The House of Royals occupied about 20,000 square meters, and it was the most luxurious villa in all of Cansington.

It had everything from a garden, a swimming pool, and a golf course.

Thea sat on the soft couch of the foyer, looking around at the villa in disbelief. It resembled a palace more than anything.

She had known that any man with pride and self-respect would never marry her, much less into the Callahan family back when her grandfather said to find a husband for her.

She thought at that time whoever was willing to marry her would be greedy and lazy, coveting her family’s wealth, although she did not know who her husband would be at all.

Yet, she had never expected this man who just became her husband would bring her to this paradise.

James knelt and lifted her veil.

“Don’t…”

Thea panicked and shied away. With scars crisscrossing her face and entire body, she was a fearful sight. What if she scared her new husband away? They had not even been properly introduced yet!

James removed her veil anyway.

Thea was extremely scared, her heart beating out a nervous rhythm in her chest. She felt so ashamed, wanting nothing more than to disappear and hide.

James tilted her face up gently.

It was a shocking latticework of scars.

James traced his fingers over them.

His heart ached for her, knowing that it was all his fault. If she had not saved him, Thea would not be in this situation.

He had a tender expression on his face, an unusual look for him. Almost in tears, he said, “Oh Thea, you’ve suffered too much.”

Thea did not dare to look at James directly. She fidgeted with her shirt instead.

Gently, James told her, “Trust me. I’ll help you recover.”

Thea panicked again, still not looking at him.

“Get the medicine.”

James stood up and barked out a command.

Immediately, the doors of the villa burst open. A few men in black suits walked in, carrying a few boxes.

Inside the boxes were expensive pills, tablets, and other types of valuable medicine.

James got to work, fiddling with items inside the boxes and mixing some of them to form a salve.

Once he was done, he crouched down by Thea. She was still playing with a corner of her shirt. He took her scarred hands in his, but she pulled away and hid them behind her back. Looking at the floor, she asked quietly, “What… are you doing?”

“Relax, Thea. Take off your clothes.”

Thea started crying at once and quickly undressed. With tears in her eyes, she said, “Yes, I know I’m ugly. I have scars everywhere. Are you happy now?”

She knew that any man her grandfather chose for her would mock her and humiliate her.

She had gotten used to it over the years.

Ever since the incident, she had been plagued with nightmares. She cried every day, and she could barely remember what it was like to be happy.

Looking at James, she bit her lip, still crying. Tears pooled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

James felt his cold heart thaw looking at her.

He hugged Thea to him, solemnly vowing, “I will never cast you aside. No matter what you look like, you’re my wife, now and forever.”

Thea was stunned.

Was he not going to mock her?

She could not dredge up a response.

James released her and carefully applied the salve he concocted onto her scars.

Then, he wrapped her up with gauze entirely, even her face. When he was done, Thea looked just like a mummy.

James guided Thea to sit down with him.

“Thea, trust me. Ten days is all it takes. I promise that you’ll be a different person after ten days.”

“R-really?” Thea finally managed to respond, though she did not quite believe it.

“Of course. I would never lie to you.”

Even though she could not see James’ face, she could hear his voice. His voice was magnetic and gentle, and it warmed her heart.

In the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by.

They were the happiest ten days Thea had experienced in the past ten years.

She still did not know her husband’s identity, but he cared for her attentively and stayed with her around the clock.

Every night, he told her stories and jokes, lulling her to sleep.

Every time she woke up, his strong hands were there, holding her.

For the past ten years, she had forgotten what care was, not to mention love.

Now, she felt like she was in love.

In the villa, Thea was standing in front of the mirror, her body wrapped in white gauze from head to toe, including her face.

At the moment, she could not help but feel nervous.

For ten days, she had applied the salve religiously, feeling her skin burn.

James had told her that as long as she did it regularly, she would be able to recover her looks.

“Is… is this really happening?” She was holding onto a pair of strong hands.

“Yes.” James slowly removed the gauze from her face and body.

