, he ordered everyone in the drama crew to go home." "Oh wow, that's so ridiculous. Well, I guess rich people can do whatever they want," Daphne said.

Daphne held her phone in a daze.

Pranson Media was a highly profitable company. Ever since she started working there, she had never been granted a day off without any legitimate reason.

However, just because of some guy's wife, the company made an exemption.

Ah, the wonders of being rich.

Feeling reluctant, Daphne put down her phone.

She felt dejected because she couldn't earn any money today.

Brian looked really smug for some reason.

After a while, he coughed lightly and looked at her. "You should eat breakfast."

"Okay."

Since she couldn't go to work today, Daphne had no choice but to do as she was told.

However, Brian did not return to the table.

He put his hands in his pockets. "I have something to do," he announced coolly.

After that, the little child turned and went upstairs.

He took a few steps, but turned around again and looked at the dishes in front of Daphne. "Remember to

finish everything."

Daphne was amused. "You asked me to make two portions for you, but you only finished one of them."

Brian froze,

After a while, he said awkwardly, "I'll come down to finish it later."

As soon as he finished speaking, he thumped upstairs with big steps. After a while, Damien stormed down with messy hair as he said, "I'm here to have my breakfast!" He sat down at the table and said excitedly while eating, "It's so delicious!"

Daphne was dumbstruck.

"Did Brian just change into another person after going upstairs? It's like he has two different personalities!" Daphne thought.

......

The study upstairs.

Sebastian was sitting at his desk. He seemed to be dealing with some work–related matters.

After Brian walked into the study, he climbed up the chair. Then, he made his way up the desk.

Finally, he sat down on the desk elegantly and pushed his phone in front of Sebastian. "Mr. Russell, may I have your attention please?"

Sebastian stopped typing on his keyboard and grabbed the phone.

On the screen was a picture of Daphne's arm, which was filled with bruises and scratches.

The next one was her injured legs.

Brian crossed his arms as he asked domineering, "Mind explaining this?" It seemed like he was blaming Sebastian for it.

Sebastian put down the phone, crossed his arms, and leaned against the back of his seat. He said with an arrogant and cold voice, "You asked me to marry that woman. As for what we are doing as a couple, that's none of your business."

"She is under my protection."

Brian face was a mini replication of Sebastian's. His voice was childlike but domineering. "Since you've hurt someone who's under my protection, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Both of them were sitting in the same posture, one on a chair, the other on a desk. The way they glared at each other was uncannily similar too.

"Sir" The butler pushed the door and entered the study. "Have you signed the contract to purchase Parson Media...?" Before the butler could finish speaking, the two of them glared at him with a penetrating gaze. "Get out!"

Both father and son said in unison.

The butler was speechless.

He glanced at Sebastian and Brian, who were at loggerheads with each other. Then, he asked in a low voice,

"Why are you two fighting this time?"

"He hurt someone who is under my protection," Brian said.

Then, he pursed his lips and snorted.

The butler was stunned for a while. "Is Brian talking about Mrs. Russell?" He came back to his senses and thought to himself. "Brian, I think you've misunderstood something. Mr. Russell isn't the one behind your stepmother's injuries."

The butler explained in a hurry.