It was meant to be a well-guarded secret, but Derek assumed revealing it to a simple village girl like Marissa wasn’t a big deal and tried to frighten her off. Acting like some big shot, he continued, “As I said, many are plotting his demise. He plans to board the Sunrise soon, and various factions have joined forces to ensure he doesn’t leave. I heard you were accompanying him. That puts you directly in harm’s way. Do you comprehend the gravity of this?”
Marissa’s thoughts sharpened. “Is your family one of the factions plotting against him?”
Derek momentarily tensed, irritation flaring in his eyes. “Stop prying! Just remember what I’ve told you and stay away from him!”
Although she was aware of Neil’s discontent with Connor, she had always perceived it as nothing more than sibling rivalry within the Daniels family. Despite their age difference, with Neil being 23 years older, she never imagined that his resentment could be so profound. Derek’s revelations, however, painted a clear picture: Neil had aligned with others intent on Connor’s downfall. She had to acknowledge that Derek was right. These influential families were a complex web
Seeing her remain silent, Derek pressed, “What are you thinking about? Have you taken my advice to heart?”
Marissa decided to tease him a bit. “I can’t leave him. Without his support, I’d starve.”
“I will support you,” Derek blurted out suddenly. He straightened his tie with a flourish, standing tall. “You must know I’ve become the top online celebrity in Blebert. I make over 100 million dollars a day from selling things. Supporting you would be as easy as taking care of a pet dog.”
“Really?” Marissa laughed heartily. “I’m aware you’re a celebrated online personality who earns a fortune daily. But I have to ask, does that money actually end up in your pocket, or does it go straight into your father’s bank account? Do you even have access to it?”
Her words struck a nerve, and Derek’s composure crumbled like a facade falling away to reveal the true structure beneath. Marissa didn’t hold back her laughter. “You are a Daniels, indeed. You have the name but not the cash. Every month, your father hands you an allowance. Sure, you’ve made a name for yourself and money online, but it’s your father who controls how it’s spent. Am I right, my dear nephew-in-law?”
“Don’t call me that,” Derek snapped, his face turning a shade of red from embarrassment. “Who are you to belittle me? I am still more noble than a village girl like you!”
“I wasn’t belittling you,” Marissa replied, her hands raised in mock surrender. “You keep living your life as an heir of a wealthy family. I’ll stay as the wealthiest man’s fake wife. We stay out of each other’s lives and don’t put on airs in front of each other. Will that be okay with you?”
Just then, she heard rustling behind a big tree. Marissa spun around and called out sharply, “Who’s there? Come out right now!”
When Marissa heard the noise, she tensed up. She couldn’t risk anyone discovering that she was impersonating Tiffany at that moment. If someone overheard her conversation with Derek, it would complicate matters. Derek was equally nervous and wanted to keep his relationship with Marissa secret, especially from Aelfric
Just after Marissa asked her question, a large cat burst from the bushes and dashed away. Both Marissa and Derek exhaled in relief. They scanned their surroundings to ensure no one was listening in before resuming their discussion. Derek, having been accused by Marissa of putting on airs, grew more irritated
“Marissa, while I might not control much wealth right now, I have the backing of Doomsday Base. Not only am I the deputy chief instructor’s future brother-in-law, but the chief instructor also holds me in high regard. I have a bright future.”
“Oh?” Marissa was both skeptical and amused
She was aware of Derek’s ties to the deputy chief instructor of Doomsday Base, but the chief instructor’s high regard was news to her. Noticing Marissa’s mocking smile, Derek said, “You don’t believe me? Black Mallow, the chief instructor of Doomsday Base, will personally attend my engagement party. Then you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
Marissa casually cleaned her ear, showing her disinterest in Derek’s bragging. “Unless you have something more to say, I’m going to leave.”
“You…” Derek was infuriated by Marissa’s constant disregard, feeling a sharp pain in his chest from the frustration. “Marissa, are you unaware of what kind of organization Doomsday Base is? It is the largest and most terrifying martial arts organization in the world, a force not even Connor would dare provoke.”
“Oh, so what?” Marissa responded
“Now that I have Doomsday Base’s support, you should treat me with respect.”
“How exactly should I show you respect?” Marissa inquired calmly
Derek tilted his head up with pride and said, “Since Black Mallow values me, she will surely mentor and support me. I might even surpass Aelfric in the future. And I’ll have more than just one woman, so come and be my mistress.”
A sharp glint appeared in Marissa’s eyes momentarily. It was clear now that Derek’s true aim for requesting a private meeting was to coerce her into secretly becoming his mistress
What a jerk! Marissa realized she had been far too lenient with him in the past. She remained silent, leading Derek to believe she was intimidated by his revelations. So he said proudly, “Don’t worry, Marissa. While being my mistress isn’t something to flaunt, I’ll treat you well. I’ll provide you with money and even let you have my child.”
