She looked up at his face and realized he was Ryan, the man she had an affair with last night. Her heart cringed and her world caved in as his bloodshot eyes pierced into her eyes deeply.

"Last night, we had a fling, and today you're married to my brother?!" He scowled, spewing out hot breath on her face.

She stuttered, "I..I'm..I'm.."

"No!! You can't be married to Ryker! You can't be my brother's wife!" He raged, looking aggrieved as he pulled away from her.

Ryker's dominant voice was immediately heard from the stairs, "What's going on here?"

Her feet grew cold, and realizing he must have heard their conversation, she grabbed her wedding dress firmly and took to her heels.

"Wait!" His commanding voice made her halt in the middle of the passageway. She stood stiff as she heard the sound of his shoes kissing the ground stylishly.

His presence behind her made her turn pale in the blink of an eye.

Caressing her left shoulder, he whispered sinisterly into her ears "Wifey, what did you do on the night before our wedding?".

"I..I don't..," she tried to speak, but Mrs Clyde's presence interrupted her.

"What's going on here?" She asked, looking from Ryan to Ryker who were exchanging fierce glances.

"You should ask your son to stay away from my wife!" Ryker barked.

"Ryan, are you at it again! What is your gain in ruining everything your brother worked so hard to achieve?!" Mrs Clyde cried.

"Worked so hard to achieve? When everything he has right now was clearly mine?!" Ryan scoffed.

Samantha pinched herself firmly and she swallowed hard and buried her gaze on the floor. Oh, no, the Clyde's family are going to get her killed once they find out the truth, she thought as her palm became sweaty.

"Daughter, do you recognize this man standing here?" Mrs Clyde asked, her gaze now on Samantha.

She gulped and raised her head up quickly.

"I don't know him, he must have mistaken me for someone else," she spoke confidently.

"It was you," Ryan cut in immediately.

"Who? Uh? Who?!" Ryker barked, pushing him away to the wall.

"Stop it!!" Mrs Clyde cried.

Ryan maintained his cool and dusted his suit.

"Now get out! Leave and don't ever show yourself in this mansion again!!" Mrs Clyde yelled in his face.

He took a quick glance at Samantha once again before stepping out of the passage.

"And you," Mrs Clyde turned to her immediately. " If I ever find out you're telling a lie, I'll deal with you!" She warned sternly and stormed out immediately.

She was left alone with Ryker and the maids who were watching silently.

"You heard her right, remember the rules and stick to them," Ryker warned and walked away.

She heaved a sigh of relief and held her chest tightly.

"Ma'am, can we proceed?" The maids asked and she nodded immediately.

She was taken into the spacious bedroom on the second floor of the building. She couldn't help but marvel at how spacious and luxurious it was.

As the maids helped her undress, she could see beautiful portraits of her handsome husband hung on the walls of the room and she smiled wryly.

"Anything else you'll need?" One of the maids asked.

"No, I'm fine for now," she replied quickly and they both nodded and left.

With her white sleek dress on, she jumped on the bed and thought about her encounter with Ryan. She couldn't recall so much of the sex they had last night because of her drunken state and she never wished to recall it.

His relationship with his brother seems to be quite off, and she wondered why. No doubt, they were both handsome men but Ryan's handsomeness is quite unmatched. Moments from the pleasurable night she had with him began to pour in like an avalanche and she tried all she could to wade the thought off.

She wondered why he never really spilled her secret and she hoped he continued this way. What if he tries to blackmail her? She thought and her heart flinched. She was still deep in thought when sleep crept her away on the large king sized bed.

She was woken by Ryker's unruly voice which made her jump off the bed. She wiped her eyes and saw his broad figure standing in front of the bed, looking so drunk and wasted.

"You're supposed to be naked!" He yelled.

"Na..naked?" She asked in confusion.

"This is our first night, and you don't know what happens on a couple's first night?!" He thundered.

"Oh, I..I actually forgot," she stammered as she moved backwards slowly.

She wasn't prepared for this night, and she didn't know what to do at the moment.

