My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin

Chapter 300: Uh... this is gonna be a problem.

"I didn’t know you would do that," Nolan remarked as he peeked out the window, catching sight of the guys walking out in their suits.

The corners of his mouth lifted, seeing that Betty’s words had apparently managed to break through their thick skulls and stubborn hearts. He turned toward the couch where Betty sat, quietly drinking a cup of tea to calm herself down.

Betty sighed heavily and looked up at him, offering him a weak smile.

"I didn’t know either, Nolan," she admitted. "But I don’t know what got into me. When I saw those two outside, I was just filled with anger."

"Understandable," he said as he walked back and sat across from her. "They would’ve been the first people anyone expected to step up in this situation, but they didn’t."

Betty gulped as she looked at him. What Gustav had said was one thing, but Betty had a different reason for reacting the way she did.

"Nolan, when the Madam first came here... even the maids would gossip about her, knowing full well she could hear them," she muttered, her eyes falling to the tea in her hands. "If even a mere maid could look down on her, then what more the people with official ranks in Dominion? That’s why she used to frustrate me."

"It frustrated me that she knew others talked badly about her behind her back, but she wouldn’t put them in their place. That she wouldn’t do anything to win people over to her side, and that she kept behaving the way she did," she added, her voice growing quieter.

"It took me a while to realize that... it’s not that the Madam didn’t want to defend herself." Betty paused, pressing her lips into a thin line as her eyes stung. "She behaved the way she did—doing what she wanted, letting things slide, and looking the other way—because she had already become too numb to care. Because the moment she cared, she knew she would get hurt."

Slowly, she met Nolan’s eyes. "And it breaks my heart whenever I think about it. How could someone get used to being treated that badly, Nolan?"

Silence fell between them as they held each other’s gaze. A moment later, Nolan lowered his eyes as his jaw tightened. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"Everyone judged the Madam for the things she did in retaliation, but none of them ever took into account that even before she entered this place, Dominion was already a battle she had to win," Betty continued. "It makes me angry... how close-minded people can be. That no one ever considered that this marriage was something she was forced in."

Betty clasped her hands tightly on her lap until her shoulders trembled. "Above all, what makes me the angriest is how pathetic I am. I spoke up for what I felt, but deep inside, I envy them. I envy her bodyguards because they can do more for her than I ever could."

"They can fight for her and add weight to the title of Madam of Dominion," she whispered. "Meanwhile, I’m just a maid she picked from among hundreds of others in the mansion. And yet I still dared to run my mouth without thinking."

"Betty," Nolan called gently. He waited until she looked up at him before continuing, "I think the Madam chose you for a reason, and today, I think I finally understand why."

He smiled faintly. "The Madam has always handled things differently, even from the very beginning. And today, I realized she was very smart for choosing you."

"Huh?"

"As you said, Dominion does not treat people with respect, and that’s true. It’s not surprising in the world they live in. Animals are sometimes better than the people in the underground world," Nolan explained mildly. "The Madam and the Master of Dominion are no exception. Even I am no exception."

He paused before smiling again. "I think she understood that better than she would ever openly admit, so keeping someone close to her who still has a heart... is a reminder that we are not animals."

"You may not be able to fight with brute strength, but that isn’t your role. That’s the role of those men." Nolan nodded at her. "Your role is to make sure the empire she’s building continues moving forward as planned."

"The problems inside Dominion will continue to come and go, but this business?" He shook his head. "Dominion won’t be able to touch it because it belongs to her."

His smile widened slightly. "Make sure no one in Dominion can ever get their hands on it. That is your job. Protect the fortress she’s building—the one that may protect her and her family in the future."

Another wave of silence settled between them before Betty pursed her lips. Her eyes softened as she nodded.

"Thank you, Nolan," she whispered. "Really."

He chuckled softly. "I’m only saying what I’ve observed. You don’t have to thank me." Nolan reached for his cup of tea. "Anyway, before I forget completely, why were you knocking on my door earlier?"

"Ah, right." Betty shook her head lightly as it nearly slipped her mind. "Nolan, have you heard about the master?"

"Hmm?"

"His condition."

Nolan furrowed his brows. "Yes, the Madam told us last night. Although I want to believe it isn’t as bad as it seems."

Meaning Nolan still didn’t know the full details aside from what Ashley had told them.

"You still don’t know?" Betty paused, staring at him in shock as her heartbeat slowed. "Didn’t Gustav tell you?"

"Why, Betty?" Nolan frowned. "Is it really that serious?"

Betty was about to tell him the truth. However, Ashley hadn’t told them directly, so Betty wanted to remain careful even though she trusted Nolan.

"How strange," she whispered, snapping her eyes back to him. "Who else in this neighborhood doesn’t know?"

"Doesn’t know what?"

"The master’s real condition."

Nolan thought about it for a moment. "I’m not entirely sure, but everyone knows the master was hospitalized. Some people assumed he had been attacked or ambushed."

And those people were mostly maids, butlers, chefs, and workers stationed in the neighborhood—essentially the staff under Nolan’s supervision as chief butler.

Noticing Betty’s strange reaction, Nolan knitted his brows. "Betty, is everything alright?"

"Huh? Ah, yes!" Betty quickly stood up and took out her phone. "Thanks for the advice and the tea, Nolan. I just remembered I need to make a call!"

She bid him farewell while already rushing outside, hurriedly tapping on her phone.

[To: Madam

Madam, I heard from Castor that everyone in the main residence already knew about the master’s collapse and condition. This may not be relevant, but it’s unusual that many people in the neighborhood don’t know the details while those in the mansion already do.

I’ll look into it and try to find out how everyone in the main residence learned about it.]

*****

[Present Time]

"Yep, that woman. Domination."

Meanwhile, Ashley raised a brow as she glanced between Red and Tank. Before she could say anything else, her phone vibrated again.

Picking it up, she saw several updates from Khan. As she scrolled through them, she noticed Betty’s message from a few hours earlier. Reading it, she narrowed her eyes.

"It is strange," she murmured as a faint glint flickered across her eyes. Then she lifted her gaze toward Red and gave him his first order.

"Red, coordinate with Betty."

"Huh?"

"I just read her message, which I forwarded to you," she continued calmly. "Find out how many people within Dominion’s neighborhood and those in the city know about Lucian. I want a list of everyone aware and everyone who still doesn’t know."

Red furrowed his brows before checking his phone and seeing the forwarded message. As he read it, he frowned deeply.

"Uh... this is gonna be a problem."