Category: English

NataliaI gripped the page with my test results on it, the logo for the hospital where I was an intern printed across the top. Would I live long enough to finish out my internship and become a fully qualified surgeon? Heart failure has progressed. Patient placed on transplant list. I stared at the words, numb. After I’d experienced some weird health problems at nineteen, I found out that I’d inherited a deadly congenital heart disease. I was in stage two of heart failure. The doctors had told me I could spend decades in stage two if I looked after myself. And I had. I’d made lifestyle changes and taken all of my medications religiously. Now, I needed a heart transplant. A transplant neither my mom nor I could afford. It was laughable. I worked at a hospital, and it turned out my insurance wouldn’t cover my heart failure because it was a pre-existing condition. Which led me to where I was—standing in the one place I had vowed to never set foot. About to see the one person I had sworn on my life I would never see again. I crammed the incriminating paper into my oversized handbag and then walked the remaining distance along the Manhattan street, to the building where apartments never sold for less than thirty million dollars. The Zanetti family owned most of the building, a powerhouse mafia who ran their corner of New York with an iron fist and cut-throat politics. We’d never asked the Zanetti family for a dime. But today, that was all about to change. The doorman eyed me as he let me into the luxury building. Probably because I looked like trash. I’d worked a double at the hospital, so I was still in my scrubs and my braid had mostly fallen out ten hours ago, but I hadn’t found time to fix it. Plus, the whole heart-failure thing wasn’t exactly good for the complexion. I rode the elevator up, my heart pounding out of control with anxiety. I reached into my bag and popped a couple of pills to calm my system down. I was supposed to be avoiding stress. Ha! Between my internship and heart condition, stress was my BFF. It felt like the elevator took forever to reach the upper floor. As I stepped out, I could hear yelling coming from the apartment. The voice was shrill, female. A second later, the yelling was accompanied by the sound of something shattering. I winced, my steps slowing as I walked toward the door. Obviously, this was a bad time. But I knew if I didn’t knock on the door and ask right now, I would lose my nerve and never be able to bring myself back here. Unsurprisingly, the commotion stopped after I rang the doorbell. A moment later, a harried looking maid opened the door. “Can I help you?” she asked, gaze raking over my disheveled appearance. “I’m here to see Frank Costa-Zanetti,” I replied, glad when my voice came out even, no hint of the tremor I felt inside. “Who should I say is calling?” asked the maid snootily. “Natalia,” I answered, tipping my chin a little higher. The maid’s eyes widened, but she stepped back. “Oh, I’m sorry, miss,” the maid said in a rush, practically groveling. “I didn’t recognize you. Please, come in. I’ll fetch him directly.” I stepped into the luxurious apartment, and now I could hear the murmur of low, intense voices. The argument hadn’t ended, it had just gotten quieter. I glanced around as the maid hurried off. What would it have been like to grow up here? A moment later, the maid returned and beckoned for me to follow her. She took me to a formal sitting room where Frank Costa-Zanetti stood, looking out at a small sliver of Central Park you could just make out through the tall windows. Inwardly, I winced when I saw he wasn’t alone. Lauren was also there. Along with her odious daughter, Felicity. “Natalia,” Frank said. “This is a surprise.” Lauren glared at me. “You couldn’t call ahead like a civilized person?” “I’m just trying to maintain the trash image of me you have,” I replied in a cutting voice, anxiety about my current situation making me speak out when usually I would have remained quiet. Lauren opened her mouth to reply, but Frank held up his hand to cut her off. “What’s this about, Natalia?” He sounded impatient. “It’s simple,” I told him, pausing to take a calming breath. “I’m dying, Dad.”