"Strip, now!!" He yelled, taking off his white long sleeve shirt.

His thick bare chest was exposed before her and she became scared, seeing his muscular physique before her.

"I..I am exhausted," she managed to speak.

"Exhausted?! Did you just challenge me?!" He growled and pulled her legs aggressively.

"Stop it!! Stop it!!" She screamed, banging the bed with her fists.

He pinned her on the bed with his two hands and climbed over her body.

"Vanessa would never deny me sex! Don't you ever try to do so!" He yelled and landed a heavy slap on her face.

"Who is Vanessa? Stop it, I beg you!!" She cried so loud as he stripped her dress and her panties.

"What's this?!" He grimaced, as his eyes met with the unpleasant sight of her vagina.

He rose up quickly and pulled away from her.

"Your vagina is rotten?!" He cried with disbelief.

"It's only an infection, I can explain..," she cried from the bed.

"Infection?!! And you tricked me into marrying you with a rotten vagina?!!" He cried so loud.

"I can explain...," she went with her knees on the bed.

"Mother!! Mother!!" His heavy voice trembled around the building as he ran out of the room.

"Oh, no!" She cried on the bed.

Not long, Mrs Clyde and her daughters stormed the room, alongside Ryker who was sweating profusely.

"Mother..she has a disease!!" He screamed with disgust.

"I knew it! I knew there was something off about you!!" Claris fired, walking over to her.

"How dare you trick us?!" She yelled and landed a slap on Samantha's face.

"I'm sorry..I can explain..," Samantha cried.

"Explain? Explain what? Why didn't you tell us you had an infection?" Sophia asked angrily.

"Because it was gone, I never knew it would show up again," Samantha cried.

"Why then did you trick me into marrying you?!" Ryker slammed in her face.

"I didn't trick you, I never knew it was gonna show up anymore, I thought it was gone!!" She wept seriously.

"I knew she was a golddigger!!" Claris put in.

"Enough, everyone," Mrs Clyde spoke softly.

She sat on the single sofa opposite the bed and sighed in devastation.

"Look at me, Sam," she ordered slowly without looking up.

Samantha raised her head slowly to look at her.

"Since when have you been battling with this disease?" She asked.

"Since I was a teen, but it was eventually treated and I became cured of it, until it showed up today," she explained soberly.

"Lies!! You tricked my son into marrying you because no man wanted you! Because we were so desperate to get a bride for Ryker, you jumped on the boat, believing this was your only chance of getting married. And then you tricked us, and you think you'll get away with this?" Mrs Clyde scoffed.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," Samantha sobbed and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"You took a great risk, Sam. You sure didn't hear about the Clyde's family before you decided to pull this stunt," Mrs Clyde continued as her face pulled into a smirk.

"Mother, don't just sit there, do something!" Ryker yelled impatiently.

"Patience, son," She motioned with her hands and turned to Samantha. "I read the rules clearly and you listened carefully. Now, for tricking the Clyde's family into marrying you, I hereby reduce you to the position of a slave. You'll no longer be given the wifely treatment. You'll render your service day and night in this mansion with minimum food and water to drink. You think you're smart? I'll show you smart," Mrs Clyde declared and stood up from her seat.

"You bitch!" Claris cried and pulled Samantha's hair while Ryker grabbed hold of her throat and began to strangle her.

"Stop it!! Stop it!! Mother, you don't want a repeat of what happened to Vanessa!!" Sophia cried and rushed towards them.

"Stop it, son. We can't afford to lose a new bride. Let her be, her punishment is enough," Mrs Clyde interfered.

"Now grab your bags and get out of my room!!" Ryker slammed.

Samantha began to gasp for breath. Seeing the deadly look on Ryker's face, she quickly stood up from the bed and went to grab a few clothes from the closet.

"To the maid's quarters, now!!" Mrs Clyde ordered and she ran away immediately.

"She must not escape from this mansion!" Ryker fumed.

"She wouldn't, that's so certain. How could I be a fool for such little fellow?" Mrs Clyde lamented in disappointment.

