CEO ONE NIGHT STAND

"Miss Martin, please take off your clothes," the old servant said with a cold expression and drooping eyes. A hint of impertinence laced her words.

Sara Martin bit her lower lip, "Why do I have to take off my clothes?"

The servant smiled and said with slight contempt, "Madam has spent a huge sum of money on you as a good-luck bride, you won't turn down this little inspection, would you?"

Her face paled, then it flushed red. Feeling embarrassed, Sara tugged at the corner of her shirt. "I... I've never had a boyfriend before..." She said.

The servant acted as if she did not hear Sara, however, and she said in a tone of impatience, "Hurry up, Madam is waiting for my return."

Sara bit her lip so hard that it almost bled.

Just before the previous day, Sara was the second daughter of the Martin family. Even though she was not favored and was often bullied, Sara had never suffered such humiliation before.

She had always known that her father, aunt, and sister disliked her due to the fact that she was her father's illegitimate child. But she did not expect that in order to fill the lack of funding for Martin Pharma, her father would opt to sell her off as a young bride to another family for good luck!

Before leaving her house, her sister William Martin even went to see her in person to warn her about her future husband being a murderous devil.

When it came to the Bishop family in Jena City, everyone knew that they have been strong for centuries and dominated the fate of country A. Hank Bishop, the head of the family, was known by outsiders as "Master Bishop". As for those rumors, he was described in all kinds of diabolical manners. He was a murderous, deceitful, and ruthless devil.

People would run and hide at the mention of his name, and so the idea of someone marrying was impossible. That was why, when the elderly madam of the Bishop family was looking for a candidate as Hank's good-luck-bride after a serious injury, Sara was chosen.

Martin Pharma needed money, and the Bishop family needed a young bride. It was a good bargain and a pleasant business between the two parties. However, on the first day Sara arrived at the Bishop house, she was taken into a dark chamber to go through a physical examination.

The servant was getting irritated at her reluctance. She frowned and exclaimed, "Miss Martin, I have reserved your dignity by addressing you as 'Miss'. Now, don't act so pampered like a princess! I know exactly what kind of person you are! I don't want to do this anymore than you do! Who knows how long you're going to stay alive? Master has taken many lives, who knows when your turn would come..."

"Say no more," Sara's voice was low and soft, and she spoke with a faint Southern Jena accent. Her tone was so gentle that it would make others feel charmed. "...I'll strip," she said.

The servant raised her eyebrows and sneered as she eyed the young girl up and down casually.

It had to be said that Madam of the household has a very exceptional taste when it came to choosing a young bride.

Sara's small face, about the size of a palm, looked innocently sweet. Her eyebrows were particularly beautiful, like peach blossoms in the rainy spring. Her eyes were as clear as glass, bright, and without any impurities. Her delicate skin was the color of cream, almost as soft and bouncy as milk pudding.

Not to mention that she was only 18 years old and was still a young girl. If she managed to survive, she would undoubtedly be the most captivating creature in this country!

Sara's fair and slender fingers hovered above her shirt buttons. Just as she was about to undo them, a voice suddenly yelled from the outside, "Auntie! Madam orders you to bring her to Angelfalls as soon as possible! It seems that Master Bishop is losing his life!"

The message stunned Auntie for a moment, then she replied, "But I haven't examined her body yet..."

The person outside said simply, "Master Bishop won't keep her around anyway, it doesn't matter if she's pure or not! Let's go!"

Auntie agreed after giving it a thought. Given Master Bishop's current state, he wouldn't even notice if the girl is impure. Giving Sara a glare, she said to her, "Follow me!"

Sara heaved a sigh of relief and quickly buttoned up her shirt. But then, the thought of finally meeting the legendary devil made her feel nervous.

She lowered her head and followed Auntie Lilly out. After a walk of around ten minutes, Auntie Lilly finally stopped and turned to her. "Go in by yourself," she said.

