"CRAVING FOR HER INNOCENCE"

CHAPTER: 12. An Invisible Shield"✨

The morning air in the William mansion was thick with unspoken tension. Marry stood by the dining table, her posture rigid, forcing herself to summon every drop of courage left in her soul. To the world, the man seated before her was a king, a god of industry and shadow. To her, he was a Satan—a demon who held her father’s life in his hands. She felt like a speck of dust under his expensive Italian shoes, yet for her father, she was prepared to walk through hell.

David didn't need to look at her to know she was spiraling. He read her silence better than anyone read her words.

"Good. Keep building that wall of strength, Marry," David’s voice sliced through the quiet, deep and dangerously calm. "This is just the beginning. As long as you are under this roof, paying the price for your father’s sins, you will need it. You were the first person to ever dare push my gun away... and that, Miss Marry, is why I find you... interesting."

He turned his attention to the breakfast she had served. It was humble, lacking the gourmet extravagance he was used to, but as he took the first bite, his hand paused. It was delicious—perfectly seasoned and warm. It tasted like something he hadn't had in years.

But David William lived to dominate, not to compliment. He looked at her, his eyes cold. "Never make this kind of pathetic, common food again. In the house of David William, everything is expensive. I expect my breakfast to match my status. Don’t make me repeat myself."

Marry didn't flinch. She was a veteran of insults. Since childhood, her stepmother and Siya had treated her efforts like garbage, mocking her cooking and her existence. She absorbed his bitterness without a single change in her expression. David noticed her stoicism, and despite his harsh words, he quietly finished every single morsel on the plate.

He stood up, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her. Without turning around, he commanded, "Go and fix my room. You aren’t here for a vacation; you’re here to work."

In the corner, a younger maid who had a desperate crush on David smirked with delight. She had been burning with jealousy since Marry arrived, seeing David pay so much attention to a 'captive.' But David wasn't finished.

"Did you hear me, Miss Marry... William?"

The room went ice-cold. The servants gasped, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads. William. He had just branded her with the most feared surname in the country. To the world, that name was power; to Marry, it was a brand of shame. She had dreamed of being Mrs. Kai, yet here she was, tied to a monster’s legacy.

As David reached the main gate, the head housekeeper—a woman who had served his family since before his birth—handed him his briefcase.

"Make sure she eats on time," David muttered, not meeting the old woman's eyes. "I don't want her becoming a problem."

The old woman stared at him, stunned by the hidden concern. David realized his slip and quickly added, "I mean... I don't want her getting weak and making excuses to skip work. She’s here to labor, nothing else."

He strode out, and the old lady let out a small, knowing smile. She knew the boy behind the mask better than he knew himself.

The D'Souza Mansion: The Vultures' Descent

On the other side of the city, the atmosphere was thick with greed. Two high-profile lawyers sat on the velvet sofa, looking bored, while the Stepmother, Kai, and Siya hovered over them.

"Why the urgency?" one lawyer asked.

"It’s about the fund left by Marry’s late mother, Mrs. Rosie," the Stepmother lied, her voice dripping with fake concern. "The 200 Million deposit."

"We know the fund," the lawyer replied. "But the rules are ironclad. Marry cannot touch it until she turns twenty-two."

"I know, I know," she waved her hand. "But Marry has gone abroad with her father for business. They might not return for a long time. She has already signed the papers to transfer the property and the fund."

The lawyers exchanged a look. "Transfer it? To whom?"

Kai stepped forward, playing the role of the devoted fiancé. "To her younger sister, Siya. Marry wants her to have a bright future. It’s a gift of goodwill."

The lawyers looked skeptical. "If Marry wants this, we must speak to her in person."

"Are you calling me a liar?" the Stepmmother snapped. "I raised her! I am her mother! Kai is her fiancé! We are her family!"

The lawyers sighed and reached for the file. The Stepmother handed it over, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. She remembered that day clearly—the day she had forced the pen into Marry's hand. She could almost smell the 200 Million.

The lawyer flipped to the signature page. His brow furrowed. He flipped back. Then forward again.

"Ma'am... where is the signature?"

The Stepmother’s grin froze. She snatched the paper. Her eyes scanned the bottom of the page. It was blank. Pristine white. There was no signature.

"This is impossible!" she shrieked. Kai and Siya rushed to her side, staring at the empty lines in horror.

"Don't waste our time," the lawyer said sternly, standing up. "Come back when you actually have a signed document."

As the lawyers walked out, the house exploded in tension.

"How did this happen?!" Kai yelled. "You told me she signed it that day!"

The Stepmother’s mind raced back to that afternoon. She saw Marry holding the pen... she saw the door burst open... and she saw David William standing there like a storm.

"Oh God... it was him," she whispered, her face pale. "David William showed up just as she was about to press the pen to the paper. His arrival stopped her. It’s all because of him!"

Siya’s eyes flashed with malice. "Then we get her to sign it now. Kai, you have to go to her."

"To the William Mansion?" Kai asked, his voice trembling. "Nobody goes there uninvited."

"You have to," the Stepmother insisted, grabbing Kai’s arm. "You are her fiancé. You are the only one she trusts. She’s a emotional fool for you. Go there, act like her savior, and get that signature!"

Siya smirked, her eyes cold as ice. "Right, Mom. After all, she’s still 'madly in love' with you, Kai. Use it."

OH MY GOD! Did you guys see that coming?! 😱

David William just claimed Marry as his own by giving her his surname! "Miss Marry William"—the power that name holds is terrifying, yet I can’t help but feel a little shiver. But did you notice the real twist? David’s grand entrance at the D’Souza mansion didn't just ruin Marry's life... it actually SAVED her fortune! 🖋️🚫

Fate works in mysterious ways, doesn't it? While Marry thinks David is her worst nightmare, he just unknowingly stopped her greedy family from stealing 200 Million! 💰🔥

How will Kai react when he finds out Marry is now a 'William'?

Will David realize that he’s already protecting the girl he’s supposed to be punishing?

And what happens when Kai tries to enter the lion's den (The William Mansion) to get that signature?

so please vote my story and comment.its give me strength to write.and please add on your collocation.if you like story .