MANHANDLED

AFTER THE WEDDING 2

“Hmm, it seems you’ve gotten quite comfortable, wife,” he said, watching her closely. His tone was unmistakably sarcastic. Then, without another word, he disappeared into the corridor that led to his closet.

It wasn’t long before he returned, now dressed completely differently. Gone was his previous outfit—he now wore a black leather jacket, black leather trousers, padded gloves, and matching boots.

“Are you going somewhere?” she asked as soon as she saw him heading towards the door.

He turned to look at her before replying, “Yeah, I’m meeting some friends. I’ll be back before dinner. Don’t miss me too much, okay?” he added with a smirk, opening the door—only to find Axel standing just outside, his hand raised to knock.

Behind Axel were two maids holding trays of fruit, food, and wine. They bowed respectfully upon seeing Damien, then stepped aside to let him pass.

As Damien walked past, he leaned in and whispered in Axel’s ear, “She’s all yours,” before heading downstairs.

Axel entered the room just after Damien left and found Jennifer standing by the window, admiring the view. The villa looked breathtaking in the daylight—almost like a dream. She spotted Damien outside, getting on his power bike. He looked effortlessly cool, she had to admit.

Axel signalled for the maids to set the food on the table.

“Ma’am, your food is ready,” he said gently, catching her attention.

She turned and was met with Axel’s warm smile, which she returned before walking back to the bed and sitting down as the maids arranged the food.

“Axel, have my things not arrived yet? I don’t think Damien is very comfortable with me wearing his clothes.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. We’ve not received any of your belongings yet. But if you’d like me to check or even go pick them up for you, I’d be glad to,” he offered sincerely.

“If it’s not too much trouble, then thank you,” she replied kindly.

Once the table was set, the maids were dismissed to attend to their other duties. Axel left to find out what had happened to Jennifer’s things, which were supposed to arrive that morning.

Back in the room, Jennifer finished eating—though she had overindulged. The food was simply too delicious to resist. With nothing else to do, she played a game on her phone, but soon grew bored.

Deciding to explore the house before Damien returned, she stepped out of the room and made her way downstairs. As she walked, she noticed the stunning artworks lining the walls. It felt more like strolling through an art exhibition than a private home.

Reaching the ground floor, she ventured to the parts of the house she hadn’t explored the night before, when she was too tired to care. Her first stop was the kitchen—she was curious to see where the incredible food had come from.

The kitchen was buzzing with staff working under the chef’s supervision. Everything looked impressively clean and well-organised. When they noticed her at the doorway, the staff bowed in respect—after all, she was now Mrs Stone.

Jennifer smiled politely and continued her little tour, eventually stepping out through the front door. The villa was even more beautiful during the day. Walking along the side of the house, she discovered a recreational area with a basketball court and a gorgeous swimming pool complete with a jacuzzi. Nearby was a lounging area, and further along a path, she stumbled upon a hidden garden.

She hadn’t expected something so serene here.

‘Damien is really full of surprises,’ she thought.

“Hello, ma’am. How’s your day going?” came Axel’s voice from behind her.

He was wearing gloves and rain boots, holding pruning shears. He appeared to be tending the garden.

Jennifer turned to him, genuinely appreciative. “My day’s going very well, thank you, Axel.”

She gave him a warm smile.

“I didn’t expect there to be a garden in this villa—maybe the recreational area, yes—but this garden is a lovely surprise. And if I may say, it’s absolutely beautiful. Just look at how healthy these flowers are!”

As she spoke, she spotted a small seating area nestled among the blossoms.

Smiling widely, she added, “I think I just found my favourite spot in this villa.”

Her smile was infectious. Axel found himself smiling back without meaning to. There was something deeply satisfying about seeing her happy.

She walked up to him and asked eagerly, “Can I help out in the garden?”

She looked too excited to refuse, so Axel handed her the shears and nodded with a grin.

He led her to a section of flowers yet to be trimmed. She got to work immediately as Axel watched, gently guiding her on what to do and what not to. Their conversation flowed naturally—Axel was easy to talk to, unlike Damien, who hardly spoke to her unless necessary.