Thea knew it was bright in the room, but she was afraid of opening her eyes.

“Go on, open your eyes and take a look.”

Only then did Thea open her eyes. She was standing naked in front of the mirror.

The girl in the mirror still had the remnants of the salve all over her body, but it was evident that her skin was smooth and unblemished.

In the mirror, her face was almost perfect. Thea was shocked. Her jaw dropped.

After a few seconds, she wiped away the salve on her face, touching it disbelievingly.

“What…”

She was shocked beyond belief. How could the girl in the mirror with smooth, unblemished skin be her?

Ten years ago, she suffered burns and disfigurement.

No matter how advanced medicine was back then, there was no coming back from that.

But now, she had recovered.

Over the past ten years, she had not even looked in the mirror once and woke up from nightmares every single day.

Now, looking at her perfect face in the mirror, she cried tears of joy.

She fell into James’ arms and bawled, feeling the weight of grief and suffering of the past ten years lift.

James hugged Thea tightly. “I’ll never let you get hurt again,” he promised.

Thea was excited and overjoyed at first, but then she realized that she was stark naked. Her exuberance turned into embarrassment.

She freed herself from the embrace, lowering her head at a loss.

James pointed to the bathroom, saying, “I’ve prepared some hot water and clothes for you, but I don’t know your size, so the bras are of different sizes. Just wear whichever is suitable for you.”

Shyly, Thea ran to the bathroom.

James made his way to the foyer, sinking onto the couch and lighting a cigarette.

“General.”

A man about 40 years of age entered, wearing a black suit. He held a thick stack of documents, passing it to James with his head bowed. “This is all the information we have on The Great Four. Everything we could find about the deaths of the Cadens is here. Please take a look.”

James pointed at the table. “Just leave it there.”

“General, they’re low-class families. Say the word, and we’ll take care of them…”

James waved his hand.

The man stopped talking immediately.

James lifted his head and looked at the man in front of him, whose head was still bowed. “I’m no longer the general. From now on, there will be no more Dragon General. Investigating The Great Four will be the last time I use my privilege as well. You don’t have to stay with me. Take the men with you. You’re needed at the border.”

The man fell to his knees. “Sir, we’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. The border at the Southern Plains is stable. The enemy will not invade. General, don’t make us leave. Let us stay and help.”

James stood and pulled the man up, saying, “Henry, this is a personal matter. I’ll take care of it myself. Once it’s done, all I want is to enjoy a peaceful, quiet life without war and violence. I want to stay with Thea and love her the best I can.”

“General…”

“Leave. Take the men back to the Southern Plains!” James roared.

Henry knelt again. Loudly, he declared, “Take care, General. The Black Dragon Army will be waiting for your return.”

“Go.” James sat down again and waved his hand.

Only then did Henry turn and leave.

Thea emerged from her shower in a while.

She wore a white slip dress which showed off her smooth neck and arms.

She would have never worn something like this in the past.

She was in a rather good mood, humming a tune under her breath. Touching her smooth skin, she grinned widely.

She stopped when she saw James smoking moodily on the couch.

She walked over and sat down next to him. Her face was flushed, though she did not know if it was because she had just finished her shower or because she was shy.

“Um…” She opened her mouth without knowing what to say.

Even though she had spent ten days with James, it was different as she was blindfolded. Now that she was faced with him, she was a little shy. She did not know what to say at all.

Pulled from his thoughts, James looked at Thea, his eyes sparkling. “Darling, when are we getting our marriage license?”

“What?”

Thea was stunned, her mouth slightly open. She looked adorable when she was confused.

James smiled. “I’m part of the Callahans now. I’m your husband according to your grandfather’s order. Are you regretting it? Don’t you want to marry me?”

“I do.”

Once Thea caught up, there was nothing to say except those two words.

James had shown her so much care for the past ten days that he had wormed his way into her heart.

How could she not marry a man like him?

She snuck a glance at James.

He was tall, strong, and confident. Even just looking at him made her blush and her heart beat faster.