"How do we get rid of this bitch right now?" Claris lamented, throwing her long blonde hair behind her shoulders.

"We can't, it will arouse suspicions. We just need to give it time before throwing her out," Mrs Clyde suggested.

"You guys, do what you like, I'm out," Sophia said and walked out.

"I'm out too, going to search for a boyfriend," Claris giggled and walked out immediately.

"Mother, I'm so devastated at the moment. Our plan has been sabotaged by this bitch!" Ryker lamented as he sat beside his mother on the couch.

"Son, you don't have to worry, I always have my ways," she said, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"So what will happen now? It's clear she can't give me a child, how do I get my legitimate heir?" He asked.

"I'll send in doctor Steve tomorrow to diagnose if she's still fertile. If she's still fertile, then we'll proceed with the plan," she said.

"Oh, damn it! I can't sleep with that thing?! I can't place my cock in that rotten place!" He slammed.

"Be calm, son. If that's the only way, then you've got to do it," Mrs Clyde said.

"And what if she isn't fertile?" He asked.

"We'll go hard, she'll have to die like her counterpart," she replied with a smirk and stood up.

"It will arouse suspicions like you said," he reminded her.

"Her death wouldn't be suspicious, we'll make it less suspicious. We just hope she's fertile. There is no time left to search again, we're stuck with her," she said with a sigh.

"We just have to keep Ryan away from the mansion for now, else he'll find out the truth about father's will," he said.

"Yes, our main job is to keep Ryan away while trying to have your legitimate heir," she said with a smile.

He nodded and she patted his shoulders and walked out.

Her body ached, her eyes sore with tears as she opened her eyes to the noise coming from the large room known as the maids' quarters.

Through her blurry vision, she could see the tall, fair skinned middle-aged woman standing in front of her. Her face wasn't visible enough but she could easily tell this was the maid who had brought her here last night.

"Madam, you've been assigned to the kitchen this morning," the middle-aged woman spoke with a calm but serious tone.

Samantha rose her head slowly and her short brunette hair could be seen, dangling all over her face.

"I'm so weak," she spoke with a low pitched tone, recalling how she had cried herself to sleep on the cold tiled floor last night.

"It's an order from above, unfortunately there is nothing I can do to help your situation," the lady continued sternly.

Samantha licked her dry lips slowly and dragged her body up from the floor. She looked around and could see some of the maids in blue uniforms, sitting on their respective beds, staring at her.

She dragged her frail body up the floor and took a deep breath while staring at the lady in front of her.

"Shall we?" The lady asked at once.

Samantha nodded slowly and followed behind as she walked out of the room.

Walking into the large kitchen, the smell of pastries and fresh vegetables filled her nostrils.

All eyes were turned in her direction and all activities seemed to slow down at her presence in the kitchen.

"You all, turn to your duties!" The woman ordered and everyone looked away from Samantha immediately.

She quickly sensed the woman to be the head amongst them and she buried her gaze to the floor as the woman turned her attention towards her.

"Now, you'll scrub the kitchen floors this morning, and then wash all utensils used in preparing breakfast for the family. As soon as you're done here, you'll receive your next assignment," she ordered.

Samantha remained silent with her gaze still on the floor.

"Anna, get her all she needs to work on the floor," the woman said to a young slender blonde haired girl who was chopping carrots.

Samantha watched as Anna returned with a bucket and a floor brush for scrubbing.

"Here," Anna said and dropped the equipment on the floor.

"I'll be back to supervise," the woman said and walked out immediately.

Samantha knelt on the floor and wiped the tears that escaped her beautiful hazel eyes. She could hear the maids gossiping as she began to scrub the floor slowly. The floor wasn't that messy, but she knew it was just a punishment from Mrs Clyde. What has she gotten herself into? She thought as she sniffed and continued scrubbing.

"Who would have thought she would become a maid overnight?" She heard gossip from the maids who were assisting the male chef in the kitchen.

"Serves her right, she thought she was the most beautiful woman in the city to be chosen as sir Ryker's bride," one of the maids remarked in whispers.

