The Ryu Dynasty Returns

Chapter 6:

In the Zhao’s ancestral grounds, incense smoke rises slowly in the air. The Zhao servants slowly lowered Damon’s coffin into the ground.

It hits with a soft thud.

Orion stands in front of the grave, inhaling a sharp breath. His face, cold and pale as he looks on. Riven stands close to him, his expression unreadable.

Although he appeared calm, he felt a strange emptiness within him. Damon had been the one who understood the truth behind his family’s death as well as the Ryugan bloodline but he had left it up to him to find the truth out, and now the answers seems buried with him.

Soon, the burial ends with the servants dispersing slowly. Orion and Riven are the only ones left standing in front of the freshly covered grave.

“Father would have wanted us to be strong and that we will do,” he says after a long moment of silence, speaking rather to himself.

Orion glances at Riven with a small smile. Riven could see through his mask. The Zhao's heir was breaking despite the strong resolve in his eyes.

He reaches into his pocket and brings out an envelope. Regaining his composure, he hands it over to Riven.

“In here contains your next steps.”

Riven stares at the content grimly. Inside were the same legal documents Damon had shown him about his marriage agreement.

“It was father’s wish for the wedding to happen immediately before the outside forces realize you aren’t what we have made you seem to the outside world.”

Riven looks up from the content at his sworn brother and nods with understanding.

In order to keep him safe, Damon had told the world that he was mentally impaired and was recovering in the Zhao’s residence and now, he would have to keep up with that image until the time was right.

He read through the agreement further. It binds him to Odessa Chen, the first granddaughter of the Chen family.

“It is most likely that the Chen family also don’t know much about this arrangement,” Orion continues. “Because most records were erased after the Wei massacre eighteen years ago.”

Riven inhaled sharply as he stared at the tomb thoughtfully. Perhaps, this may lead him closer towards the truth about his family and his missing sister.

“To honour our parents, I will do this.”

…

Kairen city spread forth in Riven’s eyes as the taxi sped through the city. Sky scrapers glistening under the sun. Luxury vehicles drove side by side with pedestrians walking on the side steps.

It had been a long time since he stepped into the city.

The taxi halted in front of the courthouse. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped out of the taxi. Despite Orion offering him an escort, Riven had refused, insisting on dressing in plain clothes with no sign of luxury on him.

Few minutes later, a sleek black Mercedes pulls over at the entrance. A tall, slender woman steps out of the car. She is dressed in a white dress, her jaw set, elegant aura exuded from attracting the attention of the others.

“Isn’t that the Chen heiress?” One of them whispers to her companions.

“That’s indeed her. She looks so beautiful.”

“I wonder who she is here to get married to.”

“I’m sure it’s one of the rich heirs in town. Only such men deserve beauties!”

Riven’s brows furrowed as he stared at the woman walking towards him.

So this was Odessa Chen.

Not bad.

“You must be Riven Wei,” Odessa says as she stops in front of him, studying him.

“Yes, I am,” he responds coolly.

“Then, let’s get this done with.”

Odessa walks past him into the registry but Riven calls out to her.

“Aren’t we supposed to hold hands?” He raises a brow. “We are getting married after all.”

Odessa’s jaw tightens as she stops, slowly turning around to look at Riven’s outstretched arm. She inhales sharply and takes his hand. As the two walk hand in hand into the courtroom, those outside look stunned.

…

Countless gazes lands on the couple as they walk into the courtroom together. The deep contrast between the both of them was glaring.

Murmuring quickly spread across the courtroom.

“Is that the man Miss Chen is getting married to?”

“No. You must mistaken,” another whispered. “He could be her bodyguard. Look at the clothes he’s wearing.”

“Couldn’t cost more than 50 bucks,” one adds with the wrinkle of his nose.

…

Odessa and Riven sat down in the waiting room side by side. Odessa looked calm despite the turmoil running deep inside her. She was getting married to a total stranger, a man rumored to be mentally unstable.

What was her grandfather thinking?!

Riven, on the other hand had a blank expression on, he had noticed the disdainful looks of the others as they walked past them.

“Miss Chen, Mister Wei,” a voice called from inside the office. “Please step forward.”

Gasps came from the people in the room.

“He’s from the Wei family? I thought the Wei family had collapsed long ago?”

“Oh my! I heard that the son had escaped the fate of his family but ended up mentally unstable.”

“How can the Chen family allow their daughter to get married to him?”

“What a pity…”

Although most of them had pity in their eyes as they stared at Odessa.

They were secretly joyous.

Odessa was one of the top five beauties in the city and several women were jealous of her, and thought of her as prideful because she had turned down the advances of countless rich heirs on a daily basis.

Seeing her getting married to someone lower than her status made them stare gleefully secretly.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Riven but he didn’t care. The words of Damon were ringing in his ears.

‘Finding out the truth is tied to this alliance.’

The two approached the registrar’s desk together. Several documents were pushed towards them while a photographer took photos of them.

Odessa didn’t hesitate to sign her name. Riven’s fingers tightened around the pen, his reluctance was noticed by both the registrar and Odessa.

“You don’t know how to sign your name?” Odessa asked politely.

He was rumored to be mentally impaired so it wouldn’t be far-fetched that he wouldn’t be able to sign his name. However, Riven shook his head and signed his name under hers.

The registrar looked at them both and smiled professionally.

“Congratulations. Your marriage is now officially recognized under Kairen City law.”

Before either of them could respond, the doors of the courtroom burst open and a young man with several other men about his age walked in.

He stopped right in front of Odessa, her eyes flashed with recognition. Then he glanced at Riven, a smirk forming on his lips.

“So this is the trash grandfather asked you to marry?”