One hour later, a man and a woman emerged from the Department of Civil Affairs, hand in hand.

Thea looked at the marriage licens. Everything felt like a dream to her.

She was officially married now?

Fantasizing about her future before this, she had hoped she would one day have a passionate love affair.

However, things rarely went according to plan or imagination. Her grandfather had arranged her fate. James, who married into her family, stole her away to a palace-like paradise where she stayed for ten days.

In those ten days, she had recovered. She was beautiful once again.

Even though Thea knew nothing about James, she was glad to have married him and held onto his hand tightly.

None of the Callahans bothered to look for Thea even though she had been gone for ten days.

To the Callahans, Thea was the black sheep of the family and the laughing stock of Cansington. If it were not for Thea, the Callahans’ business would be booming.

Once Thea had recovered, she picked up her marriage certificate with James and they went home together.

Lex Callahan had three sons.

According to birth order, they were Howard, John, and Benjamin.

Benjamin was shunned by his own family because of Thea. It did not matter that he worked hard, expanding the family business by leaps and bounds.

At home, he did not have any rank, status, or authority whatsoever.

Benjamin might be a Callahan Group manager, but he had no shares in the company. All he got was a fixed salary each month with no bonus. As such, he was struggling to make ends meet.

It was true that he had bought a house, but there was still the mortgage to pay off every month.

“This is my home, Jamie.”

Pointing to the doors, Thea said, “It’s nothing compared to the palace you live in though.”

James took her hand in his and smiled. “Home is wherever you are.”

Thea smiled. Approaching the entrance, she knocked on the door gently.

Gladys opened the door.

She was slightly shocked to see a beautiful girl and an unfamiliar man. She asked, “Can I help you?”

“Mom,” Thea said.

Gladys was stunned upon hearing this beautiful girl call her mom.

“Mom, I’m Thea. Your daughter.”

“What?”

Gladys was shocked. Looking at the girl in front of her, she was confused. “Y-You’re Thea?”

“It’s me, mom. My scars are all gone now.”

“Hi, mom,” James added.

“What?” Gladys thought that she would never recover from all the shocks.

Holding onto James’ arm, Thea said, “Mom, grandfather picked him as my husband.”

Gladys finally responded. She pulled Thea to her side quickly. Coldly, she said to James, “I’ve never acknowledged you as my son-in-law.”

She touched Thea’s smooth face. “Thea, is it really you? You… Your face and the scars and your body… What happened?”

“Mom, I’ve been undergoing treatment for the past ten days. I’ve recovered now, and will no longer be a humiliation to the family,” Thea choked out.

Ever since the incident, she had been an embarrassment to the Callahans, causing them to be the laughing stock of Cansington. Her parents were barely able to show their faces in public.

“My girl…” Gladys hugged Thea, crying. “My girl… It’s my fault. I never should have left you alone to deal with it. You’ve been through so much… Come, let’s go inside.”

She pulled Thea into the house.

Now that Thea had recovered her looks, Gladys had other plans in mind.

With Thea’s beautiful looks, she could marry a rich man instead of a lazy worm who was after the family’s wealth.

She pointed at the door and coldly ordered James, “Get out.”

“Mom, what are you doing? He’s my husband, hand-picked by grandfather!”

“Let’s go to the family villa now. I’ll have the old man call off the wedding himself.”

Gladys wasted no time, dragging Thea with her.

“Jamie…”

Thea turned around to look at James helplessly.

James shrugged, looking like he did not have a care in the world. He merely followed the two women.

The Callahans gathered in the villa’s foyer, looking at the beautiful girl standing next to Gladys in disbelief.

How could she be Thea?

Thea, who was disfigured for ten years?

What on earth happened? How could she have transformed in just ten days?

“Thea, is that you?”

“Thea? Did you undergo plastic surgery in Korea? Is their technology so advanced that there’s a full-body option?”

The Callahans were gobsmacked.

