Stomp, stomp, stomp!

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the villa as Cain walked away. Sadie watched him go, dismay flashing in her big, round eyes.

"Is he pissed off again?" she asked herself.

She didn’t think she had done anything wrong, but it was clear her future husband-to-be was angry.

Cain De Lavigne usually was a man of few words and rarely smiled. When angry, his expression resembled a brewing storm, full of impending disaster. His presence alone could send chills down anyone's spine, and Sadie felt a pang of guilt for upsetting him.

Thinking of Cain's anger, Sadie pursed her lips, shifting her gaze to the old butler standing nearby.

"Is he always like that?" Sadie asked the butler.

The old butler met her gaze and kindly smiled at her, "Miss Sadie, the master is probably just tired. Don't take it to heart. It’s very late, please get some rest too.”

"He'll probably get old fast if he continue being grumpy," she said, shrugging off her shoulders.

The butler chuckled softly, thinking of how his master would react if Sadie was able to say those words in front of him. "Most probably, yes. But the master is nice and a gentle man in his own way."

“Oh, yes. Maybe you're right,” Sadie nodded obediently and turned towards her bedroom, her mind racing with thoughts of Cain's stern expression. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being judged, not just by Cain, but by everyone in the household.

The butler watched Sadie's retreating figure, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he turned around. He noticed a maid making gestures at Sadie from afar, likely gossiping about his master marrying a supposed fool. The old butler shook his head. It was a shame that such a woman was misunderstood.

No one can't do anything about it because that "fool" was chosen to be the future young mistress of the De Lavige family by the family leader himself.

"Being in this house makes everything different," she uttered to herself.

Sadie entered her bedroom and just threw herself onto the princess-like bed. The room mirrored her bedroom back at the Sturgis residence, arranged personally by the leader of the De Lavigne family.

"At long last, a nice and private time with myself," she said with a smile on her face.

The leader had praised her beauty and charm, which only made her happier. Despite her lack of interest in the arranged marriage, she complied with her grandfather's wishes.

Lying on her bed, Sadie thought of Cain's cold demeanor. She wished he could see her for who she really was, not just as someone called for being a "fool". However, his icy eyes and distant attitude made her feel small and insignificant. She decided to let things be, hoping time would change his perception.

Her grandfather had adopted her at a young age and doted on her like his own daughter. Thinking of her grandpa, a dimple lightly imprinted on Sadie Sturgis's round, rosy cheeks.

If the De Lavigne family wanted an arranged marriage for some kind of alliance, she would go along with it, even if it meant enduring Cain's frosty demeanor. After all, whether this marriage would come to fruition or not, it remained the same.

Sadie stretched lazily, clutching a pink teddy bear. and fell asleep quickly, her mind swirling with mixed emotions.

After a short nap, Sadie woke up feeling parched. The bedside table was empty. She propped up her little head, considering whether to get a drink from the kitchen. Eventually, she made her way there, the silence of the villa amplifying her every step.

She filled a glass with water and took a sip, savoring the cool liquid. Her beautiful big eyes flickered, and a cunning smile appeared at the corners of her mouth as though crossed her mind.

What is she could make Cain notice her, even if just for a moment?

With a casual loosening of her grip, the glass cup slipped onto the floor.

The sound of the breaking glass echoed in the entire hall of the villa.

The loud noise jolted Cain from his work in the study room. His temples violently throbbed as he hurried to the kitchen, annoyance etched on his face.

In the kitchen under the bright lights, Sadie's delicate face appeared even fairer. The glass shards littered the floor around her, droplets of water speckling her white nightgown.

Her big grape-like eyes widened as she saw Cain approaching, tears welling up.

As if having seen her savior, ignoring the glass shards on the ground, she hastily pounced into his arms, complaining in a sobbing tone, "Mr. Cain, I just saw a mouse," she whimpered, her voice trembling.

Cain lowered his gaze, staring at the charging Sadie Sturgis, his eyes dark and questioning. "A mouse?"

"Yes... yes, a mouse, I'm certain!" As Sadie clung tighter to him, her cheek pressed against his chest. She soon heard Cain's strong heartbeat, and her face grew inexplicably warm. She hoped he couldn't tell her distress was more about him than the imaginary mouse.