I Dominate Them All!

Chapter 0003 - They doubt me

Not a single Carmichael had bothered to look for Chloe, even after all the time that had passed. To them, she had foolishly run into the fire, destroyed her beauty, and tarnished their social standing in West Arcadia City.

Chloe, however, held no grudge against her family. After all, blood was thicker than water. Alongside Orion, she decided to pay the Carmichaels a visit, hoping they would bless their marriage.

The couple stepped out of the villa, and Chloe’s eyes widened at the sight of a brand-new Mercedes-Benz adorned with red ribbons parked outside. Standing in front of the car was a brown-skinned man in a tuxedo, nervously fidgeting with a box wrapped in gift paper.

As soon as he spotted Orion, the man squared his shoulders and called out, “Greetings, Supreme Gen—” while raising his hand in a salute.

Before he could finish, however, Orion swiftly grabbed his hand and pulled him aside.

He shot a glance over his shoulder to check if Chloe had caught anything, but her attention remained on the vehicle, clueless. Turning back to the man, Orion scowled. “Who the hell are you?”

“General, I’m..”

“Don’t call me that. My name is Orion.”

“Okay, sir. I’m Jimmy Marsh, a Knight Marshal from the—” Orion's eyes narrowed dangerously at him, and his voice faltered. He swallowed hard, and got straight to the point. “Um, Sir. I was sent by the Admiral to deliver a gift. He wishes you a happy and prosperous married life.”

Orion let out a quiet sigh.

So his sworn brother still had his eyes on him.

His gaze shifted to the wrapped box in Jimmy’s hands. “What’s inside?”

“The gift, sir. It’s an equity certificate for Black Mercury, the largest finance conglomerate in the empire. The Admiral arranged it under your name.”

Orion hesitated before begrudgingly taking the box.

Jimmy cleared his throat. “Also, Supreme—I mean, sir—permit me to stay by your side. I can be your extra eyes and ears, reporting on the pillars you’re after. I can drive too. I could be your chauffeur.”

Orion considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. But one rule: my wife never finds out what we are.”

“Affirmative.” Jimmy bowed deeply.

At the Carmichaels’.

Chloe held lovingly onto Orion’s arm as she knocked on the door of a modest two-story house. “This is my home,” Chloe said. “Though, obviously, it’s nothing compared to the palace you live in.”

Orion brushed a speck of dirt from her hair and replied, “Honestly, home is wherever you are, Chloe.” Her cheeks warmed at his words.

The door creaked open, and Miriam Carmichael peeked out. She was stunned to see a gorgeous woman and a man standing outside her house. “Can I help you?” she demanded.

“Mum, it’s me. Chloe.”

Miriam froze, taken aback. Why did this woman just call her “Mum?” She scrutinized the woman as though examining an art piece. “You—you’re my daughter, Chloe?”

“Yes, my scars are gone,” Chloe replied, her eyes brimming with tears. She glanced at Orion and smiled. “This man, my husband, fixed me.”

“Hello, Mum,” Orion greeted politely.

A bewildered “What?” escaped Miriam’s lips as she struggled to process what she was seeing. She had heard rumors that Chloe had been taken by a bidder’s servant and hadn’t cared what became of her. Who could have imagined they would transform her back into the jewel of Arcadia?

The family’s most prized possession.

The daze cleared, and Miriam’s expression hardened as she looked at Orion. Without hesitation, she grabbed her daughter and pulled her away from him. “Get away from her, filth. I don’t recognize you as my son-in-law.”

Turning back to Chloe, Miriam’s eyes softened as she examined her closely, running her hands over Chloe’s arms and touching her skin as if to confirm the reality before her. “Chloe, is it really you? You can stand, and your skin—it’s flawless. You’re beautiful again. How did this happen?”

“It’s a long story, Mum. But I’ve recovered and am no longer a disgrace to the family,” Chloe replied, a bitter edge in her voice.

