The Stone Mansion
1778 Words
Her cheek flushed in embarrassment when she stood in front of the biggest mansion she had ever set her eyes on.
Derrick didn't spare her a single glance throughout the drive but kept mute such that the air became so intimidating and uncomfortable.
The man was so intimidating.
Half a million dollars was her worth.
That's why they were so happy to sell her off.
She wondered how her mother was doing, how she was going to cope without her.
How she was….
“Listen, you do not owe anyone an explanation.
Your duty here is to mind your business and be of good behavior,” he said, gradually pulling off his jacket while walking, expecting her to follow.
“And if I don't listen?”
She saw a smirk on his face. A light one, but he said nothing.
The walk into the house was different from what she envisioned. Maidens and young men in suits and casuals were littered everywhere.
They all bowed slightly when they passed but no one said a word to him.
Once they got inside the room and shut the door, he dragged her forcefully and slammed her back against the wall.
“Do you realize that I just bought you with my hard-earned money?" I could decide to slowly snap the life out of you.
Just because I need a wife doesn't imply you should be a stubborn brat.”
“You should be more worried about getting your money back. I was never a party to this…”
His smirk widened as he looked her over, from her neck down to her feet while she maintained eye contact with him.
It was obvious she wanted to piss him off, but he had more important matters to handle.
He scoffed and moved aside.
“The rules are simple. Don't you dare come close to me.
You're automatically my property, my wife in public and my thing in private.
You aren't permitted to speak with anyone except me.
Understood?”
Her eyes glistened with tears.
“What about my mum?" Where's she?”
He scoffed, picked up his phone and a car key, then opened and shut the door in one breath.
“You didn't even allow us to come welcome her. How rude of you, bro,” Martins, his half brother, said once he walked into the dining room.
He sighed under his breath and tried to walk away, but the young man didn't stop at that.
“I think she's hot”
In one swift turn, Derrick's hand was already gripping his neck tightly while his men stood by, watching silently.
“You do not come this close to her. I'll kill you if you do.”
“Oh. I will, brother. I think a hot thing like her is worth dying for.”
He glared at him and flung him on the floor. Martins remained there laughing.
He knew better than to entertain his childishness.
“Boss, your father is here,” One of his men called out and he sighed inwardly.
He didn't want to be involved in the whole family drama.
All he wanted was to get the documents signed already, so Collins would release the next set of his goods.
His father, Mr. Stone, walked in with so many men in black suits following.
The Rolex watch on his left wrist and his well-tailored suit spoke nothing short of class and wealth.
Immediately, his eyes landed on Derrick, he smiled mischievously and Derrick rolled his eyes.
“Tell me, son, I heard your new wife is hot. You didn't even deem it fit to invite me over for your wedding. Is that how you were trained, son?”
His brow arched in curiosity. His father was never lenient about anything.
For this one to be interesting to him, it meant he must have something up his sleeves.
“Can we just proceed to the sitting room and get everything signed already?" I have some other important things to attend to now, dad.”
“No honeymoon? Your bride must be very understanding.
“Dad, you know how things go here. I can't publicly hold an event for this marriage because it would attract a lot of unnecessary attention. I have already sent you proof of this marriage and the marriage certs.. Spare me the long talk.”
After they were settled, the documents were brought forward to Derrick by Tom, Derrick's assistant.
He picked up his pen to sign when his father stopped him abruptly.
His stepbrothers were also seated at this time, glaring silently at him.
“Your wife should be here. She's the reason you now have access to this. Since you've proven yourself to be worthy of this inheritance, she has to be by your side.
Derrick sighed and rolled his eyes, then cussed silently.
He beckoned on Tom, whom he whispered something into his ears.
Tom nodded and walked out.
In the bedroom, a maid assigned to Charlotte had her already dressed up in another outfit. A black and knee-length strapless dress, littered with black glitter stones.
Her dark hair was packed into a bun and little makeup applied to her face.
Once she heard the knock on the door, her heart skipped a beat, and she stood up abruptly.