"Be nice, Betty, she probably never heard about the Clyde's family," another lady remarked.

"Neither did she know what awaits her," the third lady said.

"She didn't bother to find out why she was the only girl who applied," Betty said with a mocking laughter as she looked at Samantha who wasn't paying attention to them.

"I heard she's from the countryside, so she probably didn't know," Anna commented.

"Of all the beautiful girls in Avena city, she was the only one who applied to be sir Ryker's bride, and she was happy, thinking it was luck on her part," Betty continued with laughter.

"Oh, poor thing, I pray she doesn't end up like madam Essa," Anna whispered to the other maids.

Samantha raised her head quickly and her eyes met with that of the women who were gossiping in whispers. They all looked away immediately and her heart began to pound.

"You all, quit the gossip and continue with your duties!!" Rick, the male chef ordered and Samantha could hear the ladies throwing insults at him while carrying out their duties.

"Essa, she doesn't end up like madam Essa," she muttered the words of Anna as they echoed in her ears again.

**

Seated regally around the large dining table, the whole family could be seen, having breakfast in a serene, well coordinated setting.

"It seems Ryan has left already," Sophia said to her mother as she sipped from her cup of coffee.

"Oh, that'll be goodnews. Enough of his nuisances already," Mrs Clyde sighed and rolled her small grey eyes.

"How can I leave so soon without breakfast?" Ryan's huge voice came down the large staircase and they all turned to him.

Ryker's brows gathered deeply, seeing his brother walking down the stairs, still dressed in his white pajamas.

"Good morning brother, good morning mother and my beautiful sisters," Ryan greeted with a smile as he joined the table.

He made a silent chuckle, seeing the frown on their faces, except for Sophia who smiled wryly.

"I asked you to leave," Mrs Clyde groaned.

"This is my father's mansion, and I alone have the right to decide when to leave and when to come in," he said with a smile as he grabbed the jam jar.

"You lost that right a long time ago," Mrs Clyde reminded him.

He kept silent and spread jam over his slice of bread which he munched gently. He looked around and pulled a surprised face.

"Where's your new bride? Samantha or whatever she's called?" He asked, looking at Ryker.

"And how's that your damned business? Hmm?" Ryker fumed.

"She's supposed to be beside you, having breakfast, right?" Ryan chuckled.

"Are you here to mock me?" Ryker snarled, hitting his fist on the table.

The girls gasped and looked at their mother at once.

"Oh, Ryan, you claimed to know Sam, didn't you?" Mrs Clyde smirked.

He nodded while munching his bread.

"How come you never knew she had a disease?" Mrs Clyde asked with a mocking smile on her face.

"A disease?!!" Ryan exclaimed.

"What?..uh?.. Have you slept with the bitch?" Claris laughed.

He stood up immediately.

"Where is she?" He asked almost immediately.

"In the kitchen, with the maids, that's where she belongs," Sophia said.

His face pulled into a frown and he stormed out of the dining room immediately.

Standing in front of the kitchen door, he saw her kneeling on the floor, her fragile hands scrubbing the floor as gentle as she could. Her sleek white dress was soaked with perspiration and his heart shattered immediately.

"What are you doing?" He asked, walking into the kitchen majestically.

The maids greeted him as he walked in but he paid little to no attention to them.

She raised her head at the sound of his voice and her face was covered with her messy hair which she tried to wade off her face.

He couldn't bear the sight of her sore eyes and he knelt before her immediately while everyone watched with keen interest.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a calm but angry tone.

"I'm..I'm..scrubbing the floor..," she spoke, trying to look away from his face.

"Get up and walk with me," he ordered firmly.

"I..I can't, I'm not done yet," she replied.

"Get up and walk with me!" He thundered and pulled her up immediately.

"Sir..she can't..," Betty tried to counter him as he dragged Samantha with him to the door.

"If you dare say a word!" He fired, his charming blue eyes now burning with rage.

Betty and the maids retreated backwards and he turned and stormed out with Samantha.

"Call Madam Kate immediately!!" Betty cried to the rest of the maids.