“My daughter,” Miriam exclaimed, dragging her into a hug and shedding crocodile tears. “It’s my fault. If only I’d taught you that your beauty was an asset, you wouldn’t have foolishly jumped into that fire to save that accursed child. But that will change now. Come.”

Now that Chloe’s beauty had been restored, Miriam saw an opportunity. The Carmichaels would marry her off to one of West Arcadia’s prominent families, boosting their wealth, class, and social standing. She’d be respected again.

Miriam began pulling her inside. To Orion, she yelled rudely, “Why are you still standing there? Get lost.”

“Mum, what are you doing? He’s my husband!” Chloe protested.

“That’s for the family to decide,” Miriam spat. “Or is it the little cash they paid in the bidding? We’ll return it.” She tightened her grip on Chloe, dragging her in.

“Orion…” Chloe called back helplessly. Orion just shrugged, then nonchalantly followed the two women.

All the Carmichaels gathered in the house’s grand foyer, their mouths agape and eyes wide with disbelief as they struggled to process the sight before them.

Was that really Chloe?

The family’s disgrace for the past ten years?

They were stunned. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that the once repulsive and paralyzed Chloe would not only recover but return as a breathtaking beauty.

Miriam didn’t hesitate, her eyes gleaming with renewed ambition. “Dad, Chloe’s beauty is back—better than ever. She should divorce that man, and we can marry her off to one of the sons of the city’s pillars.”

She clapped her hands, her smile brightening. “You know what? I’ve even heard rumors that the empire’s Supreme Dragon General is in our city. He’d also make a perfect suitor for Chloe. Either way, we’ll rise to power again.”

Orion couldn’t help but chuckle at the corner, what a superficial family.

Rubbing his gray beard thoughtfully, the family’s patriarch, Lucius, stared at his granddaughter in awe. Was that really Chloe? The old man was dumbfounded.

Regardless, Miriam had brought up a valid point. Their family’s “jewel” had returned, and they could use her to climb back up the ladder of affluence in West Arcadia City.

“I agree,” he finally said, his tone decisive. “I’ll spread the word: my granddaughter, the jewel of West Arcadia, has returned and is ready for marriage. The supreme general or any prominent eligible bachelor is welcome. Haha! Our family will be great again.”

“No!” Chloe crawled forward, her cheeks wet with tears. “Look, I won’t marry anyone else. For a decade, I’d suffered, cried, and felt miserable. I was abandoned at that auction, left to die. But,” she managed a trembling smile, “Orion saved me and restored me. I love him.”

Slap!

A harsh slap landed on Chloe’s face, courtesy of her mother. Miriam spat bitterly, “Shut your mouth! We, the family, decide who you’ve feelings for. And this man will never be one of them.” She turned a scornful glare toward Orion. “Just look at him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s just a lowly servant.”

“I am.” Orion retorted. He had returned to serve his family by avenging their deaths and to serve Chloe by protecting her. It wasn’t a lie.

“Wait, what?” The foyer turned chaotic.

Miriam, ever melodramatic, collapsed to the floor in tears, wailing as if the world had ended. “A servant?!” she cried, clutching her chest as though it might burst. Turning to face Lucius, she exclaimed, “How could the jewel of our family be married to a common servant? It’s despicable—a spit in our faces!”

The Carmichaels quickly began discussing how they must get rid of Orion.

Chloe was still stunned. A servant? It had never crossed her mind that the things Orion owned might not truly be his. But his status didn’t matter. It didn’t change how she felt about him. She loved him deeply, and she wouldn’t let her family come between them.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a knife on a nearby table. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and raised it defiantly to her face.

“Look! I’ll scar myself!” Chloe threatened, and the foyer instantly fell into a dead silence. "I’ll make myself ugly if you try to force me to marry someone else.”

“You wretched brat!” Miriam screamed, her eyes bulging like those of a madwoman, about attacking Chloe.

Senior Lucius smacked his cane on the floor twice, commanding silence. He turned to his granddaughter.

