YOKED TO A BILLIONAIRE BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐘𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎:

Davon had been biding his time without making any retaliation. However, the business circles were waiting to watch a good show. It didn't matter when it would happen or who would come up on top,it was certain to set off a bloody storm.

"Why are they here to attend Franklin and Barbra's wedding? Do the two families rely on help from the Landiana Corporation?" Violla asked uneasily.

"You're not too stupid, I see." Davon pinched her chin lightly.

"Isn't that a great disadvantage to you?" Her expression turned sour. "On top of that, you're dismissing the engagement with the Tariques Group. If the Tariques Group were to align with the Landianas, then....."

"They've already aligned." Davon rubbed at his temples. "We'll settle everything here once and for all."

"For real?" Violla turned pale with fright. "The Tariques Group and the Roman Corporation still have ongoing collaboration projects. How could she align with the Landiana at this juncture? According to the contract regulations, they would have to compensate ten times their capital in the case of a breach."

"Indeed, it is stated so in the contract, but anyhow, it was my fault. It wouldn't look good if both parties continue fighting over it," Davon said bluntly. "More importantly, the Romans are indebted to Tarique Junior. I can't make them cough out the compensation."

"Then?" Violla asked.

"We'll terminate the projects, dismiss the contract, and call it quits. From now on, we'll no longer owe the Tariques family."

Violla couldn't come up with any response to his words. Outsiders who were unclear about the situation might think of Davon as arrogant and impulsive. But she was well aware he was sacrificing that to give her and the children status and a proper home.

Actually, he didn't have to rush with calling off the engagement. Had he been more of a selfish, practical jerk, he could totally marry Laura and deal with the Landiana before handling his personal matters.

Yet, he chose otherwise.He would rather give her and the children a name, even if it meant shouldering a tremendous amount of pressure and risks.That was how the man assumed his responsibility.

"Then, aren't you in a disadvantaged position right now?" At the thought of the pressure Davon was shouldering alone, her heart clenched. "The Landianas have the support of the Blacks, the Stanleys, and the Tariques,that makes them twice as strong. Whereas the Roman Group has divided its assets into two since the beginning. It's too difficult for you to go against the Landiana on your own."

"It's not easy. But don't worry. Your hubby, is more than capable enough to handle it." Davon caressed her face lovingly.

"I'm sorry. It's me who dragged you down." Violla felt exceptionally guilty. If it weren't for her, there would be no grievances between Davon, the Blacks and the Stanleys. He wouldn't have broken all ties with the Tariques either. As such, it could be said that the three families only went against Davon because of her.

No wonder D'barl once called her a femme fatale. In fact, there was some truth to it.

"Silly girl." Davon frowned. "You have to have confidence in me."

"All right." She nodded and changed the subject. "There's one thing I don't quite understand. Why would Mr. Tarique allow Laura to act so willfully? Does he not care?"

"The Tariques Group's shares have already been possessed by the Tariques mother-daughter duo. Tarique Junior is nowhere near as good as he's made out to be. He's unable to keep her in check."

Davon was equally speechless when speaking about it.

"Laura had been raised on the streets since a young age and experienced some hardships. Tarique Junior feels that he owes it to her and was extra indulgent. Add that up with her intelligence and capabilities, Tarique Junior handed the company to her with no expectations that his biological daughter would conquer the family's assets and overthrow him."

Violla was dumbfounded. "Laura's too ruthless!"

"How else could she achieve greatness without being ruthless?" Davon raised a brow. "If everyone were like you, the business world would be in peace."

"All right." She pouted unhappily.

He lifted her face and smirked. "However… Even though you look simple-minded and half-witted, you managed to conquer a king like me. Therefore, you're the best out of everyone else!"

Those were simple words, but they stirred Violla's heart nonetheless.Feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside, she extended her arms and hugged him tightly.

"That eager?" Davon patted her back and teased, "Let's wait till we get home, hmm? Then you can ravage me however you want."

"Jerk!" Violla bit his neck.Both of them had a good laugh before getting out of the car.A gust of breeze blew past, lifting a few locks of Violla's silky, black hair. Her angelic features seemed to glow seductively under the glittering sunlight; she was a mesmerizing sight to behold.

The guests present were immediately drawn to her, subconsciously stopping whatever it was they were doing to look over.

Some ignorant wealthy businessmen even approached her to strike up a conversation. Right then, Davon emerged from his side of the car and placed his hand intimately on her waist, instantly smothering their hopes and effectively keeping them at bay.

Only someone with a death wish would dare to covet Davon Roman's woman.

"Mr. Roman, welcome!" Both Franklin's and Barbra's fathers came over to greet them civilly. No matter what business conflicts they had, they did not dare to disrespect Davon.

"Congratulations," Davon replied politely.Right on cue, Cruze stepped forward to present a wedding gift.

"You're very kind, Mr. Roman." The two elders were very courteous and sincere. Barbra's father also greeted Violla warmly, "You must be Miss Milan. Glad you could make it!"