Sara looked up and found herself in front of a large antique courtyard, built in a four-sided style. There were many flowering shrubs planted in it. Coincidentally, it was spring, and the ground was covered in snowy- white petals. The scenery was breathtaking.

"Is this... the place where that man lives?"

She wondered.

Auntie Lilly gave her a push and said indifferently, "Madam bought you in to chase away bad luck, so you shall serve Master Bishop well. Perhaps he will recover under your care."

After saying that, she glanced at the yard with fear and turned to leave in a hurry.

There was no one else around, and the yard was surprisingly quiet.

Sara took a deep breath and entered the yard. All the doors were closed. She looked at the main chamber and carefully reached out to knock on the door.

There was no response.

She stared at the carved door for a moment, not willing to enter. Deciding to wait outside, she crouched down beside the door and stared at the flowers in the yard.

Apart from the sound of the gushing wind, the yard was filled with silence. Sara didn't know how long she stayed there, but the sky was getting dark. She glanced at the quiet chamber, and a thought suddenly crept into her mind-Earlier, someone mentioned that Master Bishop was going to die, and now it was completely silent here. Could that man be... dead?

She was startled by her own thoughts. Plucking up her courage, she gingerly gave the door a push.

It was unlocked.

Sara cautiously squinted through the crack of the door. Upon confirming the room was empty, she entered.

The decorations were simple and somewhat bland, a bed with hanging curtains was placed at the center of the room.

Sara stepped forward and gently lifted up the curtain.

She had prepared for the worst, expecting to see Hank Bishop's dead body.

But there was none to be seen. Instead, she saw a body full of scars.

It was a man's back, so scrawny that the outline of his bones was visible to the eye. All sorts of scars ran the length of his back, and Sara could only tell what had caused some of them.

Nevertheless, what puzzled her the most was that although the body was battered, it radiated pure dominance and virility through his broad shoulders, narrow waist, pale skin, and lean muscles.

Sara immediately took two steps back. Her face flushed at the sight, and she covered her eyes with her hands. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..." She explained herself.

The man on the bed calmly put on the clothes next to him. His piercing eyes swept across the girl's slender figure, and his low-pitched voice drawled, "Are you my bride?"

Still covering her eyes with her hands, she let out a cry. Her lips quivered as she answered, "Yes."

Hank watched her and ordered, "Come here.

Dumbfounded, Sara slowly lowered her hands and abruptly found herself gazing into a face so handsome that her breath almost stopped.

She had never seen such a good-looking person before in the entire 18 years of her life.

Hank's features were alluring. His eyebrows were coolly arched, and underneath his double eyelids were his long eyelashes. His dark beaded eyes were cold and emotionless, yet sharp and beautiful.

His lips were thin with a little notch, the color on them as faint as ever. Combined with his pale complexion, it was enough to have chills running down the spines of those who lay their eyes on him. It was as if he wasn't a human, but more like the Deathlord that had crawled out from the netherworld.

Sara clenched her fists in fear and did not dare to step forward.

Hank seemed impatient, and he said curtly, "I told you to come here."

His deepened voice echoed in the room, causing it to sound even more frightening.

She could only take a few steps forward, when he suddenly stretched out his hand and grasped her. Sara lost her balance and fell on to the bed. In shock, she frantically tried to pulled herself up but found her hands grabbing at the man's warm chest instead. Hank stared down at her, then turned her over like she was merely a small turtle.

Her snow-white cheeks were flushed with redness, and tears pooled in her eyes. She was already an adorable and lovely young girl, and her teary face made her look even more pitiful.

But Sara did not dare to cry. Her throat tightened as she held back her tears, looking warily at Hank. She was afraid that he would find her noisy and kill her.

He held onto the bed and gave her a hard stare. "How old are you?", he asked.

Her heart raced in her chest quickly, she could feel his breath on her skin. Closing her eyes as if she was as good as dead, she murmured, "I'm eighteen..."

