Chapter 3: Making You Marry in Her Place Is Already More Than You Deserve!

Back at Thubron Villa, Sia Thubron drew a deep breath and strode into the house like it was a wolf's den. "Where's my mother-in-law?" Frost coated her pale, delicate face. Ingrid Darbishire jabbed a finger at her, eyes blazing. "Sia Thubron, you little slut. Why is your neck covered in hickeys? You refused to cooperate with the inspection yesterday. Who did you sneak off to a hotel with, some random man?" Her voice sharpened into a threat. "You're getting married today. If you dare bring trouble down on the Thubron family, I'll break your legs myself!" Sia's mind flashed to last night. That man had kissed her neck. He might have left marks. She did not have time to care. She stared at the aunt who had finally torn off her mask and said coldly, "What did you do to my mother-in-law? If you don't let her go, I'm calling the police." She lifted her phone as if to dial, but Eva Thubron stepped in and smacked it from her hand. "Sia Thubron, tsk, tsk." Eva's lips curled in disgust. "Look at you, running around and sleeping with whoever you want. It's revolting. But it doesn't matter. The Yoxal family only needs a wife in name." She leaned closer, voice dripping with malice. "Even if you messed around last night, that useless Young Mr. Yoxal probably won't notice you weren't a virgin when you married. After all, Young Mr. Yoxal is a cripple who can't even… perform." Eva covered her mouth and let out a sweet little laugh. "A worn-out shoe and a piece of trash. You're perfect for each other." That smile looked like a venomous snake to Sia. "The one the Yoxal family wanted to marry was you. This has nothing to do with me." "Sia Thubron!" Ingrid shrieked. "Say one more word and I'll tear your mouth apart. Believe it or not, I'll send your mother-in-law to the funeral home in a minute. She's old. Dropping dead all of a sudden would be perfectly normal." Rage surged up Sia's chest. She glared at Ingrid, the chill in her eyes turning razor-sharp. The Yoxal family had delivered betrothal gifts worth a fortune to marry a daughter of the Thubron family. Before that, the Thubron family only had one "young lady," Eva Thubron. Yet the moment the marriage was settled, they claimed Eva had suddenly fallen ill and could not "bring luck," so Sia had to take Eva's place and marry into the Yoxal family. The woman standing there, arrogant and smug, looked perfectly healthy. Sia knew it was an excuse. She still could not defy them. If she fought back, they really would hurt her elderly mother-in-law. She hated them. She hated them so much it made her shake. She wanted to drag them down with her. "Sia," Eva said with a slow, condescending smile, "the Yoxal family is old money. You're just some wild girl raised in the backwoods. Being able to marry into the Yoxal family is an honor beyond your station." Sia let out a cold laugh. "If it's such an honor, why don't you marry him yourself?" Old money or not, everyone knew the Young Master of the Yoxal family was vicious, infamous for his cruelty. Any woman who got close to him ended up miserable. If it was truly as wonderful as they claimed, how could that "good fortune" ever have landed on her? "Fine," Ingrid snapped, face twisting. "So you won't take the easy way. Someone, grab the Eldest Young Master's daughter. Get her into the wedding dress and put her in the car!" … At the same time, Liam Hawksford had just stepped out of the shower when Timothy Quiney called. "Young Master, it's your wedding day. Where are you?" Timothy pressed. Liam's temper flared. "I'm busy." Before Timothy could hang up, a maid's frantic cry burst through the line. "Oh no! The Eldest Young Master coughed up blood! He passed out again!" Liam heard it clearly. "Call a doctor!" "The doctor went back to prepare medicine. He hasn't returned yet!" "Take him to the hospital. I'm coming back." Liam's voice turned ice-cold as he issued the order. … Sia sat in the Rolls-Royce Phantom, knowing this trip was a road with no return. The Thubron family had given her their terms: if she married in Eva's place, they would "save" her mother-in-law and not harm her. She had no one else to rely on. Her mother-in-law was her only family, her whole world. She could not let anything happen to her. And if he was truly a cripple… maybe she still had a chance. The car stopped smoothly in front of a Hillside Villa. Sia looked out the window and saw two men who looked like bodyguards lifting a wheelchair into a van. She could not see clearly, but there was definitely a man sitting in that wheelchair. Was that Young Mr. Yoxal? Everyone looked panicked, like something had gone wrong. Sia stayed in the car and watched the van drive away, leaving only a few people standing behind. She finally let out a breath. She had been praying for a way out, and it had arrived in the blink of an eye. If something had happened to the groom, then at the very least she would not have to face that Young Mr. Yoxal today… The driver opened the door. Sia gathered her skirt and stepped out slowly. The wedding gown was white as fresh snow, exquisite beyond words. Tens of thousands of crystals glittered along the hem like a dream of stars, catching the sunlight and throwing it back in dazzling sparks. Even the cheap, worn jewelry Eva had forced on her could not hide the quiet nobility of the woman wearing that dress. Inside, the villa had clearly been decorated with care. Yet aside from the respectful servants, there was no one. No guests. Not even the groom. "Madam, this way, please…" A middle-aged butler approached and gestured upstairs. Sia looked at the spiral staircase. Her lashes lowered, shadowing her eyes. She lifted her skirt with one hand and began to climb, the long veil trailing behind her. Last night's humiliation left her legs unsteady. She walked as if she might float off balance at any moment. Thankfully, the gown concealed it, and the marks on her neck were hidden as well. "Screeech-" A sharp, urgent brake squealed outside. A black Bentley swept into the garden and stopped with impatient precision. Liam cut the engine, snatched up his phone, and his handsome face darkened. He pushed the door open, ready to get out. His hand had barely left the handle, one long leg already planted on the ground, when his gaze caught on a white figure inside the villa. Through the windshield and the floor-to-ceiling windows, she stood in a white wedding dress by the railing, slender and poised. From her back and the angle of her profile, there was a clean, untouched air about her, like she had never been stained by the world. If he had not seen her brazen heat last night, Liam would not have believed this girl, so fresh and inexperienced in every way, could be his new bride. Sia heard the sudden screech of brakes. Her heart jolted. *Don't tell me he's fine and came back…* She paused at the spiral staircase, clutching her skirt, and turned her head. A black car sat in the garden. A polished black handmade leather shoe stepped down, steady and sure…