"You can't do this.. I'll be punished severely for disobeying orders!" Samantha cried as Ryan's huge arms pulled her carelessly along the passageway.

"Some orders are meant to be disobeyed," he said angrily as he continued to drag her along.

"Ryan!!" Ryker's bold voice called angrily behind them.

Samantha's heart skipped at the sound of his voice and she fell on her knees immediately and began to sob.

"What do you think you're doing with my wife?!" Ryker slammed, walking towards him slowly.

"Your wife? Or your slave?" Ryan scoffed, grabbing hold of Samantha and pushing her behind him.

"She is my wife and my slave and you can't interfere!" Ryker fired.

"You think I'll let you do to her what you did to Vanessa, uh?" He scoffed again.

A punch from Ryker sent him staggering backwards and Samantha rushed towards him and helped him regain his stance.

He wiped his lips immediately and looked at Ryker who was still coming closer. Without a word, he charged at Ryker immediately and they both fell on the floor, rolling over as Samantha began to scream for help.

Mrs Clyde and her daughters showed up in the passageway at once and they all rushed towards the men who were still on the floor, exchanging blows.

The bodyguards rushed in to separate the men and Mrs Clyde charged towards Samantha immediately.

"It's not enough that you tricked us, now you want to cause a rift between my boys?!" She slammed and sent a hot slap on Samantha's cheeks.

"Mother!!" Ryan screamed as he tried to escape the men who were pulling him backwards.

"You bitch!! You need to leave this mansion!!" Claris cried and pulled Samantha's hair backwards while she let out a sharp cry, followed by heavy slaps from Mrs Clyde.

Ryan couldn't take it any longer, with all his strength, he broke free from the men and rushed towards his mother and Claris who were dealing with Samantha. His strong arms pulled Claris away and she fell, hitting her bum on the floor.

"Ouch!" She cried and some of the maids let out a quick laugh which they buried immediately as she gave them a fierce look.

"Mother, you should stop it! Don't make me go the hard way!" Ryan yelled at his mother who was still hitting Samantha on the floor.

"Or what would you do, uh? You junkie!!" Ryker fired, walking towards Ryan but Sophia pulled him back.

"Ryan, have you not done enough harm??!! Go back to rehab where you ran away from and don't ever show your face again!!" Mrs Clyde yelled in his face.

"This is my home!" Ryan defended.

"You're a junkie, and you're not welcomed here anymore. Father wasn't even proud to call you his son before you killed him!" Ryker fired.

"Yes, go back to rehab!! You don't belong to the Clyde's family anymore, you good-for-nothing son!!" Mrs Clyde slapped him on his chest.

He remained silent as he watched the whole family rain insults on him one after the other.

"And you," Mrs Clyde turned to Samantha who was still weeping on the floor.

"You caused all this! Get up and return to your duties immediately!!" She yelled.

"She won't," Ryan said calmly and walked over to Samantha.

"Are you asking her to disobey my orders?" Mrs Clyde scoffed.

He remained silent while standing in front of Samantha.

"You know what, mother, let them be. They both deserve each other," Ryker said with a smirk. "One is with a disease, and one is impotent," he added and gave an absurd laugh before turning away.

Ryan remained silent as they all laughed and walked away one after the other, leaving him alone with Samantha who was weeping heavily on the floor.

Shoving her into the small balcony, he stood firmly in front of her, watching her regain her stance.

"Tell me why you married Ryker!" He demanded almost immediately.

"Your lips are bruised..," she cried, trying to touch his bruised lips.

He shoved her hands away and she retreated slowly, seeing his indignation.

"I wanna know, why did you do all of this?! Why did you marry my brother? Why did you trick the family?!" He raged, his charming blue eyes seething with anger.

"How.. can..can I answer all of it?" She stammered, her lips trembling as she stood before his intimidating stature.

"I want you to answer me as soon as you're done eating!" He said and walked out.

Her hands trembled on the balcony as she watched him return with a tray of food which he placed on the wooden table.