“Chloe, what’s gotten into you? Put that down!” Fearing her grandfather, she obeyed. “And why are you protesting? You’re beautiful again. It’s only fitting that you marry a prominent bachelor, like the supreme general. You’ll divorce this servant!”

“No.” Chloe still refused.

Lucius’ face turned devilish. “Why, you little…”

Orion cleared his throat.

He didn’t want to intrude on the family’s dispute but felt compelled to speak. “Yes, I’m just a servant. But I’d rather be that than as vain as all of you.” Their faces reddened at the insult. “The decision of who Chloe marries is hers alone. If she wants a divorce from me, I’ll grant it. But if she doesn’t, there’s nothing any of you can do about it.”

“How dare you.”

Philip, the oldest grandson, leapt to his feet. Stomping toward Orion, he jabbed him repeatedly in the forehead with his finger. “You're garbage, you hear me?” he sneered. “In this great empire, forged by the great general, servants like you aren’t supposed to speak unless spoken to.”

Philip, unaware of Orion’s true identity, believed he held the upper hand—until, “Ouch! Ouch!” A high-pitched scream tore from his lips as he yanked his hand back.

He stared in disbelief at his now-swollen finger, as smoke curled from it as if it had been scorched.

“Mind yourself, boy,” Orion warned, his tone dangerous.

Philip’s eyes burned with bloodlust as he stared at his burnt finger. “You damn servant! You did this, didn’t you?” He pulled out a switchblade, determined to defend his honor. “You’re a magician too, huh? I’ll kill you!”

“What the hell are you doing?” Senior Lucius roared. “Is there no order in this house anymore? Put that away.” Philip hesitantly complied, but hurled insults at Orion under his breath as he withdrew back to his seat.

“Mr. Whatever you’re.” Senior Lucius spat. “I’ll return back the money your master paid for the bid. You’ll divorce my granddaughter today.”

“No!” Chloe protested.

“Chloe!” Lucius smacked his cane on the floor, yelling. “Look here young lady. I'm still the head of this family, and my words are final. If you insist on staying with this servant, I’ll disown you.”

Chloe collapsed to the floor, crying. The Carmichaels exchanged smug, victorious glances. They had won.

Orion’s gaze swept across the room, shifting from the Carmichaels’ triumphant faces to his sobbing wife. Heat surged in his chest.

He had returned to repay his debt to her by making her whole, but everything seemed to be falling apart.

He needed to act.

Bowing low, Orion pleaded, “Grandfather, you don’t want me as an in-law because you think I’m unworthy of your jewel. Please, give me a task to prove I am worthy of being Chloe’s husband.”

“The slave wants to prove himself, everybody,” Philip mocked from his seat, prompting Miriam, Lucius, and the rest of the family to burst into laughter. He continued, “How ridiculous. Listen, you’re a slave, born and bred. You’ll never be worthy of my cousin, no matter what you do. But if you’re so desperate for a task... Grandpa, you know how we’ve always dreamed of securing a contract with the Black Mercury Group. Let him try that and fail.”

Philip despised Orion with every fiber of his being. He proposed the idea, fully certain Orion couldn’t complete the near-impossible task. After all, Philip already had a candidate in mind for his cousin, Xander Delacroix, a pillar's grandson.

Senior Lucius nodded in agreement. “Yes,” he said to Orion. “Servant, have you heard of Black Mercury? They’re the largest finance conglomerate in the empire, with a branch in this city. Our group has worked for years to secure even a low-tier, half-a-billion-dollar contract with them, but we haven’t succeeded. If you manage to get it within a week, I swear that I’ll acknowledge you as my son-in-law.”

Chloe’s eyes widened at the impossible task. She broke into more tears.

Orion, however, nonchalantly straightened. “I don’t need a week,” he declared, smiling. “It will be done tomorrow.”

Philip snorted from his seat. “As If. Look everybody, If this slave can pull that off. I'll lick him and Chloe's shoes.”

The family erupted into even louder laughter, mocking Orion openly.