Chapter 1

"Be honest with me, you old fogey. Are you just sick of having me around because I'm getting in the way of you fooling around with that widow, Gloria Jenkins? Is that why you're sending me off to be someone's live-in son-in-law?"

Dragging his suitcase behind him, Damian Luther stood at the village entrance and snapped furiously at Alden Thorne, a pervy-looking old man who came to see him off.

"That's nonsense! Do you think I'm that kind of guy?" Alden barked with a furious glare as he kicked Damian in the rear.

"I've seen how you look at that slutty sow in the village. Your eyes are always practically gleaming with lust. I'm worried you'll do something scandalous, so I'm sending you down the mountain to get married! Don't be so ungrateful."

Pursing his lips, Damian said scornfully, "Who are you kidding? You eat far more than I do whenever we have pork."

"Cut the crap! Your future wife's the most beautiful woman in Cloudcove. Who knows how many men are dying to be with her? If you don't go now, don't come crying to me if someone steals her away."

"The most beautiful woman in Cloudcove?" Damian's eyes brightened. "Whoa! Why didn't you say so sooner? Why would I want to hang out with an old fogey like you if I had a hot wife waiting for me?

"I'm off to meet my beautiful wife!"

Thrilled, Damian dashed off impatiently, shouting as he did, "Gloria's a born seductress, Alden! Don't overdo it! I don't want to come back to find that you've been sucked dry!"

"Scram!" Alden snapped with a laugh, his eyes misting over.

Alden was a reclusive expert. When Damian was five years old, Alden had found him on the street and brought him up to the mountain with him. Over the past two decades, he passed down all of his incredible knowledge and expertise to Damian without holding back at all.

Damian was gifted and highly intelligent. Never once did he disappoint Alden. Be it medicine, martial arts, or various random areas of knowledge, he was able to master them all with ease. He even surpassed Alden in his abilities.

Alden was feeling a little reluctant to part with Damian.

"Damian, have fun out there, but don't forget to do the three things I told you to do!"

"Got it!" Damian shouted back and waved his hand without turning around.

Alden watched as Damian's figure grew smaller and smaller. He had mixed emotions, and his gaze was dim. By leaving the mountain village and joining the rest of society, Damian was essentially given the opportunity to unleash his full power.

Who knew the kind of storm that would be whipped up in Cloudcove?

Unfortunately for Alden, his great enemy approached, and with a slim chance of survival, he probably wouldn't be able to witness for himself what Damian might do.

…

Two days later, Damian had arrived in Cloudcove. He was in awe as he stood before Spencer Corporation's headquarters, an office building over 20 stories tall. Was this where his pretty wife-to-be worked? It was a lot grander than the two-story house owned by the richest family back in the village.

Damian stepped forward and began heading toward the entrance of the building.

"Hold it! What's your business here?" The security guard at the entrance stepped forward and blocked his path.

Damian smiled and pointed up at the building. "I'm here to find my future wife. She works here."

Taken aback, the security guard gave Damian a once-over. With how shabbily dressed he was, he looked like a country bumpkin.

"What's your future wife's name?"

"Her name is Christine Spencer," Damian replied with a grin.

Immediately, the security guard eyed him strangely.

"Hey, man. Out of all the people here, you're the weirdest one I've seen. Wait over there, and good luck," he said in amusement as he pointed at a tree nearby.

Looking over, Damian was startled to find several people waiting under the tree.

"Why should I go there? What are those people here for?"

Rolling his eyes, the security guard explained sarcastically, "What do you think? Like you, they're all here looking for their future wife."

Confused, Damian came over to the tree and joined the other men.

"Are you also one of Christine's admirers?"

"What an interesting outfit. Are you testing out an unconventional approach?" one of the men asked as he swiftly approached.

"Christine Spencer is my future wife," Damian corrected in all seriousness.

The other men all chimed in, "No! She's going to be my wife!"

Damian stiffened in shock. Did he have so much competition?

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "She's coming! Christine's coming!"

Damian saw a breathtakingly beautiful woman exiting the office building. Her all-black office suit accentuated her tall, slender figure.