The expression on Hank's face remained stoic, and his beautiful eyes looked cold and distant. Suddenly, he scoffed and said, "So Madam really did buy me a little girl to chase away the Jinx."

Sara did not dare to open her eyes or speak, her petite body trembling ever so slightly.

He finally sat up and said, "Get up."

Of course, he was aware of this little girl and her background because Mrs. Bishop had informed him earlier before. If she was impure, she would not be able to get anywhere near the courtyard.

Sara sat up on the bed and found him sitting in front of her. But she couldn't get on her feet, so she just sat guiltily on the bed.

Hank suddenly coughed a few times, his hand got raised to cover his mouth and there was blood on it. Her eyes widened at the scene. Master Bishop was really on the brink of death.

When he saw her horrified look, there was a hint of smile in his eyes.

"This... scares you?" He teased.

He stood up nonchalantly and went into the bathroom to wash his hands. Only then did Sara realized, that man was particularly tall and slender, and with his pale complexion, he looked a little feeble.

She then recalled the muscled body she saw earlier on, and her cheeks were like tinted pink once again. While Hank was still in the bathroom, she quickly got out of the bed and stood by the bedside obediently, feeling clueless at the moment.

The concept of engaging a good-luck-bride was unheard of by the majority of the people in modern society, and so naturally, the young Sara was not familiar with such a practice. Besides, the fact that her chosen partner was the infamous Master Bishop, who was said to be cruel and brutal, caused her to tremble in fright.

Soon, Hank returned from the bathroom and saw her standing idly by the bed, resembling a helpless animal. The young girl had a graceful body, her skin as white as snow, and her face as delicate as a flower. It was quite a pleasing sight to have her there.

He went to sit down on the bed and said blandly to her, "No matter what type of relationship you have with the Madam, you should behave yourself in the future. I won't kill you for the time being. But if you do anything reckless..."

He paused mid-sentence. Initially, he wanted to say that he would kill her. But the words came out from his mouth as, "Then have to be buried together with me." you will

Sara's eyes widened at his warning, "...

Buried together?"

"Didn't the elderly Mrs. Bishop tell you about this?" He asked.

She bit her lower lip.

It was only yesterday when she discovered that she was going to be sold off to Hank, Sara didn't know about any other details. It must have been discussed in private with her father.

She murmured in a low voice, "I see."

She had a soft and gentle voice, and when she spoke ever so quietly it was so sweet that it melted one's heart to hear it.

Hank glanced at her emotionlessly and said, "As my young bride, you are supposed to sleep with me."

Sara's face blushed instantly, especially her earlobes, and it appeared like a shade of bloody red.

Her mouth went agape with surprise, and she unconsciously took two steps back.

Despite her reaction, he continued, "It's getting dark."

She let out a cry, understanding what he meant. She clenched her fists, feeling goosebumps raising on the skin of her back, but she dared not to disobey the man. Reluctantly, she moved towards the bedside and slowly sat down by his side.

He didn't say a word, and just stared at her.

Hank had taken the lives of many, be it men or women, young or old. But he rarely observed them. While a few of them were unusually unafraid of death, they never caught his interest.

This was the first time that he felt intrigued by a person.

This 18-year-old girl looked frail on every inch of her body. She had lovely eyebrows, a small button nose, and there was a pale mark on her tender lips as she was biting on them earlier. Her skin was fair and so delicate that it could be easily torn apart. Her neck was slender like a piece of sculpted marble, and her waist was so thin and soft that it could let a man can't help touching it.

Hank swiftly reached out to pinch her flushing earlobe. At the unexpected gesture, Sara widened her eyes in surprise.

It felt painful when he continued to pinch her rosy ear impassively, but she didn't dare to voice her discomfort. She could only watch him with a pitiful look.

He asked, "Why are you looking at me?"