They could not believe that the beautiful girl in front of them was the same Thea who was scarred all over.

What did she do?

Gladys got straight to the point. “Dad, I disagree with this marriage. With Thea’s looks, she could marry someone rich from a prestigious family. How could she marry some spineless worm?”

Smoking a tobacco pipe on the couch, Lex stared at Thea.

He was struggling to keep up.

How did Thea recover her looks in just ten days?

However, Thea was a beauty now. There was no denying that. He nodded his head, saying, “You’re right. There are still many eligible bachelors among Cansington’s most prestigious families. I could put a word out and find a suitable husband for Thea.”

“No.”

Thea stepped up with tears in her eyes. “Grandfather, you decided to marry me off to James. Now that James has helped me recover, you’re not keeping your word. What am I to you?”

“You ungrateful brat…” Gladys slapped Thea across the face. She yelled, “What do you see in this penniless man?”

Thea grabbed a knife lying on the table and pressed it to her cheek. “I’ll cut my face up if you push me too far.”

“How dare you…” Gladys trembled in anger.

“Enough!” Lex roared. “What is going on, Thea? This is for your own good. Look at how beautiful you are now. You could marry well and enjoy an easy life. Why do you insist on being with a poor fellow like him?”

Just then, James, who had been quiet all this time, spoke up. Looking around at the Callahans, he said mildly, “I don’t care about being part of your family either way, but this is between Thea and me. We’ve obtained our marriage certificate. If she wants a divorce, I’ll go with it. If not, no one will force her to do anything.”

“Who gave you permission to speak?”

Tommy, the eldest grandson of the family, leaped to his feet and pointed a finger at James. “You’re nothing but trash. You have no right to speak here. If we want you gone, you’re gone.”

James reached out and bent Tommy’s outstretched finger backward. Coldly, he said, “No one has ever pointed a finger at me before.”

“Ah, it hurts!”

Tommy yelled in pain. His body was bent at an awkward angle and his face twisted with pain. He said, “My bad, my bad. Please let go.”

James obliged.

Tommy panted hard. Looking at James’ expressionless face, Tommy was angered. He picked up an ashtray from the table, preparing to hit James on the head.

“What are you doing?” Lex shouted. “Is there no order in the family anymore? Put it down!”

Tommy looked at Lex pleadingly. “Grandfather, James has crossed the line. You have to help me.”

“Enough.” Lex was still puffing on his pipe, waving a hand. Looking at James, he said, “I’ll give you five hundred thousand dollars. All you have to do is divorce Thea and stay away from her.”

“No!” Thea yelled.

“How dare you!” Lex slammed his hand onto the table. “I’m not dead yet. I’m still the head of the family. All of you have to bend to my will!”

James did not want Thea’s relationship with her family to fracture.

His return was fueled by two purposes. To repay Thea, and to avenge his family.

He did not want Thea to suffer a broken relationship with her family just so he could fulfill his own purpose.

“Grandfather, give me a chance. Let me prove that I’m just as capable as anyone else.”

“A chance?” Tommy sneered. “James Caden, according to our information, you’re an orphan. You grew up at an orphanage, and you were in the military for a few years. Thea’s out of your league. Sure, we could give you a chance. Have you heard of Celestial Group? We’ve always wanted to work with them, but we’ve never managed it. If you could make it work, we’d be happy to acknowledge you as part of the family.”

Tommy had disliked James from the start. He was a retired soldier after all. He had no money and no power. What was he so arrogant for?

Therefore, he came up with this idea to make things difficult for James, hoping that he would give up.

He already had a better candidate in mind for Thea, Joel Xavier. The Xaviers was the leader of The Great Four, and it would be a beneficial union.

“Grandfather, let James try getting a deal with Celestial Group. If he gets it, we’ll acknowledge him. Otherwise, he’s gone.”

