She Married A Nobody, And Nobody Dared Touch Her Again

Chapter 003

Sera looked toward the door.

A man in a shabby shirt with a worn-out backpack stood in the doorway, taking in the whole room with a calm, unhurried expression. As if he didn't realize he'd just walked into a situation that was about to blow up.

Or he did, and just didn't care.

It's him...

Sera's heart skipped, beating once, harder than usual.

This man was none other than the one who had saved her earlier, the one who had taken down ten armed men in a matter of seconds. The man who had turned down two million dollars a month like it was a number not even worth his attention.

Why is he here? Why is he looking for me?

Her mind raced.

Could it be...

"Who the hell are you?!"

Arthur's voice shattered the silence. He looked the man up and down, not hiding the slightest bit of disgust on his face. His gaze lingered on the worn shirt, then the ratty backpack slung over the man's shoulder, then back to his face.

"What are you doing here?! This is a private residence, not a homeless shelter!"

"I'm Lein Ashre." The man's voice was flat. Not out of nerves, but because he didn't feel the need to raise it to be heard. "Sera Caldwell's fiancé."

Silence.

One second.

Two seconds.

Then the whole room erupted.

"What?!"

"Fiancé?!"

"What did this beggar just say?!"

Sera felt a dozen pairs of eyes snap toward her at once, waiting, questioning, some of them already wearing mocking smiles before she'd even opened her mouth.

But she realized that whatever this man's reasons were, this was clearly her chance.

Sera stepped forward, stood beside Lein, and took his right hand. Her fingers gripped it tight, like someone who had no intention of letting go.

"That's right," she said, her voice steady without a single tremor. "Lein Ashre is my fiancé. And we're getting married tomorrow."

Lein glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

Then that smile appeared. Warmer this time.

"I never thought fate was actually real," Lein said.

The silence held for two more seconds before the room broke.

Laughter. Not just ordinary laughter. Long, loud laughter, like they'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Lara was the first to speak, because she was exactly the type who could never keep her mouth shut.

She looked Lein over from head to toe without holding anything back, like someone appraising a piece of junk on the side of the road.

"Sera." Her voice was sweet, but her eyes weren't. "I know you've always had terrible taste. But this..." she nodded her chin at Lein, "this goes way past terrible taste. What is that shirt? When was the last time it got washed? And that bag, oh my God, how old is that thing?"

Her laughter spilled out, light and cruel.

"Honestly, I'd rather die alone than stand within three feet of a guy like that. Are you seriously marrying him, Sera? Did you just hit your head on something and turn into an idiot?"

From the corner of the room, Angela, another one of Sera's cousins, stepped forward. Her red hair fell neatly over her shoulders, her clothes were expensive, and her pretty face wore an expression even colder than Lara's.

"Sera," she said, her tone like someone patiently explaining something to a person who wasn't very bright. "The Caldwell family is one of the biggest names in this city. The media watches our every move. And you want them snapping photos of you standing next to a man who looks like a bum?" She shook her head slowly. "Please, use a little common sense. You'll embarrass the Caldwell name even more than you already have."

Daniel didn't laugh. He smiled, and somehow that was worse than Lara's laughter.

"Honestly, I've got to hand it to you, Sera." He clapped slowly, once, twice, with a smile that felt like a dull knife. "It's the perfect choice. A filthy guy who looks like a beggar, a perfect match for someone like you who can only sit pretty on her parents' inheritance. You two really are the most compatible couple in the world. A match made in heaven."

The laughter in the room grew louder.

Arthur stood with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at Lein with a look that didn't bother hiding his disgust.

"This is the best you could do, Sera?" His voice was low, full of a cruel kind of pleasure. "Didn't Victor ever teach you how to pick a husband? This bum isn't even fit to scrub the floors of this house, and you're bringing him in as your husband?" He shook his head, but his eyes were still smiling. "What a disgrace!"

Sera said nothing.

Let them.

Let them laugh. Let them insult him. Because Sera knew one thing that no one else in this room did.

She knew what the man standing beside her tonight was capable of.

Meanwhile, Lein stood calmly at her side, letting every word drift past him like the wind.

Then he opened his mouth.

"What a pathetic bunch of ants."

He said it in the same tone someone might use while watching bugs crawl across the floor.

The laughter in the room died instantoly.

Daniel's face changed. The smile vanished, replaced by something darker.

"What the fuck did you just say, you son of a bitch?!"

Lein didn't look at him. Didn't even turn his head.

Instead, his eyes dropped to Sera, who was still holding his hand tightly. Then his expression shifted. More serious, colder.

"Give me the order." His voice was low, just loud enough for Sera to hear. But the room had gone so quiet that every word landed clearly. "Anyone here, anyone who's ever hurt you, anyone who dared to throw those insults at you tonight. Just one word from you."

He raised his gaze and calmly swept it across the entire room.

"And I'll make sure they never open their mouths again for the rest of their lives."