Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom

All through the day, nobody on the internet said a word about Maverick and Jeslyn’s matter anymore. Unlike before where everyone would want to become the judge of other people’s lives, the media was so silent that one would think everyone finally got a life.

This was definitely not the result Reuben and his friend wanted, but what could be done? No matter how many pictures and ’proves’ they posted, no matter how elegant their lies were written online, nobody said a thing under the comments.

However, humans will always be humans. They talk about it offline with friends and families and try to analyze the matter while many hated Maverick even more for taking away their ’freedom of speech’ but even at that, ranting was done offline.

The rape victim had been questioned and she knew nothing about the whole incident. According to her, she was in the restroom when the hotel was raided and had no idea. By the time she got out, some Xu men who were patrolling the restroom area took her away to the male restroom and took advantage of her.

Her story was too touching for anyone to bother her anymore. So Maverick was left with nothing but to continue terrorizing everyone on his list until someone tells him the whereabouts of Damien.

A few hours later, a young lady of about twenty years was taken to Maverick, alongside the three living ancestors of the Yu family.

The old men didn’t put up a resistance nor did they allow the family to fight to keep them. From what has been happening around the Capital for two weeks, they all know Maverick has hit his extreme boiling point and it wouldn’t do them any good if they ruffled his feathers more.

Standing in front of Maverick in his torture chambers were the three living ancestors and the young lady, who was forced to her knees.

Maverick, who was sitting on a chair with eyes closed with his back resting on the chair, slowly opened his eyes and rested them on the young lady who didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation. She was kneeling there with the effrontery to glare defiantly at him.

He leaned forward with a small dagger dancing in his hand.

"Where is Reuben?" he asked her.

"I don’t know where–"

"You don’t think I would have brought you here if I believed that, do you?"

"I’m speaking the truth, I don’t know where my cousin is!... And even if I do, why would I tell you?" She yelled.

Maverick looked at her one minute longer and his lips curled into a smile.

"Hang her on the fan, " he instructed.

The guards didn’t waste time and immediately went for her.

"Wh– what are you doing?! Let me go?! I said let me go!!" She continued screaming and struggling as they dragged her away.

When her screaming and resistance were getting too much, they sent her to sleep. Once the place had regained its silence again, one of the living ancestors who was counting his beads finally said.

"You know this will not yield the result you’re looking for."

Maverick got up and started walking around the torture tool. As he brushed his fingers through the cold metals, he replied; "What do you think I want?"

"Aren’t you trying to use us as a hostage to fetch him out?" another chimed in.

"Oh, no. You’re mistaken," Maverick replied nonchalantly.

"What do you want with us then?"

"Simple." He grabbed a long and cleanly made sword and swung it to feel the monstrosity. "You are called ancestors, but should be resting in your graves."

"Imprudence!" one of the elders yelled. "Lu Ren, don’t beat more than you can chew!"

"A little birdie told me that Reuben’s most favourite person is that girl hanging from the ceiling and an old man who had been feeding his hollow mind with filth. Step out on your own if you don’t want the blood of your mates in your hands."

"Lu Ren, what are you talking about? We banished Reuben from the family after he returned."

"Sure you did." Maverick started walking towards them while dragging the sword behind him.

The sound of the sword scraping the floor made everyone in the cell shudder. The aura of death hovered over everyone as the grim reaper continued to terrorize his targets.

"Lu Ren, calm down. You are angry right now and it has clouded your judgment!" one of them tried to reason with him.

"It would have been more useful to your grandson if you had told him that earlier."

He swung his sword and chopped off a living ancestor’s arm.

"Argh!"

"Lu Ren!" one of the other two yelled.

"His blood is on your hands."

He was about to swing the blade again, probably to chop off the remaining hand or clip his head off when one of the ancestors yelled.

"Stop! What do you want with me?"

Maverick threw the sword to one of his men and pointed at an electrocution chair.

"Go sit on it. I need to send a gift to your favorite, for being a father."

"Lu Ren, we can resolve this diplomatically. You don’t have to do this!" The man implored.

"Diplomatically... Your favourite doesn’t understand that term, so why should I?"

"Damien...He won’t be pleased that you–"

"We’ll see about that." Maverick gestured to his people and they dragged the old man to an electrocution chair.

Maverick looked at the two living ancestors. One with a chopped-off hand, crying his eyes out and the other standing there and counting beads with his eyes closed. But the sweat on his forehead and his trembling fingers and lips told of his fear.

"You, with the one hand, can you manage yourself to the hospital?"

"Lu Ren! This is the beginning of your troubles! You’ll die mis–"

"Seems you don’t care about your life as I thought."

Maverick took his dagger and went to stand in front of the man with one hand. He lowered his height and raised the old man’s jaw with his finger, forcing the man to behold his cold and dead chocolate eyes.