Yelena 'YEGOR' Gordeux Oddeaseau

"Yelena who?" Wearing a frowny face, Maddox couldn't understand why the woman expected him to know her even though she only utter her name.

"Have we met before?" Maddox asked and eyed critically at Yelena as he tried to skim his memory. He doesn't remember meeting a woman who introduced herself as Yelena.

The woman raised an eyebrow at him. She was surprised that Maddox couldn't remember her. Yelena crossed her legs and crossed her arms on her chest while leaning on the sofa she was sitting on. She cast a meaningful stare at the young man from the head down to the toe.

"Yes." She said making Maddox wrinkle his eyebrows deeper. He is very confused. If he happened to meet such a darling before, he will never forget a beauty like Yelena.

Maddox stared at her intently. With her strong and dark presence, he's unlikely to forget her. Maddox swallowed hard, thinking that Yelena might be one of his one-night stands while he was hammered, but he was a heavyweight drinker. He was probably drunk but didn't remember hooking up with Yelena.

"Is this some kind of prank?" Maddox asked with a half-laughter while staring at the woman incredulously. But her face showed no hint of emotion at all.

"Do I look like I'm joking right now?" Yelena asked back in serious mode. Maddox didn't know what to say and he didn't want to waste any more time. He wanted to end this pointless talk and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Miss. But I really don't remember you. I am leaving right now. I have a lot of things to do." Maddox stood up, turn his back on her, and was about to leave when Yelena spoke.

"Mort Aslanov."

Nailed on the floor, Maddox quickly sat back on the sofa when he heard that name again. Why did he always hear that man's name? That name seems like a ghost lingering in the air and wherever he goes, it haunts him. And it's not a pleasant feeling.

"I'm guessing you know him too?" Maddox replied with a serious face. Yelena's lips formed into a smirk.

"Very well." The woman gave a curt response, still playing around, and doesn't want to get to tell him the reason why she is in his building. Yelena seems to be enjoying wasting time with the young man in front of her now. She noticed Maddox was uncomfortable around her.

"So, what do you want?" Maddox asked bluntly, running out of patience. If earlier he felt threatened by Yelena's presence, now he is feeling irritated as she doesn't want to be straight to the point like the little lady he talked. Speaking of Mischa.

"So, you also know the girl I was talking to earlier?" Maddox asked causing Yelena to laugh thunderously which captures the attention of the people around. Annoyed, he frowned again. 'She is definitely toying with me right now.'

"Ah huh," Yelena responded, thrilling him. "His sister." She added and smiled playfully. Eyes narrowed to slits, Maddox cast a blank stare at her.

"So, what exactly do you want? What brought you here? Don't tell me you are his cousin? His close friend? Or are you a family close to them? Are you here to separate me and Sumire too? Come on just tell me what you need."

Maddox asked one after another impatiently as Yelena broke into laughter again. The young man sighed heavily. 'If only it's okay to hit a woman. I would have knocked her down earlier.' said Maddox in his mind with bared teeth. 'She is insane. No, insane is not enough to describe this creepy witch.' he brutally added.

"I am not his friend. I don't like him. I want him dead. But before that, I'm gonna slowly and painfully take everything away from him. I want to see him in his desperate and broken times. I'm gonna make sure that there's no fucking light in the tunnel I made just for him. So, I am here to congratulate you on your wedding with the woman he cherishes the most." Yelena said with a smile and give Maddox goosebumps.

"Why are you telling me this? You can congratulate me in an ordinary way. No need to add unnecessary shits that I am not interested to hear. To be honest, you are making me uncomfortable." Straight forward, Maddox said. Yelena's grin escalates into a chuckle, the chuckle to a chortle.

"That's the idea." Yelena meaningfully said meeting Maddox's eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean? Nevermind. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense. Don't you have anything to say? I'm leaving." Maddox said in an icy tone and Yelena smirked.

"Don't be so cold, Maddox. If you don't want to marry Sumire's cold corpse." She said. Heart almost popping out of his chest, Maddox looks at Yelena. Her serious threatening remarks made him nervous. He could hear the annoyance in her tone.

