I was born frail. The moment I took my first breath, my heart monitor nearly flatlined. When my adoptive mother found out I was a “fake” heiress swapped at birth, she decided on the spot to pull the plug and end my treatment. But eight of the richest magnates in New York spent a fortune to bring me back from the brink of death. Why? Because we shared a physical connection. Any pain I suffered was amplified tenfold in them. Later, a nanny slipped up and let me fall into a garden pond. The nation’s top defense attorney developed a 104-degree fever from the pneumonia I had caught. He sued her overnight. By sunrise, she was locked away for life. A school bully deliberately tripped me. A notorious mafia boss suffered multiple fractures because of my fall. The minute he walked out of the ICU, his first order was to make the bully’s entire family disappear from the city. Pampered and protected by these men, I grew up without another scratch. New York’s wealthiest tycoon immediately arranged a marriage for his only grandson, wanting me to marry into his family so I could be cared for around the clock. But on the night of our engagement party, the biological daughter who had just returned drugged me and sold me off to a human trafficking ring deep in the mountains. “A sick girl who can’t even have children doesn’t deserve to marry into high society!” “Everything you have is mine! Once you’re dead, all their love will finally be mine!” With the last bit of my strength, I pressed the emergency distress signal on my ring. In the next second, the entire city of New York was turned upside down.
I opened my eyes in a dilapidated cabin deep in the mountains, my head splitting with a agonizing pain. I tried to call for help, but my throat was parched, and I coughed up a mouthful of dark blood. “Chloe, is this girl really worth thirty thousand dollars?” A cold, familiar voice drifted in from outside the door. It was Chloe Sterling. “Robert is getting old, and he is desperate for a young wife. He has the cash to burn.” “Serena stole my identity for eighteen years. Letting her rot with an old man is mercy.” “Why? Are you suddenly feeling guilty about selling your biological daughter?” So this was the backwoods where Chloe grew up. She had teamed up with her adoptive mother, who was actually my biological mother, to sell me for a measly thirty grand. I dragged my broken, aching body toward the door, inch by inch. “Oh, look who’s awake.” Hearing the noise, Chloe kicked the door open. “Good news, Serena. Tomorrow morning, you’re marrying Robert. You should thank me. I handpicked this marriage for you. Pretty generous of me, don’t you think?” Chloe smirked, looking down at me like I was dirt. Standing next to her was Beatrice, a heavy-set, disheveled local woman, my biological mother. I weakly reached out, grabbing the hem of Beatrice’s pants. “You want money, right? Let me go. I’ll give you three million.” “Three million?” Beatrice’s eyes widened at the astronomical figure. But in the next second, Chloe kicked me hard in the ribs, sending spots dancing across my vision. “Quit lying, Serena. Where would you get that kind of cash?” “The Sterling family fortune belongs to me now. You’re nothing but a penniless imposter.” I curled up on the cold dirt floor, my stomach twisting in agonizing pain. No… she was wrong. The Sterling family used to be completely ordinary. It was only because of my connection to the eight New York magnates that they showered the Sterlings with contracts and resources, dragging them into high society. Without me, Chloe’s dream of being a wealthy socialite was nothing but a delusion! I glanced around the drafty, cracked cabin. This was where Chloe grew up, and where I was supposed to have lived. Knowing Chloe had endured a hard life here, I held back my anger and tried to reason with her. “I won’t fight you for the Sterling fortune. Let me go, and I’ll pretend today never happened.” “But if you hurt me, the eight families will make you pay with your life.” Chloe didn’t understand how ruthless those billionaires could be. The tycoon had bankrupted a rising star in three days just for insulting me. The top attorney had put my lazy nanny in a maximum-security prison for life. And the mafia boss? The bully who pushed me had his entire family fed to the sharks in international waters. Beatrice paled, nervously grabbing Chloe’s sleeve. “Maybe we should let her go… We can’t mess with billionaires…” But to Chloe, my words were just a desperate bluff. “Serena, stop flattering yourself!” “Those billionaires cared about the Sterling heiress. Now that I’ve taken my rightful place, you think they’ll still protect a fake like you?” She glared at Beatrice. “Don’t be an idiot! If you let her go now, she’ll call the cops on you for kidnapping!” “Then say goodbye to your thirty grand, and say goodbye to Jimmy’s future! He’ll end up in prison!” At the mention of her precious son, Jimmy, Beatrice’s face hardened. Without another word, she grabbed a thick rope and brutally bound my hands together. She tied the knot so tight it cut deep into my flesh. “Don’t hate me, kid,” Beatrice muttered. “That money is for your brother’s new house. You never did anything for this family anyway. Consider this pay-back for giving birth to you.” I weakly fluttered my eyelids. “You… are not my mother.” No real mother would sell her child for cash. Beatrice didn’t deserve to be called a mother. She didn’t even deserve to be called human. Beatrice’s face darkened. She grabbed my hair and dragged me toward the pitch-black back room. Just as the pain was about to make me black out, Chloe’s phone suddenly rang.