Felicity gave a cutting snort of disbelief.“Wow, dramatic much?” My half-sister rolled her eyes. “Clearly you’re not dying, or you wouldn’t be standing here.” “I’m in heart failure,” I told my father, ignoring Felicity for the time being. “I was born with a congenital heart condition that wasn’t found until a few years ago. It’s progressing. As of today, I’ve been put on a waiting list for a heart transplant. But my insurance won’t cover it, so—” Lauren gave an incredulous laugh. “So you came here begging for money? How pathetic. Does your father look like an ATM?” “Lauren,” my father said sharply. The woman shut up then, but it didn’t stop her from looking mutinous. “So you come to me, after all these years, and just expect me to hand over money?” my father asked, adjusting the heavy gold watch he wore. It was a flashy, ugly piece that matched the cliché gold chains he wore at his neck. I clenched my jaw over the urge to remind him that he was the one who’d kicked out me and my mom so he could move his mistress and his illegitimate daughter in. He was the one who hadn’t bothered with us for over two decades. He’d only married my mother to become don of the Zanetti mafia. “I didn’t know what else to do,” I replied, feeling a lump swell in my throat. And wasn’t that the god’s honest truth? Part of me actually thought for a second that maybe I would have been better off letting myself die than having to prostrate myself at the altar of my father’s ego for the cost of the transplant, which would probably be a pittance compared to the wealth being the don of the Zanetti family had netted him. My father considered me, and there wasn’t a speck of emotion in his gaze. At this moment, I had no doubt he was weighing up the pros and cons of saving my life. What he could get out of it versus what it would cost him. If I’d been a son, my father would have moved heaven and earth to save me. If I’d been a boy, he probably wouldn’t have kicked my mom and I out in the first place. Only sons could ascend to Don in the mafia. Hence why my only child mother had been married off to someone my grandfather approved of to take over. However, my father hadn’t produced any sons. Lauren had experienced complications in birthing Felicity and hadn’t been able to give him any more children. Honestly, I was surprised my father had kept her around after that. Maybe he really did love her, I thought bitterly. Even though I wasn’t part of my family anymore, I still heard things. Everyone did. There were rumblings amongst the other mafia families who ran Manhattan. What would happen to the Zanetti family—one of the oldest mafia families in New York—after my father passed away? Who would inherit? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care what happened to any of them. “You’ll owe me,” my father eventually said, a knowing glint in his eye. “I expected as much,” I said, glad my voice remained cool and detached. Because my pulse was skipping wildly, and it was all I could do not to tremble. “Anything I ask,” my father added, as if he needed to make sure I understood. “Anything,” I repeated with a nod. “Anything?” Felicity suddenly spoke up, her gaze calculating. Whatever she had in mind, I knew it was going to be bad news for me. A vicious smile curved over Lauren’s face. “She did say anything,” Lauren said, her voice a dangerous purr. My father looked at the pair, his expression unreadable. I didn’t know what was going on here, and I was too afraid to ask. “Come now, Frank,” Lauren said when my father remained silent. “The sacrifice must be made.” Sacrifice? Just what the hell was Lauren talking about? I had known coming here that whatever my father asked of me in return for funding my heart transplant would be steep, but now that I was standing here, I was beginning to consider the fact that he might ask me something I was unwilling to pay. My father looked back at me, and I could tell he was thinking hard about whatever it was Lauren and Felicity were suggesting. “In fact, this will work even better in your favor,” Lauren continued, clearly warming up to the subject. “Natalia is the one who is of the Zanetti bloodline, after all. I think Robert will greatly appreciate your gesture.” That seemed to cinch it for my father. I could see the moment he decided. “Then that will be my price,” he said with a nod of finality. “Which is?” This time I couldn’t stop my words from sounding faint. “If you want me to pay for your heart transplant, then you will marry Sebastian Creed.”