"If only I can win you in a fight, then I won't be just looking at you," she thought to herself. She mustered up all her courage and answered, "It hurts..."

He was a little nonplussed.

Did it hurt just because he played with her earlobe? Were all the girls so fragile nowadays?

But Sara's earlobe was getting redder due to his pinching, so he let go of it and she hurriedly covered it with her hand

True to his legendary mood swings, he coldly said to her, "You'll sleep on the floor tonight."

Her eyes lit up instantly upon hearing him,and she no longer paid her throbbing earlobe any attention.

Sleeping on the floor! That means that there is no need for her to...

Hank lay down on his bed and ignored the girl in the room who was filled with relief. Not daring to disturb him, she silently searched around the room like a little hamster, and finally found a quilt in a cabinet.

It was April, and the air was still chilly, but fortunately, the floor heater warmed the room to accommodate to Hank's illness. Sara carefully set the quilt on the ground and tried lying on it. Feeling comfortable, she let out a sigh of relief.

She was born prematurely, and her grandfather had spent a great deal of effort to ensure her survival. Her body had always been weak. Where others could recover easily from the common cold, the fragile Sara would be bedridden for days or even months. Hence Sara wanted to avoid getting sick with the fear that if she ever did, Hank would be annoyed and would get rid of her.

If she was returned by the Bishop family, she was worried that her grandfather would be wronged.

She was not a spineless person despite her appearance. If it were others who mistreated her in such a way, she would have fought back and defend herself at the very first chance, but...

Sara stared blankly at the ceiling.

It was her biological father who sold her off.

If she was driven away, the Bishop family would break their promise, and her grandfather would not be able to complete his treatment. Death would inevitably be knocking on his door. This was the reason that the Matin family had used to force her into the Bishop household.

Sighing at her wandering thoughts, Sara tried to comfort herself. After all, Master Bishop was not as nasty as the rumors said. She even managed to survive meeting him and was lying comfortably in her blanket at that moment. Once she had earned enough money, she would be able to get her grandfather out.

Hank, who was lying on the bed, suddenly said, "Be silent."

Startled, she quickly grabbed onto the blanket.

But she didn't say anything, right? Could it be the sigh she let out earlier? She immediately covered her mouth, and dared not make any other sound.

Even so, Hank seemed to be having difficulty in getting back to sleep. His icy tone, reminding Sara of the fresh snow on the tree branches, broke the silence when he questioned her, "Did you only arrive at the Bishop residence today?"

Sara nodded.

Hank waited, "..."

Realizing that the man couldn't see her, she whispered with a low voice into the dark, "Yes."

"Did you do the body examination?" Asked him. He was clear about the Bishop family's tradition, each bride that entered their household must be made certain that they were pure, and he knew that there would no exception for this young bride of his.

Inexplicably, the thought made him feel a tad unhappy.

He didn't care much about the girl, yet somehow he felt that she belonged to him now, therefore others were not allowed to lay a hand on her.

Sara blushed at his question. After a long pause, she replied softly, "No, someone interrupted us just before it could begin."

He felt a little better with the assurance. Then, he abruptly sat up and looked down at her from his bed. "It did not begin? Then I'll have to do it personally." He said.

She jumped at his sudden movement at first, then again upon hearing his words. Her face went crimson red, she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself up like a caterpillar and pretend to be dead.

Hank's tone remained cold, "Are you going to take off your clothes or do you want me to do it for you?"

Sara bit her lip and whispered to herself that it was not the right time to lose her temper. Her grandfather was not by her side, no one would be bothered by her temper. In this place, the only thing she could do was to be obedient.

Although that was what she thought, Sara's pretty almond-shaped eyes were getting watery. She slowly got up and kept her head down, avoiding Hank's eyes. Under the dim light, her fingers were fair and delicate, slowly unbuttoning the black buttons.

