Julian Blackwood, the powerful head of Blackwood Industries, harbored a dark obsession: he was fixated on women who had recently given birth. My father, Mr. Reed, desperate to ingratiate himself with Julian, couldn’t bear to send my older sister, Sera—a new mother married to Silas Thorne, a notorious crime lord. So, instead, he forced me, his illegitimate daughter, to consume potent tonics and rich, fattening meals every day. Only when my body became luscious and curvaceous was he satisfied. He then drugged me and sent me to Julian Blackwood’s villa. That night, my drugged body burned, twisting restlessly. Julian lost all control, brutally taking my virginity. When I awoke, he surveyed my bruised body with a detached amusement. “The Reed family publicly only had one daughter, Sera, known for her virtue and refined nature.” “Looks like you’re the unacknowledged bastard daughter. Since that’s the case, you’ll be my on-call plaything from now on.” I trembled all over, my eyes red, only managing a whispered, “Yes.” From that moment on, he kept me by his side, using me however he pleased. I thought I was doomed to be a kept woman, hidden in the shadows, for the rest of my life. Until a year ago, when I accidentally saved Damian Cross, a powerful figure from the city’s elite circles. As he left, he told me, “I owe you my life. You can ask me for anything.” I had only one wish. My legs felt like jelly. I carefully slipped away from the sleeping man beside me and, with trembling fingers, sent a text message. The reply came swiftly, “Thought about it?”
The moment the last message was sent, my phone vibrated frantically. It was a private video from Sera Reed. In the video, Julian Blackwood was on top of her, panting heavily, ravaging and tangled with her body. Her moans and the sounds of their bodies colliding assaulted my ears. “Julian, hmm, faster, even faster…” His muffled voice responded, “You’re a thousand times more captivating than Elara. She’s like a dead fish in bed…” My heart ached, making it impossible to breathe. My hands shaking, I closed the video. As I lay back down, his cold gaze swept over me. “What took you so long?” My eyelids fluttered violently, but I forced myself to calm down. “My stomach hurt a bit.” “Remember your place. Don’t ever think you can hide anything from me.” In the dim light, the disdain in his eyes felt like needles, pricking my own. He didn’t know that Damian Cross had just messaged me. Seven more days, and I would be free from this place. The next moment, without a word, he pulled me back under him, taking me again. I bit down hard on my lip, stifling any sound. Julian Blackwood tormented me throughout the night. The next morning, I woke up with a burning forehead, a high fever setting in. Julian, seeing my state, frowned slightly and offered to take me to the hospital. Just as we were about to leave, his phone rang. The moment he answered, Sera’s tearful voice instantly came through. “Julian, Silas hit me! I’m divorcing him. Can you come pick me up?” Julian’s voice softened instantly, reassuring her. “Don’t cry. Give me ten minutes, I’ll be right there.” He hung up, grabbed his car keys, and walked out without a backward glance. Leaving me stunned and alone in the hallway. I scoffed at myself. He’d completely forgotten about taking me to the hospital. Mr. Davies, the butler, sighed at my state and brought me some cold medicine. I slept, and by the time I woke up, most of my fever had broken. My gaze swept over the room I had lived in for five years, but there wasn’t a shred of attachment in my heart. I got out of bed and simply packed the few things I intended to take with me. Two days later, it was Grandfather Blackwood’s birthday gala. During the dinner, Grandfather Blackwood fixed his gaze on Julian. “You’re not getting any younger. It’s time to settle down and get married.” Julian picked up his glass, took a sip of wine, and said casually, “Grandfather, the company has just stabilized. No rush.” Always the same excuse! Grandfather Blackwood sighed, his eyes full of helplessness. Years ago, my father had looked down on Julian, forcefully breaking him and Sera up. Then he turned around and married Sera into the Thorne crime family, whose head was Silas Thorne, a notorious crime lord. No one expected that the Thorne family’s business would struggle so badly these past two years, losing all its former glory. Meanwhile, Blackwood Industries, under Julian’s leadership, had become increasingly powerful. Julian