"Eat," he ordered and took his seat on the armchair beside the table.

She took her seat and devoured the food almost immediately.

"You've been starved!" He said angrily.

She didn't respond and continued eating.

"Of all the men in the world, you choose Ryker?!" He slammed.

"I..I never knew about him," she managed to speak as she looked up at his face.

"Then why marry him?" He scoffed. "Oh, I guess you found the offer online," he added.

She nodded and continued eating hungrily.

"You didn't bother to know why you were the only one who applied?" He smirked.

She gulped and paused for a moment.

"Oh, now you know. Even the gullible ladies had refrained from being Ryker's bride, especially with the rumors flying around," he said.

"What rumors?" She asked immediately.

"You heard about his first wife?" He asked.

"No.. I don't know anything about the Clyde's family," she replied curiously.

He looked at her thoughtfully and nodded.

"Nevermind," he said.

"I wanna know, I wanna know what shit I've gotten myself into," she said fearfully.

"Were you that desperate to get married, that you didn't run a background research?" He asked, looking at her face deeply.

"I..I never knew the wedding would be this fast, I..I never even knew I stood a chance to be chosen. I only gave it a try," she explained innocently.

"And you thought you were the lucky one?" He asked with a mocking tone.

She kept silent and wiped the tears that escaped her eyes.

"Don't cry," he said with a smile.

She sniffed and buried her gaze on the floor.

"You don't have a family?" He asked.

"Even if I do, they can't rescue me now, I'm like a prisoner here," she said sadly.

"I can get you out," he promised and reclined back on his chair.

"I don't want more troubles for you, I've caused you a lot already," she said with guilt written all over her face.

"You betrayed me, Sam. After what we shared that night. But I won't hold grudges, I just want you to be free from this chain," he said thoughtfully.

She swallowed hard and looked away from his handsome face which sent her heart melting at once.

"Just promise me you won't reveal what happened between us to your family," she said.

"I still haven't forgotten that night with you, it's the reason I stayed back, I wanted to go in search of you. And then..and then I found out the next day, you were marrying my brother," he said with devastation.

" Please let bygones be bygones. I'm your brother's wife, and what happened between us that night was a mistake," she said.

"It wasn't a mistake, I felt a connection, and..I want you, Sam. I can get you away from this mansion, I want us to go far away from here and build a life together," he said with emotion.

"Stop it! I don't feel anything for you, it was a one time mistake and you shouldn't take advantage of the situation. I don't even know you, and I don't want anything to do with you, I'm married to your brother!" she snapped and stood up immediately.

He tightened his fist as he watched her stand on her feet.

"Sam," he called, but she was gone.

"Is he sick? What's wrong with him? He wants me? Gosh, how did I end up in bed with him?" She soliloquized as she walked along the passageway back to the kitchen.

**

"What was Doctor Steve's response?" Ryker asked his mother as she applied a dark shade of lipstick on her lips.

"Oh, he's out of the country, but he's sending his colleague to come do the test," Mrs Clyde replied, smacking her dark lips.

Ryker nodded slowly.

"I can't wait to get this done once and for all. Once found infertile, I don't think I can stand her presence anymore," he said, his face as hard as a stone.

"So, what are you gonna do about it?" She asked, walking elegantly away from the mirror, beautifully donned in a black blazer jacket and black pants.

"I think she needs to leave the same way Vanessa left," he said sinisterly.

"Ryker," she cried worriedly.

"Mom, I can't stand her presence, I believe there is something she shares with Ryan which I'm not comfortable with," he expressed.

"Are you after Ryan? Or after your inheritance?" She asked, walking closer to him.

"I'm after both," he gruntled.

"I didn't teach you to hate your brother," she scolded.

He sighed in frustration and looked away from her.

"The only reason I'm against Ryan is because of your inheritance, I want Clyde's wealth to be in your name," she explained calmly.

"If Dad wasn't so stupid to find out so soon that I wasn't his biological son, everything would have been in my name already," he voiced out with disappointment.