Time passed quickly, and by the time they finished tending the garden, it was already evening. Jennifer looked tired and covered in dirt, but she didn’t seem to mind. Axel, on the other hand, still believed this kind of work should be left to the gardeners—or himself, at the very least—not the young mistress of the house.

Still, she had proven to be stubborn. A trait she and Damien seemed to share. Axel suspected watching them bicker might be very entertaining—especially if Jennifer won. That would be a glorious victory indeed.

They walked back inside the house together. Jennifer was about to climb the stairs when she heard Axel call out.

“Ma’am!”

She turned. “Yes, Axel? Is something wrong?”

“I meant to tell you earlier, but you were so focused on the garden I didn’t want to interrupt. Your clothes were delivered this afternoon. The maids have already arranged them in your room.”

“Oh, thank you, Axel. That’s a relief. I don’t think Damien was thrilled about me borrowing his clothes,” she said with a small smile.

“Don’t worry, ma’am. Sir Damien isn’t the territorial type. He probably didn’t even know he had those clothes. And ma’am, if you need anything at all, I’m right here. The kitchen also asked what you’d like for dinner—shall I let them know?”

“Thank you, Axel. But I’m still full from lunch. The food was so good, I stuffed myself shamelessly. Anyway, won’t Damien be joining me for dinner? I think I’ll just wait for him and eat when he gets back. Whatever the kitchen makes is fine by me.”

She smiled and made her way upstairs.

After a long hot bath, she went into the walk-in closet and was pleasantly surprised to find that the maids had neatly arranged her bags, shoes, accessories, and clothes. The Stones certainly trained their staff well.

She changed into something comfortable and lay on the bed, browsing her phone. Eventually, her stomach rumbled, and she decided to find Axel—it was nearly 11 PM.

Jennifer made her way downstairs. Damien still wasn’t home. It wasn’t easy locating Axel—he seemed to be constantly on the move—but a passing servant helped summon him to the dining room, where she waited.

“Good evening, ma’am. Are you ready to eat now?” Axel asked, approaching from the kitchen.

“Hello, Axel. I am a little hungry now… but where’s Damien? He said he’d be back quickly, but he’s been gone for hours.”

“There’s no need to worry, ma’am. Sir Damien is just out enjoying himself with friends. He’ll be back soon. Would you still like to wait for him before eating?”

“I would’ve liked to… but who knows when he’ll be back. If I could have a small bowl of noodles—with egg and cheese, if possible—that would be perfect,” she said with a soft smile.

Axel nodded and returned about fifteen minutes later with a hot bowl of noodles and a glass of fruit juice. Jennifer dug in immediately.

“Mmm, this is delicious,” she said as she ate gracefully.

She gestured for Axel to sit with her, which he did.

“So, Axel,” she began, “does Damien often stay out this late?”

“Yes, ma’am. Sir Damien is a very busy man, so when he does go out, he tends to enjoy himself thoroughly. But I doubt he’ll stay out overnight—he has a duty to you now.”

Jennifer nodded, then remembered something.

“Oh—yesterday, Damien told me the maids leave the villa as soon as they’re done with their duties. But I saw some of them walking around just now. Are they still working this late?”

“No, ma’am. What Sir Damien said was true—until recently. Before you joined the household, the staff used to leave at the end of the day. He preferred to be home alone. But since you’ve become the young mistress of the house, they’ve been instructed to stay in the staff quarters, in case you need anything.”

“I see… but why are they still walking around? I don’t think I need anything.”

“Those are the kitchen staff. They’re usually the last to finish and stay on standby in case you request anything. But if you’d prefer, I can tell them to retire for the night.”

“Yes, I think that would be best. After all, Damien’s probably eaten already.”

“Very well, ma’am.” Axel made a quick gesture to a nearby servant and quietly instructed her to inform the others.

Not long after, Jennifer finished her meal and headed to the sitting room, planning to wait for Damien. What better way to pass time than watching television?

It was 2 AM when she awoke with a start. She had dozed off in front of the TV. Someone was approaching her.

Her eyes flew open.

Damien stood there.

Her first instinct was to cover her nose—he reeked of alcohol. It was obvious he had been drinking heavily. Yet, he wasn’t staggering.

He must either have excellent stamina, high tolerance for alcohol… or both, she thought.