Blackwood had become the city’s most coveted bachelor, a rising star in the city’s elite, and everyone wanted to curry favor with him. My father regretted his decision deeply. To avoid being targeted by the Blackwood family, he had sent me, his illegitimate daughter, to Julian Blackwood. Grandfather Blackwood knew exactly what was going on. He knew precisely why his grandson had remained unmarried for so long. The next moment, he turned his attention to Sera. “Sera, why don’t you try to persuade him for me?” Hearing Grandfather Blackwood’s words, Sera’s eyes instantly reddened. Julian’s expression darkened. He picked up the wine glass in front of him and drained it. Then he pulled me close, signaling for me to pour him more wine. A strong, mixed scent of alcohol assailed me, and my stomach churned. “Ugh…” Grandfather Blackwood’s eyes lit up at my reaction. “That reaction… could it be… you’re pregnant?” ***PAYWALL***
A wave of panic washed over me. The next second, Sera’s gaze shot at me like daggers. Julian’s face was grim. He seized my wrist. “Grandfather, we have something to do. We’ll be leaving now.” He dragged me out roughly, then shoved me into the car, speaking in a low, heavy voice. “To the hospital.” The results came quickly: I was indeed pregnant. I stood frozen, my hand unconsciously going to my lower abdomen. I had thought about it before, what it would feel like to have a child of my own blood. But the next second, that faint glimmer of hope was crushed by Julian Blackwood. He casually glanced at the report, then said coldly, “Arrange for an abortion immediately.” Seeing my eyes welling up, he grabbed my wrist tightly. “Unhappy about this? You have no right to carry my child.” I blinked, forcing back the burning tears, and nodded. “I understand.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he said nothing more. It wasn’t until I was being wheeled into the operating room that I caught a fleeting glimpse of something like reluctance in his eyes. When I came out of the operating room, Julian Blackwood was nowhere to be seen. The anesthesia had worn off, and my lower abdomen throbbed with a dull, heavy ache. Just then, the hospital room door was pushed open from the outside. Sera, exquisitely made up and clicking in her heels, walked in. Without a word, she slapped me hard across the face. “You bitch, how dare you get pregnant with Julian’s child!” Her face contorted into a monstrous mask as she gestured to the two people behind her. “Drag her to the bathroom!” I was pulled off the bed and onto the floor, dragged all the way into the bathroom, and thrown onto the cold tiles. Then she kicked me several times in the abdomen. The excruciating pain made me curl up, cold sweat beading on my forehead. Clutching my stomach, I pleaded with a trembling voice, “Sera, I didn’t mean to get pregnant. Please, let me go…” She grabbed my hair, forcing my head back. “You dared to get pregnant with his child behind my back, and you want me to let you go? Dream on!” “Julian loves me. Even if you’re pregnant, you’ll never sit in Mrs. Blackwood’s seat!” She motioned to the two behind her again, and the next moment, a bucket of ice water was poured over me. The biting cold seeped into my bones, and I shivered uncontrollably. “Julian only keeps you around because he’s angry I married Silas Thorne, just to spite me.” “Once I get my divorce, he’ll marry me. And you, you won’t even be fit to polish my shoes.” She then tilted her chin at the two behind her. “Beat her! Beat her until she can never bear children again!” Fists and feet rained down on me like a storm. Pain surged through my entire body, and I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I passed out. When I woke up again, I was lying on the cold bathroom floor. My fingertips trembled as they touched my flat abdomen, and tears streamed down my face like a broken string of pearls. Perhaps this was for the best, saving me from future entanglements. Julian Blackwood eventually found out that I had been beaten into unconsciousness. Before he could question me, Sera innocently explained, “Today I came to the hospital to kindly visit my sister, but when she saw me, she became extremely emotional and started smashing things.” “I only argued back a few words, and she attacked me. My arm still hurts.” “My assistant only intervened because he couldn’t bear to see me hurt.” After her explanation, Julian believed her. The next moment, the hospital room door was violently kicked open from the outside.