On the other end of the line, the Sterlings sounded completely hysterical. “Chloe! Something terrible has happened! Is Serena with you?!” “All eight magnates have suddenly fallen critically ill! They’ve mobilized their entire private security forces, vowing to tear apart whoever kidnapped Serena!” Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. Forcing her voice to sound sweet and innocent, she lied, “Serena is missing? I have no idea. I’m out with some friends!” Deafening sirens and shouting could be heard through the receiver before her adoptive parents abruptly hung up. The eight magnates felt my pain. They would lock onto my location very soon. But Chloe still didn’t realize the gravity of the situation. She casually tossed her phone onto a table. “You really have all the luck, Serena. Even your disappearance causes a scene.” “But New York is thousands of miles away. By the time Robert claims you tonight, you’ll be ruined. Who would want a second-hand toy?” Chloe sneered at my limp body. She had no idea that she was digging her own grave. Just then, Beatrice brought in a local matchmaker, bowing and scraping. The matchmaker pinched my chin with greasy hands, inspecting me like livestock. “Ugh, she’s in terrible shape. Looks like she’s on her deathbed.” “Fifteen thousand. That’s my final offer.” Chloe crossed her arms and laughed. “I knew Serena was worthless!” “Whatever, just sell her! Once she’s gone, I’ll be the only princess the eight families care about.” “No way!” Beatrice screamed. Chloe wanted me gone, but Beatrice only cared about the cash. She pinched my waist hard, whispering a harsh warning, “Stop looking like a corpse! If you ruin Jimmy’s chance to get his house, I’ll kill you myself!” A sharp pain radiated from my ribs, and I forced a weak, grim smile. The matchmaker sighed. “Fine. Fifty percent deposit now. We’ll pay the rest when she’s delivered tomorrow.” “Don’t screw this up, or you’ll owe me ten times the amount!” Beatrice nodded repeatedly, practically bowing the matchmaker out of the house. They tied me up tighter and threw me into the damp, moldy back room. My body was burning with a fever, and I began to drift in and out of consciousness. After what felt like hours, I felt someone untying the ropes. I forced my eyes open. The woman standing before me looked young, but her face was hollowed out by misery. “There’s a dirt trail to the east,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Keep running. Don’t look back.” My voice was barely a whisper. “Who are you… Why are you saving me?” The woman paused, her voice cracking. “I… I was kidnapped and brought here years ago too. If you escape… please get help.” I looked down and noticed she was missing her left leg. My heart ached. I squeezed her hand. “I will. I promise I’ll come back for you.” She supported my weight, limping with me toward the back door. But the moment we stepped out, we ran straight into Chloe and Beatrice. “Where do you think you’re going, Serena?” The limping woman immediately shielded me with her body. “The town sheriff said some powerful people from New York are looking for her! They said if she loses a single hair, they’ll burn this entire valley down!” “This girl is precious to them! You can’t do this!” “Precious?” Chloe mocked. “I am the real Sterling heiress now. I’m the one they’ll cherish. Serena is nothing.” “And you,” Chloe glared at the woman, “are just a bought-and-paid-for wife. How dare you interfere?” She kicked the woman aside and signaled Beatrice. “Our merchandise is trying to run. You know what to do, right?” Beatrice nodded, pulling off her heavy leather belt with a dark scowl. Terrified, I curled up against the wall, covering my head. “No… if you want to live, don’t touch me!” Beatrice laughed, ignoring my warning. “Stop threatening me! I don’t care if the President himself comes down here, nobody stops me from helping my son!” “No! Stop!” As the belt came swinging down, the limping woman threw herself over me, taking the brutal blow. “I… I won’t let you hurt her!” But Beatrice was blind with rage. The belt fell again and again, mercilessly. The woman’s back was quickly shredded, her body going limp over mine. Chloe grabbed my hair, forcing my head up. “See that? She’s bleeding because of you. You’re a curse, Serena!” My heart shattered. This woman was taking a beating just to protect me. How could I watch her die? I knelt on the floor, crying, my voice hoarse. “Stop! I won’t run! I’ll marry Robert! Just stop!”
