Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 46

"Tonight, I just want to curl up with you and sleep; that's all I'm going to do," Stefan promised her.

When loved someone, he had to respect her body.

"Thank you, Stefan." Lucinda instantly thanked him for his understanding.

As soon as she finished speaking, her lips were gently touched by Stefan's.

She touched her own lips, looking at him innocently.

"Call me hubby, like you did just now. I really like hearing that."

Lucinda's face instantly turned red.

She had just called him that to appease his jealousy and anger.

"You can call me whatever," said Lucinda before trying to duck away.

"Oh, right, Stefan, something weird happened."

"What's up?"

Stefan followed her downstairs to have dinner.

Emma knew he would bring Lucinda back tonight, so she had the kitchen prepare lots of dishes that Lucinda liked.

"Before you came to pick me up, there were several men in black who looked like bodyguards. The way they looked at me, it felt like murder."

Hearing this, Stefan's expression immediately became serious and deep, but he tried to stay calm and comforted Lucinda, saying, "You don't know them, right? If you don't, then maybe you're just overthinking. I also find some people to look particularly fierce, always making one feel as if they're murderers."

"I don't know them. I've never offended anyone. If I had to name someone I've pissed off, it'd just be Ruby. But she was the one who picked a fight with me first."

"Ruby can only use Owen to pressure you. Her family is not in this country, and she doesn't have much influence in Pinehurst anymore. Owen came later, which indicates that the men in black you saw probably weren't sent by Owen."

"Lucy, don't worry yourself sick. I'm here to protect you; nothing's going to happen."

He must find someone to investigate who sent those men in black and why they were secretly following Lucinda. Was it because of him or for some other reason?

As the leader of Ascend Global, besides Owen, Stefan inevitably had many other enemies in the business world. After all, Ascend Global's influence was so great that it naturally attracted a lot of jealousy.

Before, Stefan seemed to have no weaknesses.

Now with Lucinda, she's become his Achilles' heel, and someone might want to use Lucinda to attack him.

Owen was his enemy, but Owen would not use a woman to achieve his own ends. Although he was unwilling to admit that he lost to Stefan, he publicly admitted his failure nonetheless.

"Good evening, master, madam!"

As soon as the couple reached the first floor, Emma and the rest greeted them.

Stefan didn't react unusually.

But Lucinda was startled by this unfamiliar scene and wasn't used to being addressed in such a way.

In the luxurious hall, there were nearly twenty people; apart from Emma, Lucinda remembered another person, the driver.

She glanced at the driver, then looked at the man beside her and lightly chuckled.

"That's my chauffeur; you've met him before," said Stefan calmly.

"I really thought he was a taxi driver."

Stefan smiled slightly. "I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable, so I told a little white lie."

Lucinda was speechless.

His attitude towards her was so frank that she didn't know how to react.

"Mr. Coleman, everyone is here," said Emma respectfully.

"Let everyone introduce themselves and their roles to Lucy," said Stefan calmly.

So, starting with Emma, everyone introduced themselves and their roles to Lucinda.

Lucinda didn't know what to say and could only respond with smiles, greeting everyone before falling silent.

She thought to herself, So this was what it's like to be rich?

She heard Stefan patiently explain, "I originally bought this villa for the convenience of work. These people were all transferred from the old house, but I didn't expect to transfer so many people over; I thought there were only a few."

"Over at the old house, there are still many people working. When we go back, I'll notify everyone to gather so you can meet them. Remember them if you can, but if you can't, it's fine as long as they know you're my wife."

Lucinda blinked and instinctively asked, "Just how many employees does your family have?"

Stefan dismissed everyone, leading Lucinda into the dining room.

The dining table was filled with a variety of delicious food; it was a feast for the eyes.

"I hired a chef from outside at a high price; his cooking is really good, even better than the chefs at the Anderson Hotel and Ascend Hotel." Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

Lucinda was once again dumbfounded by the extravagance of the wealthy lifestyle and stood there in awe.

No wonder the dishes made by these chefs were so aromatic and delicious—a feast for all the senses.

She really had no concept of the world of the rich.

Of course, she wasn't used to it either.

Was it too late to regret it and get a divorce now?

The couple sat at the dining table. Emma wanted to serve them but was signaled to leave by Stefan .

He could tell that Lucinda wasn't used to having people waiting to be instructed nearby.

Considering the gap in their realities, Stefan wasn't in a rush to make her adapt to this lifestyle. Instead, he wanted her to take it one step at a time, slowly accepting this way of life.

He didn't give her time to adjust, directly making her take on the role of a wife that she had never experienced before. He felt a little sorry, but he didn't want to back down because once he gave up, she would leave him.

Everything else, he can take it slow.

"The name Anderson Manor is also known as Ascend Estate. Because we all live together, the Ascend Estate is pretty huge, with loads of houses; everyone's got their own digs."

"Actually, I was supposed to live in the central area of Ascend Estate, but I like my own space and don't really want too many people around. So now, my grandparents and my parents live in the middle, and I'm off to the east. Each yard has its own butler and staff, all with clear job descriptions."

Lucinda: "So, your family's got a whole bunch of employees?"

Stefan brought her some food from far away, stressing, "It's our home, Lucy; we're married; my house is your house; your house is mine; we're in this together."

"We've got a big family, so yeah, we've got a lot of workers, including the ones who look after the orchards and vegetable gardens; all in all, about a thousand-ish. Oh yeah, Ascend Estate is big; besides housing the family, we also grow fruit trees, vegetables, and the like on the nearby mountains, really making the most of the land. This way we're self-sustaining, and the food we eat is all good."

Lucinda kept her head down, eating in silence.

Other than eating, she had no idea what to say, so she just gobbled down her food, avoiding having to respond to his description.

Compared to the rich dude in front of her, she was truly dirt poor, and her poverty had limited her imagination.

This was the real deal in terms of a wealthy family.

Next time her mom brings up Olivia for comparison, she’ll mention the Anderson family's business; she's pretty sure the Andersons status would leave Olivia and her husband eating their dust, green with envy!

"Lucy, eat up; these are all dishes you like. If you think the chef's cooking isn't up to par, I can have a word with the butlers and get the chef to learn some new dishes."

"No, it's delicious—uh, really delicious."

Lucinda quickly replied, "Stefan, I'm just overwhelmed by the size of your family's estate; just the workers alone number over a thousand."

Stefan laughed, "Actually, we're all pretty laid back; the reason we have so many workers is because of the detailed division of labor, and also because our orchards are huge and there are lots of plantations too; that's why we need so many people to manage."