“Bang!” Marissa’s kick sent Derek tumbling into the nearby pond, startling a group of frogs into leaping away. The pond wasn’t deep, and Derek quickly got back to his feet. He pointed at Marissa furiously and scolded her, “You’ve always been hot-tempered. Anytime there’s a disagreement, you resort to physical actions. You’re such a crude, uneducated, and ignorant village girl. Who else would tolerate you but me? Marissa, you might not like me now, thinking you can depend on my uncle, but he won’t be around much longer. I’ve got the Doomsday Base’s chief instructor backing me. My future’s looking bright. I’ll wait for you to come crawling on your knees, begging. By then, you won’t even deserve to be my mistress. I’ll degrade you to nothing more than a lowly whore.”
With a smirk, Marissa slowly took out an object the size of a coin from her sleeve and stared at Derek coldly. Derek was frightened by her eyes and took a step back. “What are you holding?” He didn’t recognize it. This was the deadly weapon of the mercenary queen Black Snake, resembling a small coin but actually a sharp circular blade capable of slicing through iron. Black Snake wielded this circular blade with out-of-this-world skills. With a flick of her wrist, it would spin swiftly through the air, severing anything she aimed at, even if it was hundreds of feet away. Those who had witnessed this weapon were either dead or haunted for life. Derek had never seen it and didn’t know about it. At this moment, he looked confused. Before he could understand what was happening, Marissa made her move
Derek never understood why Marissa, despite being slender all her life, possessed remarkable strength in her hands. She gripped his neck and pushed him firmly against the ground. No matter how hard Derek tried, he couldn’t escape her grip
“What are you doing, Marissa?” he asked, his voice shaking
“Don’t panic. I’m just changing your hairstyle, not trying to kill you,” Marissa drawled. “Your fiancee’s hair was shaved off yesterday, wasn’t it? I thought I’d make you match.”
As she finished her sentence, Derek felt a chilling sensation on his scalp and watched his hair flutter to the ground. His heart raced. Only when he realized that Marissa was merely shaving his head did he allow himself to relax slightly
When his fear vanished, his confusion deepened. How could Marissa manage such a feat with something as tiny as a coin? He had little time to dwell on this mystery, though. As more hair accumulated on the ground, the reality set in-Marissa was making him bald. Today was his engagement party, attended by notable guests, and as a prominent online influencer, his appearance was crucial. How could he possibly face his live-stream audience now? Though Marissa had assured him she wouldn’t kill him, being rendered bald would drive him to the brink of insanity. Marissa was still that evil girl who hit where it hurt the most
He couldn’t contain his anger. “Marissa, you lunatic! This is humiliating. You devil! How dare you! Aren’t you afraid of what I might do? Once I’ve mastered the martial arts techniques the chief instructor will teach me, I will… Ouch!”
In response, Marissa adjusted the blade slightly, nicking his scalp. Derek screamed in pain and then fell silent. The grove returned to quiet. Marissa finished shaving his head, brushed off her hands, and departed without a backward glance
While the act of shaving Derek’s head had been exhilarating for Marissa, she felt a pang of sadness for Connor. They were in a villa belonging to the Daniels family, often used for lavish gatherings. Connor had graciously allowed Derek to use it for his engagement ceremony, showing considerable kindness to his brother’s family. Meanwhile, Connor’s eldest brother and nephew were conspiring with others to end his life
As Marissa approached the villa from the back garden, Leila and her mother, Rachel, spotted her from a distance. They paused and waited for her to come closer. In the past, the Sanchez family hadn’t been entitled to attend the Daniels family’s banquets. But now, as the maternal relatives of the family hostess, they were invited to Derek’s engagement party. Connor had even personally written their invitations. The Sanchez family was elated by the gesture. However, Leila was skeptical. Marissa had once confided that her marriage was merely a deal, which led Leila to view Connor’s kindness as nothing more than a facade to preserve his reputation
Noticing Marissa in a plain long-sleeved shirt, Leila commented, “Connor is too stingy. Even if their marriage is just a deal, he should have at least bought Tiffany a dress for such an important event.”
“What did you say, Leila?” Rachel inquired
“What?” Realizing her blunder, Leila hastily covered it up. “Nothing. I didn’t say anything,” she stammered
Rachel’s tone sharpened. “How dare you lie to your mother! You mentioned someone’s marriage was a deal. What is going on?”
Concerned for Tiffany, Rachel pressed for answers, fearing her daughter might withhold the truth. Reluctantly, Leila relayed what Marissa had told her. A minute later, Rachel’s face drained of color
“Is that true, Leila? Did Tiffany really say her marriage to Mr. Connor Daniels was just a deal? That they’re a sham couple and plan to divorce eventually?”
“Yes, that’s what Tiffany told me,” Leila confirmed with a nod. Unbeknownst to them, a figure lurked behind a nearby tree, eavesdropping on their entire conversation
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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