"Thank you!" Violla nodded with a faint smile.

On the contrary, Franklin's father felt slightly awkward in front of Violla.

Back then, he was close friends with Gerald Milan, who helped him a lot in business-related matters. A union between both families through marriage was initially joyous news, but after tragedy befell Gerald, the Stanleys decided to cancel the engagement at the very last second, prompting Violla to leave out of anger. What followed was a series of messy events.

Presently, Franklin was about to marry Barbra after divorcing Leila, while Violla was dating Davon. From Franklin's father's point of view, Violla had snagged herself an even more powerful backer, and he couldn't afford to offend or disrespect her.

"You're both our esteemed guests. This way please!" Both of them led Davon and Violla into the hotel. A group of guests gathered around to exchange customary pleasantries. After Davon entertained them for a while, he excused himself and took Violla to a private room to rest.

Right then, Clyde hurried in and reported in a hushed voice, "The Landiana family came in through the side door. Franklin and Barbra personally went over to welcome them, but it seems like the legendary Mr. Leon doesn't want to make an appearance yet."

"Keep an eye on him and report to me immediately if anything happens," Davon ordered.

"Yes, sir." Clyde swiftly retreated to carry out his orders.

After a moment, Cruze also rushed in to report, "Mr. Roman, everything is ready."

Davon nodded and sipped on his wine languidly with a cold glint in his eyes.

Violla felt a little restless. She always had a feeling that Davon was planning something colossal and that the wedding was, in fact, a stage for the showdown between him and the Landiana family.

She was perturbed by the fact that the legendary Mr. Leon was hiding in the shadows, while Davon was exposed in the open. Hence, it was unclear what the former was really up to.

"Don't be scared." Davon held her hand in his palm. "I'll be here."

"Mmmh." Violla nodded. She picked up a glass of juice and was about to drink from it when a knock sounded on the door. "Mr. Roman, may I come in?" Came a familiar voice.

"Yes," Davon replied, to which Cruze stepped forward to open the door.

Dressed in an extravagant wedding gown, Barbra entered the room holding Franklin's arm. The two of them were all smiles; they looked like the happiest couple to walk the earth.

When Violla turned her head to look at them, Franklin frantically averted his gaze.

"Thank you for attending our wedding, Mr. Roman." Barbra walked over with Franklin and extended her hand toward Davon with a brilliant smile on her face.

"Congratulations to both of you." Davon rose to his feet and shook hands with them, a subtle smile playing on his lips.

"Congratulations!" Violla politely shook their hands as well.

"Thank you!" Barbra glanced at Violla, her smile never once faltering. "You look beautiful today, Violla!"

"Not as beautiful as the bride," Violla complimented her in return.

"When will we get to attend your wedding?" Even though Barbra was smiling brightly at Violla, the look in her eyes was as sharp as a knife.

"Next month." Davon added, "We'll send out the invitations soon."

"Really? You're both engaged already?" Barbra was shocked, to say the least. She had always believed that Davon wasn't serious about Violla and wouldn't actually marry her. Unexpectedly, Davon himself admitted that they would be holding a wedding the following month.

"Yes." Davon gently squeezed Violla's waist. "It'll take time for Violla's customized wedding gown and accessories to be ready, or I would've married her this month itself."

"What's the rush?" Franklin blurted.

"I wouldn't want my future wife running away before sealing the deal, would I?" Davon joked.

Violla released a soft giggle in response, and the two looked at each other affectionately.

Jealousy crept into Barbra's heart as she looked at Violla. It was her wedding, yet Violla had stolen her thunder.

Since she was young, she was overshadowed by Violla as long they were in the room, even during her own wedding.

With a stiff smile on his face, Franklin said insincerely, "That's great. Congratulations."

"Both of you can rest for a while. We have to greet the other guests outside. Please head to the banquet hall later. The official ceremony will begin in half an hour." Barbra flashed one last smile.

"Sure. Don't let us keep you here." Davon guided Violla to sit back down.

Subsequently, Barbra tugged Franklin away. As soon as they rounded a corner, she couldn't help from castigating him, "Look at how Mr. Roman treats Violla! She's the only thing he sees. Every action and gaze is for her. But what about you? Things were still fine before seeing her, but once you did, it was like I became completely invisible to you."

"You're reading too much into things." Franklin explained insipidly, "She's Davon's woman. How can I think about her that way?"

"So you're saying that you would if she wasn't Davon's woman? Is that it?" Barbra glared vehemently at him.

"No…" Franklin frowned deeply. "It's our wedding today. Can you stop throwing a tantrum? It's not good for the baby too."

At the mention of the baby, Barbra kept her temper in check, but still angrily warned, "Franklin, I've sacrificed so much for you. I even resorted to using my own family just to help you. If you let me down, I will never forgive you."

"Don't worry, I won't." Franklin held her waist intimately. "Let's go outside. There are other guests waiting for us.