"I'm sorry," Maddox said, calm and composed.

"If you are sincere then accept my gift for your wedding. I want to see Sumire in the wedding dress that I personally chose for her. I'm just really happy that she will be your wife and not Mort's." Yelena said, wearing a serious visage. She then motions to someone behind Maddox's back.

The young man didn't bother to ask her and remain silent. A person immediately approached their place and Maddox was surprised to see Victoria holding a big box wrapped in black cloth. One of the most expensive fabrics in the world. He couldn't fathom why in the world Victoria carried it. Maddox knew she is one of the famous and high-paid actresses in the entertainment industry. He is aware of her dirty rumors. Maddox had also sawed Victoria's remarkable acting as he had already seen her in a taping for a drama he sponsored.

"Oh, she's Victoria," Yelena said with a smile. Maddox noticed Victoria was careful with her actions as if she didn't want to make a mistake especially since Yelena was around. 'It seems like Yelena owns her. It looks like Victoria has a leash around her neck.' He uttered to his mind. Victoria put down the heavy big box she was carrying.

"My gift," Yelena added with a meaningful smile but vanished within a second.

"If I don't see Sumire wearing this on your wedding day, I will shoot her myself." Emotionless, Yelena said in a threatening tone making Victoria's pupils dilate in fear. Maddox, on the other hand, his complexion turned ghostly pale.

"I don't like your sense of humor," Maddox said unsmilingly.

"But I am dead serious, dear," Yelena responded with a stoic face.

"Thank you," Maddox replied and took the box. He rose from his seat and left without saying a word. He didn't dare look back and went straight up to the top floor where his office was situated. Maddox is sweating profusely in fear. Fear for his life and the wedding dress he is carrying right now.

"Is marrying Sumire really a good idea?" Maddox asked himself as he lay his exhausted body on the swivel chair in his office. He felt his energy is severely drained.

"Am I doing the right thing?" he added while massaging gently his forehead and looking at the box he placed on the table.

"Or I am putting Sumire's life in danger." Maddox brushed off his hair with his fingers and some of its strands dropped sexily on his vision and he loosened his necktie. 'Damn, I don't know anymore.'

He was about to shut his eyes close to rest for a while. He was very tired from the mental and emotional battle he had earlier with two women who were very different from the ones he had met before. Maddox felt like he was eaten alive by them. Suddenly, his secretary came knocking on the door again.

"Come in," Maddox said and the door opened. And from there, his secretary was spat out carrying her notes.

"Sir, Mr. Chaise Massoullève is here." His secretary reported that Maddox quickly composed himself, fix his business suit, and stood up from his seat.

"Where is he? I'm going to see him." Maddox asked with a smile.

"No need. I'm here, son." Suddenly, Chaise entered the room and nodded to the secretary who got his message and leave the place. They were left alone in the office. Maddox quickly pulled his swivel chair in front of his table and Chaise settled in there. Maddox pulled an ordinary stool chair to sit on.

"I didn't expect you to come here, Dad," Maddox said smiling happily at his presence. He calls him dad because that is what Chaise wanted to. He didn't expect Chaise to accept his marriage proposal to his daughter.

"I just want to apologize for what Sumire did." Chaise responded with a smile. His attention quickly drew to the large box on Maddox's desk. Maddox gulped hard with nervousness. He is speechless when Chaise's eyes landed back on him with questions.

"This is the wedding dress that I just bought for Sumire, Dad. I'm sorry if I seem to be rushing everything. I am just excited. I can't wait any longer but I willingly wait for Sumire's decision."

Maddox said and Chaise just nodded. Chaise already knew Maddox and was quite fond of him. The young man is hardworking and comes from a noble family with a clean background. Maddox's grandfather is also one of Chaise's admired businessmen. He didn't just do business because of money and wanted to get rich. He went into business to make his dream a reality in a clean and fair way. With just one glance Chaise trusted Maddox right away.

'I don't need their name to boast ours but I want the best man for my daughter. I can't let her marry that guy whom I know will put Sumire in danger. She is my only daughter.' Chaise said to his mind and smiled at Maddox.

