Chapter 2

"What? I didn't hear wrong?" Charlotte laughed. "Your father is a head servant, and even his last salary and insurance wouldn't be able to fund your wedding. You're really dreaming."

Jake tugged at the hem of Aldrich's clothes. "Even if you sell all the assets in your house, until you have no clothes to sell, your money won't be able to match the luxury of our wedding!"

"What can you boast about from a father who only works as a butler? You don't even have any decent clothes. What kind of lavish wedding did you expect, you fool!" Charlotte let out a long sigh, holding back her laughter.

Aldrich smirked. The two people before him had no idea who he really was. He was a wealthy businessman who had succeeded overseas. Although Rhodes was only a butler in the Ledger mansion, but had an abundant inheritance from his father-Alex.

Billion dollar houses in several places. Luxury yachts, jet boats, and private ferries. Islands, as well as dozens of luxury resorts. Entertainment venues, dozens of high-rise apartments, and major corporations under Alex's leadership, all now under Aldirch's thumb.

Rhodes felt unable to continue his father's wealth. He was not good at managing the property and assets he inherited. Finally, he decided to leave all the wealth to Aldirch.

All the inheritance can be managed well by Aldirch. He studied at a prestigious university abroad. Not just anyone can get in there. Besides being famous for being luxurious and expensive in the world, the students there are also intelligent and have power.

"Look, he's quiet. You shouldn't have to ask because there's nothing for that poor guy to brag about!" Jake pushed back Aldirch's shoulder firmly.

Aldirch looked at his shoulder, then shook his hand at it like he was shaking off dust. That left Jake stunned.

Jake's eyes flashed with anger. His jaw hardened with a loud gnashing of teeth. "You bastard! You think you're better than trash? You and that piece of trash are no different, damn it!"

Jake raised his hand up, about to deliver a blow to Aldirch. But Charlotte, who saw all the servants in the living room looking at them, pulled Jake's arm away quickly.

"Never mind, dear. Don't get your hands dirty hitting a dirty man like him. He's just testing you. If you fall for it, he'll be happy." Charlotte tried to calm Jake's anger.

"What are you doing here, huh? Get lost! Don't want to know your employer's business!" Charlotte snapped at the servants.

The servants were frightened and scurried away. They ran into the house.

Charlotte girded her loins. "Damn it. I'll teach them a lesson for eavesdropping!"

"I thought Miss Charlotte's lover would beat up the butler Rhodes' son, but no." The maids whispered to each other.

The male servant waved his hand in the air. "Never mind, come on, get back to work. Don't make Miss Charlotte even angrier."

Charlotte looked at Aldrich with a fierce gaze full of anger as she also realized the maids had been watching them all along.

"Already, just leave here and there's no need to come back. This is no place for you useless scum!" Charlotte waved her hand in the air as a signal to send Aldirch away.

Jake and Charlotte walked away into the house, leaving Aldrich alone in the garden of the Ledger residence. Charlotte closed the door so tightly that the large window shook.

Just as Aldirch turned his body around, he saw a pensive girl in one corner of the garden while watering some pink roses.

Aldirch approached the woman who looked resigned with a sad look on her face. "Did you hear everything?"

Selena nodded her head weakly. "Yes, I heard everything."

Selena was not a legitimate child in the Ledger family. Insults and scorn were her daily bread. Even the insults Charlotte threw at Aldrich earlier were nothing compared to what she was used to.

Selena turned off the water tap. She sat on a chair in the corner of the garden. "I didn't think that the two of them were the masterminds of that day's events."

Aldrich noticed that Selena's eyes looked puffy as if after crying. I wondered to what extent and how much she had heard from his conversation with Jake and Charlotte.

"I'm sorry for humiliating you like this," Selena regretted. Because she slept in Aldirch's room, the man had failed to marry Charlotte.

Aldirch also sat next to Selena. "You just calm down. Everything will be fine."

**

Aldrich and Selena were talking in a quiet park. Selena was still crying. "I'm sorry, Aldrich."

Selena still felt guilty for Aldrich. "Go away. My life will be more miserable if you are close to me. I'm just making it hard for you."

Aldrich patted Selena lightly on the shoulder. "Take it easy. They won't be able to beat our marriage."

Selena was surprised. She looked at Aldrich with an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me? Where's the money? I'm just a bastard who has no assets."

"You don't have to think about it. I'm sure they'll be embarrassed to see our wedding." Aldrich tried to calm Selena down

Aldrich would not be afraid of Charlotte and Jake's threats. She had more wealth than the Ledger family had. She could do anything she wanted. In just one blink of an eye, everything would be easily realized.

Selena wiped away her tears. "How could I not think about it? Never mind, don't fantasize, Aldrich. Your words are nonsense."

Selena was losing hope. How could she possibly marry properly? She couldn't eat as long as the others hadn't finished eating. She often wore shabby clothes that were no better than those of the servants in the house.

Even to sleep comfortably, Selena had to sleep at the end of the room away from people. Almost every day, Selena was treated by Charlotte and her stepmother like an unpaid servant. 

Selena rubbed her face. "I can't imagine how it will be after marriage. It will definitely be worse than this."

"Never mind, I can change things. One second can affect many things. You have to be optimistic, Selena. Don't be afraid, I'm here for you." Aldrich looked so confident.

Selena just silently looked at the man. Just thinking about him made her dizzy. She thought, maybe Aldrich said that because he didn't want to make her sadder. She also didn't know the man who had just come to the Ledger family home and would soon become her husband. 

"That's it, don't cry anymore." Aldrich wiped Selena's tears with both thumbs, then hugged the woman.

Suddenly, Selena stopped crying instantly in surprise. "What are you doing?"

Aldrich tightened her embrace. "The servants are watching us."

Selena was silent, leaving Aldrich like that. Aldicrh did it on purpose because any gossip about her would be highly favored by those who disliked her.

Aldrich released the hug and led Selena away from the park, then he observed the surroundings after exiting the large towering gate.

Selena felt a little awkward because of the hug. "Thank you. I'm already calmer because of you."

Aldrich smiled with a flat expression. "Yes, just remember what I said."

"Miss Selena." One of the maids who had seen them earlier, approached hurriedly. "Lord Berthan is looking for you."

"Alright, I'll go first," Selena excused herself. Followed by the maidservant.

After Selena went inside, Aldrich reached into his pants pocket and sent a message to someone.