"Mr. Leon and Mr. Roman will definitely confront each other today. Let's just sit back and watch. No matter who emerges as the winner, we'll still stand to benefit!"

"Mm. I know."

In the room, Davon was on the phone, but his eyes were trained on Violla the whole time.

Violla was munching on some fruits on the sofa, seemingly having a good appetite. She finished an entire bunch of grapes before moving onto some small cakes.

After ending the call, Davon pulled her into his arms and cupped her cheek. "Look how good your appetite is. Could you really be pregnant? We should check."

"Nah, I don't think so. I've always had a good appetite." Violla continued eating without a care in the world.

"Still, let's check just to be sure. I'll take you to the hospital later." Davon hoped for Violla to bear him a few more children; the more the merrier.

"No." Violla shook her head. "I've already promised Mrs. Blake we'd go visit the countryside right after the wedding."

"You're being disobedient." Davon bit her bottom lip unhappily.

"S-Stop it!"

Clyde rushed in to report his findings while they were fooling around. When he saw the suggestive scene, he hastily swiveled around. "Mr. Roman, the wedding is about to begin. Everything is set!"

"Mmmh." Davon helped Violla to her feet.

Both of them tidied up their clothes and walked out hand-in-hand.

As soon as they stepped out, they ran into Martin, who was walking toward them. He was in an all-black suit with his long hair tied up. Besides his dashing good looks, he gave off an artistic vibe. Seeing Violla, he was visibly stunned.

"Martin!" Violla was momentarily taken aback, but quickly broke into a smile. "It's been awhile."

"Indeed, it has." Martin's gaze never once left Violla. "How are you?"

"Good, good." Sensing the storm brewing in Davon, Violla held his arm in the nick of time and smiled. "We're getting married soon. We hope you can make it!"

"I see. Sure." Martin's gaze fell on her hand which was curled around Davon's arm. He resembled a falling star, gradually dimming before winking out completely. How he wished that Violla would one day hold his arm like that.

For many years, he had hoped for his wish to come true, but all to no avail. It seemed like it'd be close to impossible for that to happen now.

"We'll send you an invitation once the date is confirmed," Davon stated courteously before walking away with Violla.

Violla brushed past Martin's shoulder and left without looking back.

Although he had mentally prepared himself and imagined meeting her again more times than he could count, when both of them brushed past each other at that moment, his heart still wrenched painfully in his chest.

He lowered his gaze and stood rooted to the spot, waiting for the footsteps behind him to fade away.

Picturing Violla's retreating figure, Martin released a pained sigh. 'Perhaps we're destined to miss out on each other in this life.'

Violla felt slightly guilty toward Martin, but she stopped herself from looking back. She knew that a blunt rejection was better than tugging him along by giving him false hope.

"Why didn't you stay to chat for awhile, seeing as he's your old friend?" Davon asked casually.

"He's probably still there. Why don't we go back and look for him?" Violla pretended to turn back.

"Don't you dare!" Davon immediately grabbed her and confined her in his arms, pinching her cheek with a slightly annoyed look on his face. "I've been spoiling you too much and you're getting bolder now, aren't you?"

"You were the one acting all sarcastic about it." Violla gave him a chaste kiss and explained, "Martin and I never had anything going on between us. If anything, I'm the one who owes him. I never should've used him as a shield."

"It's all in the past now." Davon also felt that he was a tad too reckless before, but of course, he would never admit that aloud. After all, men were prideful creatures.

Violla rolled her eyes at him and changed the subject. "Looks like the wedding's about to begin. Let's go."

Even though she did not approve of Franklin and Barbra's marriage, the wedding vibes still got to her, so much so she started planning her own wedding.

Mellow, romantic music was playing in the banquet hall, signifying that the wedding ceremony was about to commence.

Franklin's and Barbra's fathers welcomed Davon and Violla by the entrance, decorously ushering them to sit at the main guest table. The other guests would occasionally smile and greet them earnestly.

Davon coolly swept his gaze around the hall, but did not catch a glimpse of the man he was looking for, Mr. Leon.

'Since he's already here, why isn't he showing himself? He can't be attending the wedding just to see me, right?'

Davon's expression was glacial even as he elegantly sipped on his wine.

Seated beside him, Violla quietly watched the wedding ceremony on the stage.

Her mind drifted back to that night four years ago, when she had almost gotten engaged to Franklin. At that time, he was also wearing a white suit like that one, looking noble and dignified.

Only, he used to have a pair of crystal-clear eyes. Though he was flawed, he could never conceal his virtuous nature.

But the present him had a wickedly penetrating gaze that chilled her to the bone.

"Barbra Brown, do you take Franklin Stanley as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" The ceremony was drawing to a conclusion.

"I do!" Barbra answered unhesitatingly.

The Minister turned to Franklin. "Franklin Stanley, do you take Barbra Black as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Franklin's eyes darted to the audience below and found Violla, but he withdrew his gaze almost immediately. Tugging his lips into a smile, he replied, "I do!"