I didn’t know which part of that statement terrified me more. The marriage part—or the part where my father had said that my groom would be Sebastian Creed. I might not be in the mob life anymore, but everyone knew who he was. The Creed family was even older and wealthier than the Zanetti family. They owned so much of Manhattan, some people called it Creed Kingdom. And the king was Sebastian. According to the media, Sebastian had just been released from a short stint in jail, his time cut short when the case the DA had been building against him fell apart. No one could get anything to stick to Sebastian or the Creed family, and anyone who tried disappeared under mysterious circumstances. They were probably chained to concrete at the bottom of the Hudson River. “I—I don’t understand,” I stuttered. My father crossed his arms. “Robert Creed has me by the balls,” my father said, anger flashing through his expression. “Some of our lower-level guys got into it, and now Robert is calling in loans and blocking my new developments. He gave me one option—marry Felicity to his grandson, and he’ll write off every cent I owe him, and then some.” Of course, the long game was that since my father didn’t have a son, that meant the Zanetti family would fold into the Creed family. “This is completely out of proportion to what I’m asking. I need a few hundred thousand, and you want me to trade my entire life for it?” My father shrugged. “Seems to me if you don’t do this, you won’t have any sort of life at all,” he said calmly, as if he wasn’t discussing the death of his daughter. How was I related to this rat of a man? “We need a decision,” Lauren said, snapping her fingers impatiently. “Robert has a car waiting downstairs.” “What?” I said in confusion. Lauren’s words were slow and loud, as if she were talking to an imbecile. “For the wedding.” *** I climbed into a silver Lincoln Continental waiting for us in the underground parking garage of the building. As it rolled out into the street, two hulking black Cadillac Escalades fell in to escort us—one in the front, and one in the back—blocking us in from the rest of the traffic. Even I knew that an escort like this wasn’t normal. “What’s going on?” I asked my father uneasily, glancing back to find the tint on the Escalade’s windows was so dark, I couldn’t see who was inside. “Can’t be too careful,” my father said with a shrug. “Some rival families don’t want this marriage to happen.” That didn’t make me feel any better. I didn’t need the marriage I was being forced into to start some kind of war between the biggest Manhattan crime families. I sat there pulling at the hem of my scrubs nervously. My father cast a critical look over me. “You’ll need to make sure you freshen up when we reach the church,” he said, his lip curling. We stopped at a red light, and I stewed, trying to think of a retort. I was about to open my mouth when I heard a weird popping sound. “Shit!” my father yelled, ducking down. It wasn’t until the window right next to my head shattered and I was rained in glass that I figured out what it was. Someone was shooting at us!

I gasped hard enough that my breath caught in my chest as I threw myself down against the seat. More windows exploded, and then there was the deafening bam bam bam of our driver shooting back as he cursed and cut the wheel one-handed. The car mounted the curb onto the footpath to get around the traffic in front of us, and then sped through the intersection, leaving a chorus of honking in our wake. One of the Escalades had come with us, driving tight to our bumper, while the other had stayed behind. My father got on his phone then, and started shouting at whoever was on the other end of the line. “Jerry, find who fucking shot at me and take them to the clubhouse. I don’t care how many guys it takes or whose turf you have to step on, just do it!” My father practically had steam coming out of his ears when he finished the call, muttering about the nerve of some low-level gangbangers daring to shoot at Frank Costa-Zanetti. I was pretty sure I didn’t factor into the equation at all. I could have been killed just now, and he probably would have simply turned the car around and gone to fetch Felicity so the damn wedding could still go ahead. I’d never been exposed to this life the same way my mother had. I was only eight when Mom and I moved out. But even by then I knew the sound of gunfire, knew the sound of a man screaming in pain, knew the metallic scent of blood. I’d had nightmares for years after we left. Mom had spent a fortune on therapy, trying to get me as close to normal as a kid born into the mafia could ever get. After today, all those nightmares were going to come roaring back—plus a whole new host of nightmares and trauma to work through. I clenched my hands into fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms. If the car had stopped then, I would have gotten out and run as fast and as far away as I could, transplant money or not. But the Continental didn’t stop again, blowing through several red lights until we pulled up in front of a church that was probably closer to a cathedral. The sun was setting, throwing menacing shadows across the footpath in front of the old, ornate building. My father waited until his guys were out of the Escalade and had taken up defensive positions before climbing out of the car and walking around to open the door for me. I sat there, frozen, terrified over what I was about