The men under the tree shot to their feet and adjusted their clothes before saying, "Quick. Get in line. We'll talk to her one by one. Anyone who cuts in line is a filthy bastard!"

The first in line approached Christine with a bouquet in hand and a beaming smile on his face. Just then, the sound of a roaring engine grew louder. Within moments, a red Ferrari flew by and screeched to a stop in front of Christine.

The door opened, and a dapper guy with a bouquet of roses got out of the car.

"Is that Sean Webb?"

The men who were lining up to talk to Christine all tensed up and stopped what they were doing. They looked terrified.

"Get lost!" Sean barked at them with a scowl on his face.

Frightened, the men all ran off within seconds, leaving only a bewildered Damian behind. He didn't know what was happening.

Putting on a smile, Sean walked up to Christine and held the roses out to her. "These are for you, Christine."

Frowning, Christine said curtly, "I don't need them. Please step aside. Thank you."

But that didn't faze Sean at all. Still smiling, he said, "I really like you, Christine. Will you marry me?"

Immediately, Damian became displeased. He realized what was going on now. Sean, that dapper guy, was trying to steal Christine from him! To make matters worse, Sean cut in line! Who could put up with that?

He strode up to Sean and said, "Hey, man. Don't you know that it's first come, first served? Get in line!"

Caught off guard, Sean looked Damian up and down before snapping arrogantly, "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Damian Luther, and she is my future wife!" Damian gleefully declared as he pointed at Christine.

Alden hadn't lied. Christine was indeed an incredible beauty.

Briefly stunned, Sean began chortling. "Christine, he just said you're his future wife! Oh, my! I'm dying of laughter.

"Hey, man. Have you looked in the mirror lately? What gives you the courage to pursue Christine, looking the way you do? Get lost now, or I'll break your legs!"

Christine was also frowning. Having had plenty of admirers who came in all shapes and sizes, she was used to it all. Nevertheless, it was still her first time meeting an admirer of hers who looked like a country bumpkin.

"You should leave. He really might break your legs," she warned.

Sean's father, Franklin Webb, was a well-known property developer in Cloudcove and wielded a great deal of power in the city. With Franklin protecting him, Sean was arrogant and overbearing, acting like he ruled the world. He was also known as one of the four scions of Cloudcove.

It was child's play for him to break the legs of a nobody.

"Relax, darling. He can't win in a fight against me," Damian assured with a grin. He had a favorable impression of Christine since she was showing him concern.

Meanwhile, Christine frowned. This wasn't about who could win in a fight. Nevertheless, she decided to drop it. She'd done her part by warning him. He couldn't blame her if he did get his legs broken.

"Christine, this is a fully customized Ferrari Roma. I bought it just for you. Do you like it?" Sean asked.

The women who were passing by immediately stopped and squealed in envy. The car cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many people would never be able to afford it in their lifetime. Wasn't it so romantic that Sean was giving it to Christine right in public?

After glancing at Damian, Sean said derisively, "Hey, punk. It takes more than words to pursue a woman. What are you going to give Christine? It'd better not be some sweet potatoes from your farm."

The spectating crowd jeered as well. Damian clearly looked like he'd come from some rural village. He probably didn't even have a few hundred dollars on him. How could he compare to a wealthy scion like Sean?

Damian didn't care about the mockery from the ones around him. He said, "I do have something to give to my future wife. I dare say that as soon as I bring it out, she'll take me home at once. Do you believe me?"

Roaring with laughter, Sean mocked sarcastically, "Quit trying to talk yourself up. If Christine takes you home, I'll eat my shit right here, right now!"

Brows furrowing, Christine glanced at Damian in disdain. She wasn't opposed to guys trying to pursue her. After all, everyone was attracted to a beautiful woman. That being said, Damian's boastful words sounded like he was just trying to make himself out as a big shot. It was rather pathetic of him.

He said she was going to take him home, huh?

In his dreams!

"Oh, my. You'd best get ready to eat to your heart's content, then."

Smirking, Damian took something out and held it out in front of Christine. She looked over with a hint of derision, but when she saw what he was holding, her expression stiffened.