Only then did Chloe signal Beatrice to stop. The woman’s shirt was soaked in blood, her breathing shallow and weak. But I was powerless right now. I had to play along. My distress signal was out. By tomorrow noon at the latest, the eight magnates would level this entire mountain. But I had to survive until then. Lying on the dirty floor, I reached out to Chloe. “Take me to a hospital…” “If I die… the eight families will make you suffer a fate worse than death.” “I don’t scare easily, Serena.” She used the tip of her boot to lift my chin. “You’ve been playing the sick card your whole life, and you’re still breathing.” Chloe didn’t understand. My life was literally sustained by the best medical care money could buy. And she wouldn’t live to see tomorrow’s sun. My body reached its limit. I gasped, vomiting a dark pool of blood right onto Chloe’s expensive shoes. Chloe shrieked, jumping back in disgust. Beatrice started panic. “Is… is she actually dying?” “If we can’t deliver her tomorrow, we’ll have to pay ten times the deposit! We don’t have that kind of money!” “Shut up!” Chloe snapped, shaking her off. “Get a local doctor. If she’s still throwing up after medicine, she’s just faking it.” Beatrice quickly dragged in a shady local doctor. He checked my pulse, peeled back my eyelids, and immediately fell backward in terror. “She’s barely breathing! I can’t treat this! She’s going to die!” He grabbed his things and bolted like he’d seen a ghost, leaving his medical bag behind. Beatrice was trembling. “What do we do? Even the doctor said she’s a goner…” “Useless idiots!” Chloe gritted her teeth, rummaging through the leftover medical bag. She pulled out an unmarked adrenaline shot. “As long as she breathes until we get paid, I don’t care what happens to her after!” “No… stay away…” I whimpered, shrinking into the corner. Chloe pinned me down while Beatrice brutally shoved the needle into my arm. As the sketchy chemical surged through my veins, my heart began to beat at a terrifying speed. My vitals temporarily stabilized, but I could feel my life force rapidly draining away. Ethan… please. Where are you? I don’t think I can hold on much longer. After injecting me, they tossed me aside like garbage. Beatrice was still paranoid. “What if she goes cold by morning?” Chloe’s eyes turned murderous. “We aren’t waiting until morning.” “We’re delivering her to Robert right now.”
They hastily wiped the blood off my face, threw me onto a wooden cart, and rolled me over to Robert’s house. Robert’s greasy eyes scanned my body, and he immediately began shooing Chloe and Beatrice out. “Get out! Don’t ruin my night!” “What’s the rush?” Chloe smiled wickedly, pulling out her phone and aiming the camera at my face. “It’s your wedding night. I need to record this so you can cherish the memories, Serena.” “I wonder… if I send this video to your precious Ethan, will he still want you as his bride?” The feel of Robert’s dirty hands on my skin made me physically sick. Summoning the absolute last of my strength, I bit down on his hand as hard as I could. “You crazy bitch!” He screamed, throwing me off. My forehead slammed against the sharp edge of a wooden table, and blood began to pour down my face. Chloe watched with her arms crossed, laughing. “Robert, your new wife is a wild one. You need to teach her a lesson.” Rubbing his bleeding hand, Robert grabbed a thick wooden club from the corner and walked toward me. “You little whore. I’m going to break your legs so you can never run!” The heavy club pressed against my collarbone, sliding down slowly toward my thigh. I looked up at the gloomy sky through the window. I could hear the faint, distant thrum of helicopters. But they were too far. It was too late. “Ahhh!!!” A sickening crack echoed through the room as my leg bone shattered. The agonizing pain consumed my entire consciousness. I gasped for air, swallowing the blood pooling in my throat. “You… will all pay… with your lives…” But my screams only excited Robert more. “Still got a mouth on you? Let’s see how loud you scream after this!” Just as the club swung down again, the front door was kicked open. Several panicked villagers rushed in. “We found you!” “There are thousands of armed men at the bottom of the mountain! They say they’re from some New York syndicates, and they’re looking for this girl!” “So fast?!” Chloe’s face drained of color. She immediately grabbed me by my hair, dragging me toward the back door. “You brought them here! You’re going to fix this!” My scalp felt like it was tearing off, my nails scraping against the dirt floor. “What… what are you doing?” “I’m throwing you off the cliff at the back of the mountain!” Robert grabbed my arm, protesting, “No way! I paid for this bitch!” Beatrice and the villagers were terrified. “The armed men said if she dies, the whole town dies! You can’t kill her!” Chloe sneered. “Idiots! She’s already badly hurt. If they find her like this, they’ll kill us anyway!” “If there’s no body, there’s no crime!” “Don’t just stand there! Help me!” The villagers hesitated for a second, but fear won over. They swarmed me and tied me up. “Don’t blame us, girl. One life to save the whole village is a fair deal.” I forced my head up, staring at their cold, indifferent faces. If they had saved me from Chloe, the eight families would have spared them. But they chose the wrong path. They dragged me to the edge of the cliff. Half of my body hung over the abyss. The biting mountain wind whipped against my wounds, sending fresh waves of pain through my body. Chloe looked down at me, victorious. “To be honest, Serena, I never planned on letting you live.” “Any last words before you drop?” Just then, a deafening roar shook the mountains, drowning out her voice. They were here. “What did you say?” Chloe leaned in, unable to hear. I raised my bloody face and flashed her a chilling smile. “I said, Chloe…” “Say goodbye to your beautiful life.” The next second, hundreds of military-grade helicopters broke through the clouds. A sea of red laser sights instantly targeted Chloe’s forehead.
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