Chapter 7

Jenny walked down the stairs with a bright smile on her face. The thought of Richard being there scared her a little, but she quickly pushed the fear aside.

“At least with Granny around, he won’t dare scare me. She seems much friendlier than Richard,” she assured herself.

“My dear, how are you doing? I hope you’re getting acquainted with the environment,” Granny asked, smiling sweetly at her.

“Yes, Ma’am. I’m okay.”

“Don’t take it to heart that this jerk of a son abandoned you on your wedding day. It was so foolish of him to send his assistant instead of coming himself,” Granny said, smacking Richard on the head.

“No, Granny. I’m absolutely fine,” Jenny replied. “He’s a busy man, so I didn’t expect him to be less busy on that day. He was probably caught up with work, that’s why he couldn’t make it to the registrar’s office. I didn’t take it to heart.”

Richard stood transfixed. The same woman he had abandoned on their wedding day—the one he expected to react with anger or blame him—was standing right in front of him, defending him. A whirlwind of emotions swirled inside his chest: surprise, guilt, and something warmer he wasn’t ready to name.

“I know Cheng’s screams woke you up. I’m sorry about that, dear. It’s quite late already, so I suggest you go back to bed. We’ll have a proper discussion tomorrow,” Granny said gently.

“Alright. Good night, Ma’am.”

“You should call me Emma or Granny Emma.”

“Alright, Granny. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Richard,” Jenny muttered shyly.

She excused herself and headed upstairs, feeling a quiet sadness settle over her. Even though she had heard how cold and cruel Richard could be, her heart still struggled to accept that the man she had married was so distant.

His only response was a cold, low hum.

The moment Jenny disappeared up the stairs, Granny Emma turned on Richard like a storm.

“What is wrong with you, boy?” she snapped, her voice sharp. “That sweet girl just defended you after you abandoned her on your own wedding day, and all you can give her is a grunt? Why on earth would you send your assistant to pick up your bride? Have you lost every ounce of decency?”

Richard remained silent, his jaw tight.

“And where were your parents?” Granny continued, her eyes narrowing. “Did they even bother to show up at the wedding?”

At the mention of his parents, Richard’s expression darkened instantly. The air around him seemed to grow colder. He said nothing, simply turning toward the stairs.

“Don’t you walk away from me!” Granny called after him. “How long do you intend to hate your parents, Richard? They are still your family.”

“For life,” he replied flatly, not even looking back. “And the next life, if possible.”

Granny Emma sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion and worry. “We will talk about this tomorrow morning after breakfast. But tonight…” She paused, giving him a meaningful look. “Tonight is your wedding night. Don’t make that poor girl suffer any more than she already has. Go to her. Be a husband.”

Richard gave a single nod and headed upstairs. However, instead of turning toward the master bedroom, he veered left and disappeared into his private study. The heavy oak door clicked shut behind him with finality.

Granny Emma stood alone in the dimly lit hallway, her heart heavy with empathy for Jenny. She wondered how long it would take for her grandson to finally loosen up and smile at someone other than her. The boy she had raised with so much love had built walls so high that even she sometimes struggled to reach him. Still, she held onto hope. Jenny seemed different—kind, resilient, and unexpectedly forgiving. Perhaps she was exactly what Richard needed to melt the ice around his heart.

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Inside the study, Richard sank into the large leather chair behind his desk. The room was dark, illuminated only by a single desk lamp that cast long shadows across the walls. He loosened his tie and poured himself a glass of whiskey, but he didn’t drink. Instead, he stared at the amber liquid, lost in thought.

Jenny’s face kept flashing in his mind—her shy smile, the way she had defended him without hesitation, the softness in her voice when she said “Good night, Richard.” He had expected tears, accusations, maybe even hatred. Instead, she had shown him grace. It unsettled him.

He leaned back, running a hand through his hair. Cheng’s earlier words echoed in his ears: the story of Jenny’s maltreatment at the hands of her family, the pressure to marry a monster, the manipulation by her stepmother. Richard had always prided himself on being untouchable, a villain who protected what was his by becoming heartless. But now, the woman he had married out of convenience had become something more. She was no longer just a name on a contract. She was real. And she was suffering.

A quiet knock sounded on the door.

“Rich?” Cheng’s voice came from the other side.

“Come in.”

Cheng stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him. “I saw you come in here instead of the bedroom. Everything alright?”

Richard swirled the whiskey in his glass. “She defended me downstairs. Even after I left her standing alone at the registrar’s office, she told Granny I was just busy. Can you believe that?”

Cheng smiled faintly. “She’s a good woman, Richard. Better than you deserve right now, if I’m being honest.”

Richard let out a dry chuckle. “You’re not wrong.”

Silence stretched between them for a moment before Cheng spoke again. “Granny is right, you know. Tonight is your wedding night. You should at least be in the same room with her. She’s probably lying there wondering if she married a ghost.”

Richard set the glass down untouched. “I’m not ready to play the loving husband yet. She’s been through enough. The last thing she needs is me pretending to care when I’m still figuring out what this marriage even means.”

“Pretending?” Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Or are you actually starting to care?”

Richard didn’t answer. Instead, he stood up and walked over to the window, staring out into the dark garden. “l don't know. I've suffered too much damage”

Cheng nodded. “And the clothes and accessories I ordered earlier?”

“Deliver them first thing in the morning. I want her to wake up to something beautiful. Let her feel like a queen for once.”

A small smile tugged at Cheng’s lips. “You’re softening, boss.”

“Don’t push it,” Richard warned, though there was no real heat in his tone.

After Cheng left, Richard remained in the study for another hour, his mind racing. Eventually, the weight of the day pulled him toward the bedroom. He opened the door quietly, expecting Jenny to be asleep.

She wasn’t.

Jenny sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded in her lap. The bedside lamp cast a soft glow over her, making her look almost ethereal. When she saw him, her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t look away.

“You’re here,” she whispered.

Richard closed the door behind him. “This is my room too.”

“I know. I… I can sleep in another room if—”

“No,” he cut in gently. “You stay here. This is your home now.”

An awkward silence filled the space between them. Richard removed his jacket and loosened the top buttons of his shirt before sitting on the opposite side of the bed.

“I’m sorry about today,” he said after a long pause. His voice was low, almost reluctant. “Sending Cheng instead of coming myself was wrong. I won’t make excuses.”

Jenny looked down at her hands. “It’s okay. I understand you’re busy.”

“You shouldn’t have to understand,” he replied. “No one deserves to be abandoned on their wedding day.”

She lifted her gaze to meet his. For the first time, Richard saw not just fear or shyness in her eyes, but quiet strength. “Then why did you do it?” she asked softly.

Richard hesitated. The truth was too heavy to share tonight—his past, his parents, the night that turned him into the devil everyone feared. Instead, he gave her a small, rare smile.

“Because I was scared you’d be exactly like the rumors said. Turns out… I was wrong.”

Jenny’s lips curved into a tentative smile in return. “So was I.”

The tension in the room eased just a little. Richard lay back against the pillows, and after a moment, Jenny did the same, keeping a respectful distance between them.

“Sleep well, Jenny,” he murmured.

“You too… Richard.”