"Oh, yes, and since he tried to prove smart by changing the will, I'll show him I'm smarter," she said with a smirk and patted his shoulders.

"Come on, the representative from Otech is here, we can't keep such a dignitary waiting," she said and adjusted her jacket before walking out.

Walking into the palatial living room, she found the charming, broad, blonde haired man sitting majestically on the sofa, handsomely dressed in black suit. She could see her daughters already engaging the man in a conversation and she smiled broadly, knowing too well what her girls wanted.

"Oh, mother, Mr Ken has been waiting," Sophia said with a smile as she watched her mother walking into the living room.

"Hi, Mr Ken, welcome to our beautiful home," Mrs Clyde greeted as the young man stood up and they both shook hands.

"It's a pleasure meeting you," Mr Ken said with a smile.

"It's an honor on my part, meeting a representative of the third leading tech company in Europe," Mrs Clyde said with pleasure as she took her seat.

"Mom, Mr Ken is not just a representative, but a comedian too," Claris said and they all laughed.

"Oh, it seems my girls like you already," Mrs Clyde remarked.

"I like them too, they're so funny," Mr Ken acknowledged with a charming smile and the girls giggled sheepishly.

"Um..permit me to ask, are you single?" Mrs Clyde asked.

"Oh," he muttered as his eyes bulged while the women laughed.

"For now, I am," he said and Mrs Clyde gave a signal to her girls and they both smiled sheepishly.

"Um, can I meet Mr Ryker, the acting CEO?" He asked, and just then, Ryker marched in, elegantly clad in a long black suit jacket that suited him perfectly.

He exchanged greetings with Mr Ken and he took his seat beside his mother.

"Congrats, Mr Ryker, for your wedding," Mr Ken remarked.

Ryker nodded slowly.

"Thank you, I never knew the news of my wedding went far abroad," he said with surprise.

"Your family is well renowned all over the continent, it shouldn't be a thing of surprise," Mr Ken said with a smile and Ryker nodded.

"Where is your wife? So I can also say hi and congrats to her?" Mr Ken continued.

Ryker's face pulled into a frown and he took a quick glance at his mom.

"Oh, Mr Ken, our new bride is taking a nap. We'll send your greetings when she wakes up," Mr Clyde put in immediately.

They were still speaking when Samantha walked in, looking so tattered, her frail hands trembling with the tray of drinks she was holding. Madam Kate could be seen running after her and all eyes were turned in their direction.

"What are you doing here?!!" Ryker flared and sprang up from his seat.

"Ser..serving drinks..," she muttered with fear.

"I tried to stop her!" Madam Kate cried behind her.

"Oh, no! Go back now!!" Mrs Clyde yelled as she rushed towards her.

"Is..is that Mr Ryker's new wife?" Mr Ken asked, taking a good look at Samantha who was being shielded by Mrs Clyde and Ryker.

"No..no!! She's just one of the maids," Sophia and Claris put in immediately.

"Go back now!!" Ryker thundered at Samantha whose hands were trembling greatly.

The tray fell off her hands and wine glasses shattered all over the floor.

"Oh shit!!" Everyone exclaimed.

Ryker, losing his cool already, sent Samantha a hard slap that landed her on the floor immediately.

Mr Ken stood up quickly and rushed towards them.

"You shouldn't treat your maid in that manner!" He yelled and brought up Samantha from the floor.

"I'm so sorry.. I'm so sorry," she cried and tried to clean up the floor.

"Get out! Kate, clean up!!" Mrs Clyde yelled at once.

Samantha tried to run away but immediately bumped into Ryan who was heading to the living room in rage. He had watched the whole drama unfold from the stairs and he quickly grabbed hold of Samantha with his raging eyes, looking at his family who were watching anxiously.

"Oh..no, Ryan, not again!!" Mrs Clyde cried.

"Mom, Ryker, how dare you?!" Ryan thundered, storming towards them.

"Who is he? Mr Clyde has another son?" Mr Ken asked with surprise as his eyes fell on Ryan.

"No..not..yeah..!!" Mrs Clyde panicked and everywhere became tensed.