"Whether she likes it or not, you two still get married. She will learn to love you. I also want you to get married sooner. Be it tomorrow or in the next two days."

Chaise responded. It was like music, so pleasing to hear in Maddox's ears. He could no longer conceal the joy and happiness he felt now on his face. Truth be told, he is into Sumire not for the money or their fame. He is deeply in love with the maiden. He fell in love with her at first sight when he saw her stride the place frowning and adorably pouted at a business event that the maiden seemed forced to attend. She's like a deity who rose from the sea. Her beauty stands out of the crowd. Even though she doesn't wear make-up and just wears a simple dress that night, Sumire was the most beautiful woman his eyes ever landed upon on.

'I have been playing around a lot but everything changed the moment I met her.' He smilingly uttered on his mind and reminisce how their eyes locked in the middle of the crowd but the maiden quickly look away. Lips thrusting out in displeasure on her table made him chuckle.

Maddox felt bad at what he said to his mother earlier. He sounded like he wanted to marry Sumire for money. 'I wanna take it back. Later, I'll tell Mom what I truly feel.' said Maddox in his mind.

"Thank you, Dad. I will do everything to make him love me." Maddox said determinedly and smiled. Chaise nodded.

"Then tomorrow evening, we will have a private engagement dinner with only Mirks and Massoullèves. Let's announce this officially to our families first before making it public." Chaise said to which Maddox's smile reaches his eyes filled with so much delight.

"Yes, Dad. My family will definitely come." Maddox agreed but he was still worried about Sumire's reaction at the dinner. He is aware the maiden will loathe him for life but he's desperate. He loves Sumire dearly and he knows he will never hurt her.

"Then I have to go." Chaise stood up and Maddox was about to get up to escort him when he spoke again.

"Don't bother. Just focus on whatever you're doing." Chaise added with a smile and then went out. Maddox punches the air and wanted to scream with happiness but as the President/CEO of the company, it didn't seem like it was his thing. He took out his phone and just called his closest friends to share the good news with them. They will surely be happy.

"Congratulations bro!"

"Are you for real?"

"Don't joke around."

"Sumire Massoullève? I don't think you're her type."

His friends laughed and teased him in the line but they all genuinely congratulated him.

"Then, tonight let's celebrate." One of his friends suggested and they all agreed except for Maddox. He felt he shouldn't go out this time with them.

"After the wedding," Maddox said in a serious tone that his friends fell quiet.

"Bruh, this is your last day as an unmarried man. Your last time to fuck around with bad bitches." His friends are still laughing around and trying to convince him. Maddox just laughed.

"I'll pass dude. I love her too much to do that." Maddox sincerely said that his friends cheered and teased him out. They all think of him as a notorious womanizer but he is done with that phase. He has changed for the maiden he wants to marry and spend his life with. He doesn't want to make a reckless decision that will destroy Chaise's trust in him which may lead Sumire to dislike him even more.

"I'm hanging up." Maddox laughingly bids goodbye as his friends keep teasing him. He just ignored their tease and smiled as he ended the call. Suddenly, the door burst open and his mother came in with a big smile on her face.

"Mom, you look happy today," Maddox said laughingly. A gaiety carved on her face unlike earlier when Maddox feel she wanted to bury him alive.

"Everything went well and I hope it will remain that way. I still feel bad that you are marrying Sumire because of-" Maddox didn't let his mother finish speaking when he interrupted her.

"Mom, I only said that to get rid of your anger, but I do love her. Truly." Maddox said sincerely. Lady Laenyra can see the genuineness in his eyes but is somehow worried for him. She shrugged.

"How about her? Does she like you?" Lady Laenyra asked and Maddox couldn't put his answer into words. She sighed heavily.

"She will come to love me one day, Mom." He said with a smile.

While Maddox was happily talking to his mother. That very day, Yelena met Charlotte who was in Cion Brothel, and sold herself after she was banished from their family. Charlotte was in a VIP room, completely naked while surrounded by ugly, fat men pleasuring them.

"Charlotte, I'll give you a chance to kill her."