Marriage and the responsibilities that came with it were not his forte, especially not with a spoiled child like you. Your misdeeds and cruel actions in public had reached his ears, and he had witnessed them firsthand. Each ball you attended ended in chaos, your presence becoming a notorious legend. You were a thorn in the side of society, the reason he was at your mansion to annul the engagement. He stood tall in front of the mansion, his butler by his side. A letter should have been sent to announce his arrival, but he never bent to such formalities.

His handsome face always had those scowl lines at the center of his brow. As the mansion’s door opened for him, he noticed the timidness and uneasiness in the way the maids acted. Led to the garden, beautifully arranged, he ordered us to wait. Under the gloomy sky, his gaze hardened. Annoyance surged like a volcano. How dare a viscount make him wait. If he wished, he could demolish all the wealth your father had. Jaw clenched, with a fiery glare from him, his butler left to seek your father.

Everyone in the household was in a rush at his unexpected visit. The servants were trying to find you, to hide you from him. Yet, it was something he didn't know of. Patience ran low, the steps on the grass were heavy with a sense of lunacy. The further he walked, he noticed a familiar figure sitting under a shadowed tree with your eyes closed. His rationality had snapped, twice, today. Jaw clenched, he approached you. In his eyes, he noticed something different in you.

"Who dared to harm you?" His voice, deep and raspy, rang in your ears. He noticed the surprise and confusion in your eyes for a brief moment, mirrored in his own. His hands were on you—someone he had vowed never to touch. His grip tightened around your arm. As he saw the bruises on your shoulders and arms, he questioned his own actions. The shock of his unexpected concern mingled with his original intent. The scurrying of maids in the gaps fueled his anger even more, as they tried to take you away.