The Billionaire’s Contracted Bride

Chapter 2

There were around twenty servants dressed in black and white, neatly lined up at the main door of the mansion, resembling a castle in a Georgian and Victorian style, with a medieval structure that looked majestic.

Then the servants bowed respectfully as a man got out of a Rolls-Royce Phantom that had just arrived.

"Welcome back, Mr. Dimitri," their voices were in unison when welcoming their master who had just returned after 1 month abroad.

With Joshua following, Dimitri stepped forward elegantly, then stopped when a butler stepped forward politely.

"Master, she is..." Emma, the head maid who was as confused as the other servants, dared to ask when she saw a woman in a wedding dress in their master's arms. There was a look of curiosity on the faces of every servant there, especially the young servants who idolized their master, but no one had the courage to ask.

"Call Doctor Kyle immediately," Dimitri ordered Emma, then immediately walked past the servants towards the main door.

"Why did you bring her here?" With his arms crossed, Joshua stood in the doorway of the guest room while observing Dimitri's movements as he laid the woman on the bed.

Dimitri's behavior, which was different from usual, made him very confused, especially since this place, Vermilion Mansion, a place made as a birthday present for Dimitri by his father, a very private place on a hill and surrounded by a beautiful lake. Dimitri had never allowed anyone to come here other than his family.

"Look, you look like you took away someone else's bride," continued Joshua with a chuckle.

Dimitri turned around after putting the woman down. His face looked grim. "Do I look like a man who steals other people's brides? Do you want to be fired as my secretary, Joshua?" He emphasized every word, making Joshua immediately stop teasing him.

He walked away from Joshua, then stopped for a moment after glancing at his luxury watch. "In 30 minutes, I want you to find a hired woman who is willing to marry me, make sure the woman meets my family's standards.

Joshua's eyes suddenly widened. "Thirty minutes? Looking for one that meets your family's standards? I guess that's a bit difficult."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow as he put one hand in his trouser pocket. "Difficult doesn't mean impossible, right? Bring the woman's biodata 30 minutes later," he said, throwing a sharp look at Joshua.

"Fine," Joshua answered resignedly. Really, he would rather work overtime last night than find a woman for his quite talkative friend. Subconsciously, his eyes suddenly fell on the woman lying on the bed with her eyes closed.

"Beautiful woman... who exactly is she that Dimitri is willing to bring her here?" Joshua thought.

---

The soft melodic sound filled the spacious ballroom that was decorated so luxuriously. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, radiating a warm and luxurious light throughout the room. Intricate flower arrangements decorated the tables occupied by guests in sleek suits who came from elite circles.

Mr. Arthur Smith, a 45-year-old man wearing a black suit, was seen wearing a big smile while chatting with the guests. The man was in a very good mood considering that his daughter was going to marry the son of the owner of LuxCorp Holdings, which could potentially improve his company that was currently on the verge of bankruptcy.

A few moments later, along with the emergence of whispers among the guests, Master Arthur's face changed as his assistant just whispered something into his ear.

Within seconds, Master Arthur's expression turned dark upon hearing the news that his daughter, the one he hoped could save his company, had run away.

Mr. Arthur rubbed his face in frustration as he put his cell phone to his ear, trying to contact Belle, but his daughter's cell phone was off.

“That defiant girl… Where did she go?” Mr. Arthur growled, he almost smashed his cell phone if his assistant Mark hadn't stopped him.

The company is on the verge of bankruptcy! Why does Belle add to the problem with her troublesome escape! Thought the man swallowing his anger.

The creaking of the main ballroom door made Mr. Arthur immediately turn around, hoping it was his daughter who arrived, but what he saw was his future son-in-law walking hurriedly towards him.

Mr. Arthur's eyes darted to Liam anxiously. "Liam, where's Belle?"

The guests exchanged glances, the guests' whispers spread throughout the ballroom. The news spread so quickly that all the guests were busy talking about the bride who had run away.

Liam looked down languidly with his eyebrows furrowed. "Master Arthur, I'm sorry, I neglected to look after her. If I hadn't arrived too late, perhaps I could have prevented her from escaping, but I had just arrived when I heard about her disappearance."

"It's not your fault, Liam. You don't need to feel unnecessary guilt." The warning came from the mother, Mrs. Rosaline Sinclair. She felt that her son was too kind, he even apologized for something that was not his fault.

The 40-year-old woman who still looked beautiful stepped forward, the disdain in her eyes could not be hidden as she faced Master Arthur.

"Mr. Arthur, we have invested a large amount in your company. If Belle's absence jeopardizes our cooperation, we may have to reconsider our commitment to your company."

"Mrs. Rosaline, I'm sure this is a misunderstanding. My daughter Belle might just leave for a moment and come back soon; please be patient for a little longer," replied Arthur, trying to remain calm even though he was almost exploding with anger.

Mrs. Rosaline folded her arms across her chest, a crooked smile on her lips. "Oh really? I hate wasting time waiting. There are still many other families who want to marry their daughters to my son; you'd better find them quickly."

The wrinkles on Mr. Arthur deepened when he realized that his company's position was very dangerous if this marriage was canceled. He needs Liam's family to rise from the downturn of his company.

"Mark, look for Belle until you find her, search until you find her," he ordered his assistant.

Liam's gaze turned slightly satisfied. "Don't worry, father-in-law, I will help you as best as I can to look for her." Liam... he always gets what he wants. There is no better woman to be a wife than Belle, who is beautiful and sexy, making men jealous of her because she managed to get him. No matter how far Belle runs, she will still end up marrying him. After all, the woman's father depended on this marriage.

---

Moonlight penetrated the wide, dimly lit room through the glass window which provided a view of the dark and silent forest. In a room with an elegant monochrome feel, Dimitri, wearing a white shirt that fits his body, stands facing the window, his hand moves to stir the wine in his glass and then raises the glass to his lips, enjoying the touch of the rich wine, while his eyes are far away, he is lost in thought for a few moments.

However, the calm in the room did not last long because of the sound of hurried footsteps from someone who was none other than Joshua. The man seemed to be catching his breath which was out of breath from running up the stairs while placing a tablet on Dimitri's desk.

"Dimitri," Joshua called urgently, making Dimitri turn around.

"We have a problem. The woman we hired for the marriage contract has run away. It seems she left after receiving payment."

Dimitri's brows furrowed as he placed the wine glass calmly on his desk. "What do you mean, Joshua? We agreed a few hours ago, and I paid dearly."

Joshua continued, “I know, but it seems she plans to trick us. We are trying to trace her."

Dimitri's eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of annoyance was clearly visible in his eyes when he knew he had been tricked by a shameless woman. He glanced cynically at the biodata of a woman named Olivia on his desk, a woman who he initially felt was suitable to play the role of his wife. Money? He didn't care at all about the money she ran away with. However, in his entire life, this was the first time he had been cheated! It feels annoying! His self-esteem felt trampled!

He turned his gaze sharply towards Joshua. "Look for that woman, that little cheater must be taught a lesson, how dare she play with me."

Joshua nodded. "Fine, I'll use our entire network to look for her."

Dimitri drank his wine until the last sip, after which he opened his voice again. "I want you to find a replacement, someone suitable for that role. The wedding has already been scheduled by my grandfather, we can't postpone it any longer."

Joshua nodded again. "I will immediately look for a replacement bride tonight."

"I am willing to marry you, sir!"