Julian Blackwood’s cold gaze swept over me, lying on the hospital bed. “You dared to lay a hand on your sister? Apologize to her!” I bit my lip hard, tears brimming in my eyes, refusing to fall. Seeing my silence, Sera sneered softly. “Julian, I think my sister has been spoiled by you. She doesn’t respect me at all.” Julian’s eyes instantly turned icy. “I don’t want to repeat myself.” Five more days. If I could just endure these five days, I would be free from this place forever. Why provoke him at the last moment? Digging my nails into my palm, I spoke softly, “Sera, I’m sorry. It was my fault.” Seeing my sudden obedience, Julian’s brow smoothed out. “Remember your place. You’re nothing but a tool the Reed family sent to satisfy my needs!” The moment he turned, tears silently streamed down my face. So, in his eyes, I was merely a tool for his release. Due to my physical condition, Julian Blackwood didn’t come to my room that night. The next day, he happened to glance at my phone’s browsing history, which was filled with searches for livable cities. His face instantly darkened. “Where do you want to go?” He gripped my chin, his teeth gritted. “Elara Reed, understand what you are. You’ll be chained to my side like a dog for the rest of your life! Don’t even think about escaping!” An unspeakable suffocating feeling washed over me. I took a deep breath and obediently replied, “Yes, I remember.” His gaze swept over my pale face and frail body, and his brow furrowed. “Since you’re not dying, you’ll stay by my side from today on, serving me tea and water.” For the next two days, he always found fault with the various nourishing tonics brewed in the kitchen. He’d claim they weren’t to his taste, then hand them to me. Under his watchful eye, I drank them, sip by sip. As a result, my complexion improved significantly. He curled his lips in satisfaction. “Remember, your life is mine, and your body is mine to command. The day I tire of you, I’ll discard you somewhere you belong.” I lowered my head, my nails digging deep into my palms. Only two days remained until my departure. Just 48 hours, and I would be free. But Sera clearly had no intention of letting me leave peacefully. That day, she suddenly appeared at the villa. “I heard my sister is recovering well. I came to see her.” Seeing my distant attitude, she took my hand, feigning sadness. “Is my sister unwilling to see me?” I pulled my hand away, my voice cold. “Sera, if you have something to say, just say it.” “Why are you so cold to me, sister?” She looked wronged. “We’re sisters, shouldn’t I be concerned about you?” No sooner had she spoken than Julian Blackwood walked in. Sera’s face suddenly changed, and she immediately cried out in alarm, “Julian, my cat is missing! The one you gave me for my birthday.” My heart plummeted. “It was just here a moment ago, and then it suddenly vanished.” A short while later, a bodyguard entered, carrying a bloodied, barely breathing cat. “Snowball!” Sera’s pupils constricted. She snatched Snowball into her arms. “Elara, why did you have someone kill him?” My face paled. “I didn’t.” Just then, Mrs. Jenkins, a maid, was brought in. “Miss Reed, I killed the cat according to your instructions. Please, you must help me!” Sera’s eyes were bloodshot. “Elara, I know you’re jealous that Julian likes me, which is why you harbor resentment.” “But Snowball was innocent. I kindly brought him to play with you, and I never expected…” I looked at Julian, shaking my head repeatedly. “It wasn’t me. Please, believe me.” Julian Blackwood’s face was grim. He was about to speak when another maid stepped forward to testify. “I heard it too, Miss Reed. You even said it would be easier to kill the cat than Miss Sera.” The moment she spoke, Julian Blackwood’s eyes turned cold as he looked at me. “Still denying it? It seems I’ve been too lenient with you lately, making you forget your place.” He raised a hand. “Take her to the basement and let her reflect on her actions.” I stared in horror, my heart plunging into a bottomless pit.