to do and who I was going to face when I walked into that church. My father reached down and wrapped a meaty hand around my arm, none-too-gently hauling me to my feet. “You better not be having second thoughts, or we’re going to have a problem. I won’t stand to be embarrassed in front of the Creed family. So, do we have a problem, Natalia?” “N-no,” I stuttered out. “Good girl. Now get inside; we’re too exposed out here.” My father steered me to a room with a bathroom attached and told me to get ready, before slamming the door shut. There was a wedding dress hanging on a rack. The price tag was still attached, and it was worth more than my entire annual salary. It was also in Felicity’s petite size and would never fit me. The enormity of what I was doing hit me in a wave of panic. Before I could sit down, everything went black. *** Twenty Years Ago “What are we doing here, Nonno?” I asked my grandfather as he helped me out of the car. I pulled at the black dress with white trim that my mother had made me put on earlier. “Paying our respects,” Nonno answered. “It’s important to respect our family, and the other families we’re aligned with.” My grandfather reached out and adjusted the delicate gold chain I wore around my neck, with the small dove pendant on the end. Mama said he’d given it to me the day I was born, and I’d never taken it off since. “Pretty as a picture, bambola mia,” Nonno said, smiling at me. A man approached then, and my grandfather stood to face him. “Go play on the lawn, Talia, but be sure not to get dirty,” Grandfather said, waving me away. I took off then, even though the shiny black shoes were pinching my feet. It was a relief to get away from the adults and their frowning faces. I reached a row of hedges and slowed, changing my run to a skip. There were pretty flowers along the edge of the lawn, and I followed the flowers as they changed color and shape, noticing butterflies flitting here and there. After a moment, I realized I’d gone too far and I wasn’t sure how to get back. Nonno would be cross that I hadn’t stayed on the lawn. I was about to try finding my way back when I heard a voice yelling, “Let me go!” My heart skipped and I followed the sound around another tall hedge of bushes and came to a stop when I saw a woman hauling along a boy who was maybe a year or two older than me. “You ungrateful little wretch!” the woman was yelling, her face red with anger. “You think just because your parents are dead, you can disrespect me like this? I am your guardian now, and you will obey me!” “You can’t threaten me! I’m Nonno’s heir.” “But you’re not his only heir. My Manny could easily take your place should any accidents befall you.” The boy’s expression screwed up in anger. “I’m gonna tell Nonno on you.” The woman came to a sudden stop next to a pond that was more like a small lake. “You will not breathe a word of this to my father,” the woman said in a cold, scary voice. “Or you’ll end up just like your parents. Do you understand me?” Before the boy could say anything else, her hands shot out, and she shoved him, sending him tumbling backwards into the water with a huge splash. I gasped, and then slapped a hand over my mouth when the woman looked around with narrowed eyes. Meanwhile, the boy was spluttering and gasping in the water. “Help me!” he called. The woman simply smirked. “You’re the almighty heir. Help yourself.” She turned and walked away. I waited until she was out of sight, then darted out from behind the bushes. When I reached the edge of the pond, the boy had gone under the water. The only hint of where he might be was a stream of bubbles coming to the surface. I didn’t think, just jumped into the freezing cold water. My mama had spent lots of time teaching me to swim in our pool. She had said it was an important life skill, and now I could see why. Even though we were at the edge of the pond, the water was deeper than I expected. I couldn’t touch the bottom. I ducked under and blindly reached around, waving my arms to feel for the boy. My hand knocked into something—the boy’s hand, I realized. I grabbed hold of it. I desperately pulled at it, but he was heavy. I kicked upward, my legs aching, but I could only just get my head above the water to gasp in some air. “Talia!” My grandfather was suddenly there, reaching for me. “Help him, Nonno,” I said, struggling not to let go of the dead weight. My grandfather’s eyes widened when he saw the dark head bob to the surface next to me. Somehow, my grandfather managed to pull both of us out, and his shouts had drawn other adults. I was shaking hard when Nonno set me on the grass, but he quickly turned his attention to the boy. His lips were blue, and as I watched, Nonno and another adult began pumping on his chest and breathing into his mouth. After a few moments, the boy started coughing and bringing up water. As my grandfather whisked me up in his arms, the boy opened his eyes and looked straight at me. I blinked because I’d never seen eyes that blue in my entire life. They were a pure, pale blue, like the sky after it rained. “Talia, we need to get you warm and dry,” Nonno said, taking me away. I didn’t see the boy again, but Nonno told me later that he would be fine, thanks to my quick actions. It wasn’t until I climbed into bed that night that I reached for my necklace and promptly burst into tears. I had lost my golden dove. It was probably at the bottom of the pond, and I would never see it again.

