Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom

"I’ll move out today. I’ll take Mulan with me." Valen said.

"I have no problem with that," Maverick said.

Just when Valen turned and was about to leave, Maverick continued.

"Young man, you can only move out after you turn 18."

Valen and Rex simultaneously turned to look at Maverick.

He didn’t even spare anyone a glance as his fingers stroked the object in his hand.

"Brother..."

"Are you playing with me, Mr. Maverick?" Valen narrowed his eyes at his father.

"You have two options. Either you get your freedom at 18 or you get your freedom at 7."

Rex widened his mouth in shock. However, Valen curled his lips.

"What’s the catch?" He knew his father wouldn’t give him a free pass. Getting his freedom at 7 must come with a condition.

"Stay in the mansion until I find a solution to your problem," Maverick said with his head lowered to stare at the black object.

Valen pursed his lips and thought about it for a while before he nodded. "Deal, but–"

"No, young man, you have no right to lay conditions. Since you have chosen to stay in the mansion for a year, you will accept all that’s inside the mansion." Maverick cut him off. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I don’t like that thing you brought home!" Valen protested.

"Her name is Jeslyn," Maverick corrected.

"Whatever," Valen rolled his eyes.

"She doesn’t like you either, so it’s mutual," Maverick added.

"She’s stupid for hating me."

"I bet she sees you as a worse creature for hating her too... she’s cute," Rex chuckled.

"Gross," Valen sneered.

"Yeah, you hate cuteness, I forgot." Rex sat upright and stroked his beardless jaw.

"Return to your room. The kitchen will prepare you another set of veggies." Maverick commanded.

"Dad, I hate–"

"You made a deal. You’ll accept all that’s in the mansion and that includes the food you are given and the people in it." Rex chimed in.

"You are ganging up against me." Valen glared at Rex. "Hmph!" he humphed, stamped his small feet, and stormed out.

The two men watched as the little boy left the room before Rex pressed a button on the remote he was holding. The door closed, but a flat screen displaying what was happening outside the room was put on.

Rex sighed. "Brother, why don’t you tell Jeslyn? It seems she’ll keep fighting Valen if–"

"Let it be. She doesn’t have to know."

"Oh? Ok... so, about the Yu family..."

"Shake them a little," Maverick interrupted.

"Hmm... What strategy do you prefer I use this time?"

"Kill the old man."

"Ah! brother, that would be causing chaos."

"Hmm..." Maverick raised the object he had been stroking and it turned out to be a black gun. He got up from his chair and started to walk towards a bookshelf.

"Get Pink out and send them to stay beside her." He said before the shelf turned and he walked into a dark passage with stairs leading downwards.

Rex sighed, "finally."

...

Jeslyn’s room....

On the bed, Jeslyn tossed and turned. She had been wondering why she reacted that way with that little cutie. She was angry, but reacting that way was too much, right? After all, he was just a child.

"Aish!" She sat up and ruffled her hair in frustration.

"It wasn’t Valen’s fault, it was the fault of the adults around him, especially that evil woman." Jeslyn narrowed her eyes at nothing.

Thinking about Mulan, her calm mind suddenly flared up.

"How could she treat someone’s child like that?... I’ll just take care of Valen myself... No, I’m not good with children... Wait, I’m angry, but I don’t know if he has eaten. A stubborn child like Valen certainly wouldn’t want to eat anything, I would do the same if I were in his shoes."

Jeslyn sighed and got out of bed to go check up on Valen.

Walking along the corridor, she didn’t know which room was which but kept on walking.

"Where is his room located?... He cannot be on the ground floor, the second floor belongs to his father, the third floor has my room, and... his room should be here too, since I was married in the first place to be his mother, right?"

While she was talking along the passage, she spotted Valen coming from the other end.

"Speaking of the devil." She murmured and a smile subconsciously appearing on her lips. She increased her pace to meet up with him.

Valen, on the other hand, saw Jeslyn coming towards him, he saw her smile but he only smirked and also increased his pace. Staying around cute ladies is dangerous and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with this lady.

Valen got to his door before Jeslyn could catch up with him. Seeing this, Jeslyn started to sprint towards him but before she could get to him, it was a second too late...The door was shut against Jeslyn’s face.

"Valen!" She called while tapping the door but got no response.

"Hey, little Valen, open the door, we need to talk."

Silence.

"Fine, I’m sorry I got mad. It shouldn’t have been directed at you but at your father and that nanny."

Silence.

"Baby Valen, I’ll not repeat that next time. Just open the door."

Jeslyn waited and waited but the door was not opened.

She got scared and started to ring the doorbell and sometimes banged on it. She was worried that the child wouldn’t eat. It was normal practice for kids like Valen. For some reason, she felt anxious and scared that something might happen to him.

She looked left and right before dashing towards her right. Getting to the twirling stairs, Jeslyn screamed for Maya.

"Riya!"

"Riya! Where is she?" She asked a maid she saw walking across the quiet sitting room.

The maid stared confusingly at her. She didn’t know who bears Riya in the house... I mean, no one bears Riya in the mansion.

"Riya!"

"Who is Riya?" Rex’s voice traveled down from the second floor’s stair landing. He was resting on the railing while staring down at the frantic—looking Jeslyn.

Hearing the voice, Jeslyn looked up to see the blue-haired Rex staring at her weirdly.

She beckoned with her hand for him to come down.

"Come here first, I need–"

"Thud"