Lex puffed on his pipe. “Agreed. Our business mostly deals with medicinal processing. Recently, Celestial Group has been expanding its production, and they have released plenty of order opportunities. Many businesses are fighting to obtain these orders. If you could get an order worth thirty million from them, I’ll tell everyone you’re the son-in-law of the Callahans. You have ten days.”

“I don’t need ten days. I’ll get it done tomorrow.”

After that, James left with Thea.

“He’s bold but stupid. Celestial is the leader of the pharmaceutical groups, worth a hundred billion in the market. It’s almost impossible to get an order from them.” Tommy was unimpressed.

Gladys begged, “Dad, you can’t do this. What’s thirty million when Thea could marry anyone from The Great Four?”

Lex waved his hand. “We can’t rush it. Celestial’s business dealings are all with The Great Four. It won’t be that simple to get an order from Celestial. Let James try. He’ll give up. By then, we’ll think of an idea for Thea to marry someone from The Great Four. With a marriage alliance, we’ll be able to rise through the ranks in Cansington.”

After leaving the Callahans’ villa.

Thea was crying. “Jamie, I’m so sorry. I don’t even have any control over my marriage.”

James took her hand. “It’s okay. Grandfather has made the statement. If I manage to get an order from Celestial Group, he’ll have no choice but to acknowledge us as husband and wife.”

“It’s Celestial Group we’re talking about.” Thea was worried.

Born and bred in Cansington, she knew all there was to Celestial Group.

Celestial Group was an international company, having broken into the Cansington market just recently. The Great Four basically monopolized Celestial Group’s orders.

James only smiled. “We’ll never know if we don’t try.”

Thea thought of something suddenly, saying, “Oh yeah, I remember now. An old classmate of mine is working at Celestial Group. In fact, she’s the head of a department there. Let me get in touch with her. She might be able to connect us with the higher management.”

“Okay.”

Holding hands, the both of them walked home to Thea’s.

Thea’s house and the Callahans’ villa were located in the same residential area. Where the headquarters of the Callahans’ was the villa, Thea’s place was in a high-rise building.

The two of them took a leisurely stroll back. Gladys had arrived ahead of them, and she refused to let James into the house.

James shrugged. There was nothing he could do. “I’ll go home then, Thea.”

Thea knew she had no choice either, so she nodded.

The priority now was to secure the orders from Celestial. That way, the Callahans would have no choice but to accept James as part of the family.

After settling down at home, she got in touch with her classmate whom she had not spoken to for many years.

On the other hand, James returned to the House of Royals, situated in an area where the most luxurious villas of Cansington were.

He sat down on the couch and lit a cigarette. Taking out his phone, he dialed a number. “Bring me the chairman of Celestial Group.”

He hardly wanted to press his privilege as the Dragon General, but it could not be helped if he wanted the deal with Celestial.

Soon, a middle-aged man about 50 years of age arrived at the house.

Wearing a suit, he was heavyset and starting to go bald.

“Gen-General.”

As soon as the man entered the House of Royals, he fell to his knees.

In Cansington, he was in charge of Celestial Group. Hailing from the capital, his name was Alex Yates.

Before arriving, Alex had taken the time to find out with whom he would be meeting.

He was kneeling in front of the legendary Dragon General of the Southern Plains. He showed no mercy on and off the battlefield, and his enemies cowered in fear when they heard about the Black Dragon.

The Dragon General was no ordinary man. He was more than important, and therefore commanded the highest level of respect. Still kneeling on the ground, Alex felt a trickle of perspiration slide down his spine.

“Alex Yates?”

James put down the stack of documents he was holding in his hand. Looking at the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground, he waved a hand and said mildly, “Why don’t you stand up?”

“Yes, sir.”

Alex stood. He was sweating profusely, but he made no move to wipe his sweat away.

Shaking in fear, he wondered if he had somehow offended this modern-day Ares. Why was he summoned?

“Tomorrow, my wife Thea Callahan will be visiting Celestial Group, asking for a deal of thirty million. You’re to handle it personally. Don’t mess it up.”