The iron door locked, and the last sliver of light vanished. Darkness instantly engulfed me. My claustrophobia flared, bringing back the terror of being locked in the attic by my foster parents when I was a child. I trembled all over, my nails scratching at the cold metal door. “Julian Blackwood, please, open the door! I’m scared!” His cold voice came from outside. “Elara Reed, have you played enough? Just admit your mistake, and I’ll let you out!” He wouldn’t believe me. I gave a bitter laugh. Tears streamed from my eyes at that moment. “I didn’t do it.” He spun around abruptly, his voice laced with suppressed fury. “Unrepentant!” A short while later, Sera’s heels clicked outside. “See? He believes everything I say. I’m the one he loves most.” “Otherwise, why wouldn’t he believe you? And why would he make you lose the baby?” Her voice dripped with venom. “Dare to have any more delusions about him, and I’ll ensure you end up in a ditch!” I huddled in the corner, trembling. No need to wait for that day. I would disappear soon enough. I woke up in bed, meeting Mr. Davies’s worried gaze. “The Master still cares about you. He wasn’t happy locking you in the basement either.” “Your father looked down on the Master back then. He held a grudge, so he was inevitably harsh with you.” But why did I have to bear all of this? What had I done wrong? I thought Julian Blackwood wouldn’t come tonight. But he entered the room and, without a word, began to tear at my clothes. My breath hitched, and I hastily said, “I’m not feeling well.” He suddenly looked up, his face grim. “You dare refuse me?” I hesitated. Tomorrow I would be leaving this place. Tonight, I didn’t want to be his release anymore. If I didn’t agree, I was afraid he might notice something. The next moment, I tightly closed my eyes, giving up all resistance. Just then, there was an urgent knock on the door. “Sir, Miss Sera is in trouble!” The bodyguard’s voice outside was urgent. “Miss Sera was injected with an allergic agent!” “The doctors say this agent is very rare, and they need bone marrow stem cells to create a desensitizing agent. Miss Elara’s bone marrow is the only perfect match in the database! Miss Sera is already going into shock; she can only hold on for thirty more minutes…” Julian Blackwood stared at me, a faint flicker of hesitation in his eyes. The next second, he grabbed my arm without a word, dragging me out. His grip was so strong it felt like my bones would shatter. “To the hospital.” I was rushed into the operating room. Julian Blackwood said coldly, “Time is critical. No anesthesia.” He then instructed the doctor to extract 500ml of bone marrow in one go. As the thick, long biopsy needle pierced my skin and plunged into my spine, excruciating pain instantly erupted. I bit down hard on my lip, the metallic taste of blood instantly filling my mouth. Seeing my pale face after 500ml of bone marrow was drawn, he seemed to think of Sera and ordered the doctor to extract another 1000ml. The doctor hesitated. “This lady’s blood count is dangerously low; she could go into acute shock.” Julian Blackwood waved his hand. “Do as I say. I know what I’m doing.” His cold indifference pierced through me. In that instant, all hope drained from me. Seeing my lips turning blue after another 1000ml of bone marrow was extracted, Julian Blackwood’s eyes held a complex expression. “Get back home and rest. Tomorrow, Mr. Davies will have the kitchen prepare nourishing food for you!” I quietly agreed. And turned to leave. Julian Blackwood, that isn’t my home. It never was. And there won’t be a tomorrow for us! When I returned to the villa, it was still dark. I changed into a maid’s uniform and crept downstairs. Avoiding all surveillance cameras, I slipped out through the small back door. Not far away, an inconspicuous black car was parked. The window slowly lowered, revealing my pale but unusually calm face. I instinctively looked up at the second floor. Smoke was curling out from the window of the bedroom I had lived in for five years. Inside the room was a mannequin, carefully shaped to resemble me, arranged by Mr. Cross. I took one last look at the cage that had imprisoned me for five years. The car window slowly rose, cutting off the distant glow of the fire. Finally, it was over! Julian Blackwood, I would start a new life in a new place. From now on, we would be dead to each other!
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