She took careful strides to the door, wondering who it could be and praying they weren't there to hurt her.
Immediately she opened the door, the face at the other end seemed to be awe-struck for a moment before he put himself together.
“You're being summoned downstairs.”
‘Summoned?’
“I…okay,” she quietly looked back at her room, supposing that may be the last time she would see the beautiful view. Then she shut the door behind her and followed him through the long hallway and then down to the stairs.
The whole building looked enchanting with all manner of wall art hanging around the whole plain, and the tiles glittered like they had never been touched.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the view of lots of people seated, and immediately they noticed her presence, they all seemed to have the same initial look as the first guy.
“Well, well, he actually doesn't have a bad taste in women after all.
You took that from me, son.”
She bowed her head while standing beside him, not sure if she was supposed to say anything.
It was interesting how someone could be living a completely normal life, and at the next moment, she's the wife of a complete stranger, married into a completely strange family.
“You can come sit beside me, sister-in-law,” Martins said way too loudly, giving Derrick the impression that he was openly daring him.
“Don't be ridiculous, brother. You know he's married now, his wife should be seated close to him. Not close to you,” James, his elder brother, added teasingly.
“Oh, I was only offering some help. You know how much Derrick detests women. He might be married, but he probably wouldn't want to have anything to do with her.
I wonder if he'd like any of us to assist him in getting his wife pregnant because he's definitely not going to do that himself.”
Derrick stamped his pen on the table noisily, anger quite evident on his face.
It took a lot to not have killed these people a long time ago.
Charlotte stood a distance from him, making sure she didn't go beyond her limit. This dangerous man could do anything to her at any moment.
“Ya basta! (That's enough!)” Mr. Stone yelled on top of his lungs.
It was obvious they were out to piss him off.
“Derrick, I'd like you to sit with your wife now. She must see you sign, and thereafter, she signs too.”
“What? You never informed me of this part.”
“You didn't think I was going to hand over all of that to you without the signature and stamp of the woman who's going to carry your heir. Did you?”
‘Carry his heir?’
Charlotte's heart pounded inside her chest.
That's what this was about.
They wanted to turn her into a baby-making machine.
She thought of running, but then the thought of her mum came to her, and she sucked in her breath.
Derrick scoffed, staring at the papers in front of him while Charlotte gazed stealthily at him, wondering if he was actually going to let her stay.
Immediately their gazes met, she looked down, praying he wouldn't agree to it because her heart was almost sinking into her stomach.
“Come on, my beautiful daughter-in-law. Go close to your husband and sign your own part.
She looked at Derrick again and when he didn't even spare her a glance, she went very close to him nervously. So close that their skins were in contact.
“Ehem. Who would've thought?” Martins remarked loudly, and she wondered what he was referring to.
Derrick knew he couldn't outsmart his father, so he decided to play it cool.
“There, I signed,” he said dryly, shoving back the documents to his father.
“Won't you direct your wife on where she should be signing hers?” Mr. Stone added, grinning calmly.
“I could help with that too,” Martins started, “He doesn't look like he's in a good mood.”
He kept giving Charlotte a sultry look that made Derrick have the urge to pull a trigger at his face, but for one thing.
“Here, sign here”. He pointed, showing Charlotte the space to sign on without reading the terms on her own page.
“Wow!. It's done. Son, you owe us some celebration.
At least, if you've decided to keep your relationship away from us, then you should at least throw a party for us here, in the stone mansion.”
Charlotte's ears twitched.
She only heard that some wealthy billionaire was coming to marry her, but she didn't imagine that he was from the house of the famous ‘Stone mansion’.
The same mansion she had heard scary stories about in the past.
“No parties, dad. You know I don't like attention.”
“Of course, you don't. But you kind of managed to pull in a hottie who's been stealing all the attention since she came here,” Martins retorted.
Derrick pulled out a gun from his pockets and c****d it at him in one swift move. His men around did the same.
Charlotte’s heart flew into her belly.
- Writer