Alex sighed in relief and broke into a smile. “Of course, General. Even if it’s a deal of three hundred million, it would be yours if you say the word.”

“Remember, my wife’s name is Thea. Thea Callahan.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s all. You may leave now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Alex felt like he had been granted amnesty and left at top speed, still soaked in sweat.

As part of the Yates family from the Capital, he helmed Celestial Group in Cansington. Even The Great Four had to be careful lest they provoke him, but his role was reversed when meeting James.

After Alex left, James rose from the couch and muttered to himself, “I’ve been back for more than ten days, but I have not paid my respects yet.”

He walked out of the house, planning to take a taxi to the ruins of the Caden house in the suburbs.

However, there was a multi-purpose vehicle without a license plate waiting outside. A dark-skinned man in a black tank stood by the car.

James walked up and cut Henry a glare. “Didn’t I tell you to take the men and return to the border?”

“General, all the other men have returned to the Southern Plains. It’s just me now. Won’t you let me stay?”

“Call me James. The general is no more in Cansington.”

“You got it.”

“Take me to the Cadens’ cemetery.”

“Well, get in the car then, James.”

…

Soon, James was at the spot where the Cadens’ villa once stood.

The villa had been burned to ashes, now replaced by graves.

Cansington’s first family was now worm food, their home in ruins.

The sky was dark. Gray clouds gathered overhead.

Pitter-patter.

The heavens opened and unleashed a torrent of rain.

At the cemetery, a young man stood there in a brown coat. Behind him was another man, holding an umbrella over him.

Thud.

James fell to his knees.

Ten years ago, the Cadens were the first family of Cansington.

He was only 18 years old then.

The same year, his father married another woman.

His stepmother was Rowena Xavier of The Great Four, belonging to one of the most prestigious families in Cansington.

Rowena had a plan all along. She slipped into James’ grandfather’s bed, accusing him of drugging her. His grandfather’s reputation was left in tatters and the Cadens were reduced to a joke.

That very same year, Rowena lodged a report against his father, accusing him of corruption and bribery. His father was so angry that it triggered a heart attack. Not only did Rowena not save him, but she pushed him off the third floor. She told everyone else that his father Nicholas committed suicide because he felt guilty.

After the death of his father, the Xaviers, who led The Great Four, converged at the Cadens’ and killed his grandfather. They held the entire Caden family hostage, forcing them to hand over their family treasure, a painting named Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside's Edge.

After they obtained it, The Great Four burned the house down with the Cadens still within and divided the Cadens’ assets.

“Dad, you’re a sinner. You’re the reason the Cadens are gone. You should have never married Rowena Xavier. You should have never brought that vicious woman home…”

James knelt in front of the grave, crying his heart out.

It was a myth that men did not shed tears. It just took a certain amount of pain.

He hated his father. His father fell in love with the wrong woman, resulting in the demise of the Cadens.

He hated Rowena Xavier. He hated The Great Four even more.

The Xaviers, Frasiers, Zimmermans, and Wilsons murdered the Cadens.

“Grandfather, I will not let you die in vain. I swear I’ll avenge your death. The Great Four will not live in peace. I’ll bring you the heads of The Great Four as proof.”

“My condolences, General.” Henry was still standing behind James, holding the umbrella.

Henry had never seen James so distraught before. In fact, he did not think that the almighty Black Dragon even had an emotional side.

He had shown no hint of fear against enemy armies, but in front of the graves, James was a puddle of tears.

“General, Megatron Group, belonging to the Xaviers, will be having a celebratory banquet tonight. Megatron and Celestial have signed a permanent agreement. From now on, Megatron will have early access to Celestial’s orders before letting the other groups and companies choose. The head of the Xaviers is also turning eighty today. It’s a double celebration.”

“Megatron…”

James clenched his fists.

Megatron was the Cadens’ family business.

Now, it had fallen into the Xaviers’ hands.

He stood up slowly, a murderous glint in his eye.

“Get me a coffin. We’re going to the banquet. It’s time to collect a debt.”