Before she left her home today, she purposely put on an old-fashioned, black plaid shirt and tied her hair into two ugly braids so that Master Bishop would not be interested in her. However, at this moment, her fair fingers contrasted against the black buttons when she undid her shirt, and her smooth and baby-like skin was revealed inch by inch. Her collarbones looked like a butterfly that was about to fly, and it made him felt excited at the sight of it.

Hank's eyes darkened. Over the years, he had so many admirers but he only felt disgusted. He had never expected himself to be seduced by a young girl's body.

Sara had already unbuttoned her third button, revealing the pale pink camisole underneath the shirt. Just as she was about to suppress her embarrassment to undo the fourth one, there was a sudden growling noise in the silent room.

Sara's fingers stilled.

Hank smiled and said, "Are you hungry?"

It was her stomach growling.

Sara lowered her head even more, and she answered with an extremely small voice, "Yes."

She had not eaten for the whole day. Before she left home, there was no breakfast for her. No one had prepared food for her at the Bishop family either. After all, in the eyes of all the Bishop family, she might not even survive the night.

Hank asked lightly, "Do you want something to eat?"

Sara took a cautious look at him and nodded gently.

He then reproved annoyedly, "Don't you know how to speak? Why do you always just nod?" She held the quilt tightly. After a while, she answered, "Master Bishop, I'm hungry..."

Hank questioned, "What did you call me?"

Sara's eyes widened up.

"If not Master Bishop, then what should I call him? Young Master?... Husband?" she pondered.

She would most definitely not address him as "husband".

Hank suddenly pinched the tip of her chin, and his thumb slowly caressed her moist, red lips. Her face trembled slightly in his palm.

"Perhaps, if I had gotten married early, my daughter could even be about the same age as you." The man suddenly said.

Sara was speechless, "What a liar! Who could father a child at the age of 14?"

Hank stared at Sara for some time, and then said, "Call me uncle and I'll give you something to eat."

Sara's stomach growled again. She blushed and called in a low voice, "Uncle."

The girl's voice was very soft and sweet.

Hank narrowed his eyes. Letting go of her, he pressed one of the metallic buttons by the bed.

In less than a minute, someone knocked on his door and said, "Master Bishop."

Hank then briefly turned to her and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Sara was stunned for a moment.

Other than her grandfather, no one had ever asked her what she wanted to eat. After her grandfather was hospitalized, she never heard those words again.

She didn't expect that it was this devil who would ask her this question....

Sara pursed her lips. She didn't want to bother people at night, so she answered, "Anything."

"Did you hear that?" Hank asked in a cold voice.

The man outside the door seemed to be a little surprised, but he still obeyed.

Half an hour later, Sara was served with a steaming-hot seafood stew.

The seafood stew was very thick. The fragrance of the seafood and the delicious broth mixed well together. The mouthwatering taste engulfed her tongue.

Hank only looked at Sara, who was eating the bowl of stew like a hamster, and asked, "Is it delicious?"

She answered cautiously, "Yes, it's super delicious."

"Let me have a taste," Hank said. Before she could react, he had already lowered his head and taken the spoon from her hand.

Sara was shocked.

Hank narrowed his eyes and commented, "It's just so-so."

Sara was holding her breath.

Because at that moment, Hank was so close to her that she could clearly see his eyelashes and smell his breath.

He had the bitter scent of medicine on him, and a hint of an inexplicable wooden fragrance. The smell was faint, but it made her feel short of breath.

"Are you full?" Hank asked again when he saw that Sara had stiffened.

She hurriedly scooped a spoonful of stew into her mouth. After a while, she realized it was the same spoon that Hank had just used.

"..." She blushed, her face almost burning hot.

Hank seemed to be tired, so he didn't mention the body examination again and just went to lay on the bed.

Sara finished the stew and went to the bathroom. After a simple wash-up, she lay down in her warm and comfortable quilt. She thought to herself, "Master Hank is not as horrible as everyone said. He even gave me some food."