“Miss Zanetti, please, you have to wake up!” I blinked my eyes open to see an unfamiliar ceiling. An older woman leaning over me, her face concerned. “Are you okay? Do we need to call an ambulance?” she asked as I slowly sat up, making my head spin. I reached into my purse to pop another pill. All this stress was bad for my heart. At the rate I was going, I’d end up in ICU with critical stage four heart failure before I even got the money for a transplant. “I don’t need an ambulance. I worked a long shift at the hospital and didn’t have time to eat, that’s all,” I replied as I slowly got to my feet. The woman went to a sideboard and fetched me a bottle of water, which I took gratefully. “I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked once I had sucked down several mouthfuls and felt better. “My name is Renata. I will be your personal attendant,” the woman replied. “Oh, I don’t need any of that,” I replied with a wave of my hand. “You can go.” The woman looked slightly confused as she shook her head. “I’m sorry Miss Zanetti, but you don’t understand. I have been employed by Robert Creed to attend you. Now that you are to be married to Sebastian, it is only fitting that you have an attendant for your protection and who will see to your every need.” What was this? I needed some kind of babysitter now that I was marrying into the Creed family? But as I thought about it, I realized that Renata would undoubtedly be more like a prison warden. “I’m going to freshen up,” I told her, turning away toward the bathroom. I shut myself in and stared in the mirror. I looked horrible. Pale and drawn, and my eyes looked haunted. I shook my head and ran some water to splash my face, hoping it would wake me up a little. My mind wandered back to the memory I’d recalled when I’d fainted. Why had it popped up after all these years? I never did get my necklace back. To this day, I was still sad about it. And I never did find out who that boy was, or what had happened to him. My grandfather had died a few weeks later, and my life had been thrown into turmoil the minute my father took over as Don. All I seemed to do was stumble from one tragedy or hardship in my life to another. Had I somehow been cursed, or born under a bad star? It sure felt that way. The only luck I ever had going for me was bad luck. Just like my timing today, when I’d turned up to beg for my father’s help, and in return, he was forcing me to marry the devil himself. The only good things in my life were my career, my best friend Luca, and my mother’s unwavering love and support. I’d worked hard to become a doctor, and I’d been so successful during my intern years, that now I was about to become chief intern. It wasn’t a job for the faint of heart—which was kind of funny considering my predicament—but the director of the hospital had assured me that they were willing to work around my health issues and give me adequate time off when the time came for my transplant. I had to make sure this marriage remained a secret. Everyone in Manhattan knew who Sebastian Creed was. In fact, probably everyone on the East Coast. The Creed Empire ran enough legitimate businesses and real estate to cover up their criminal enterprises that Sebastian was seen as somewhat of a famous socialite. He regularly attended red carpet events, mingling with everyone from sports stars to pop stars and movie stars. The women he used as arm candy were always ridiculously beautiful, whether they were starlets or models. I had to believe Sebastian would be equally invested in keeping this arranged marriage hidden and getting out of it as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would impact his reputation as well. Even though I was terrified at the thought of going anywhere near Sebastian Creed, I took comfort in the fact that he would probably want very little to do with me. With that in mind, I patted my face dry, told myself that I’d opened people’s chests and held their lives in my hands, so I could get through a little wedding ceremony. I left the bathroom to where Renata was waiting for me. “Can I help you dress?” Renata asked, indicating toward the wedding gown. “It’s too small. I’ll stay as I am.” I reached up and pulled the elastic out of my hair, finger combed it as best I could, and then secured it into another braid. Meanwhile, Renata was staring at me agog. “You’re going to get married looking like that?” she asked, not bothering to hide her horror. “Let’s get one thing straight, Renata,” I said impatiently. “I don’t want to be here, and I certainly don’t want to be marrying Sebastian Creed. I can only imagine he feels much the same way. This is a marriage of convenience, and I can guarantee I will be getting a divorce as soon as I can.”

SebastianI paced as I slowly rolled up my shirt sleeves, taking my time about it, making sure they were perfectly straight. Versace deserved no less. The guy tied to the chair in front of me watched on, warily, eyes flicking. I could see him debating just how much shit he was in here. The answer to that was a whole fuck load. But he wasn’t smart enough to figure that out yet. “Let’s try this again,” I said, stopping to stand square in front of him. I tugged the knot in my tie free, the fabric making a slithering noise as it pulled free from my starched collar. I then undid the top two buttons as I tossed the tie aside. We’d been at this for an hour now, and so far, the guy was just a bit roughed up. Nowhere near as scared as he needed to be, as far as I was concerned. But the small-time Baldini family was known for hiring muscle who were dumb as a box of rocks. “You’re a Baldini,” I stated. “And don’t bullshit me any longer. I saw the edge of your tattoo at the neck of your shirt when Nico searched you.” The man clenched his jaw but didn’t deny it again. “So now you need to tell me why you were following me,” I said, setting both hands on the armrests of the chair and leaning over him. “Stop wasting my fucking time, or I’ll waste you.” “I got orders, just like anyone,” the man muttered defensively. “So, this came down the line, from the top? Why did Mario Baldini sic his guys on me?” I asked, pushing back again. However, this time, the guy kept his mouth stubbornly shut. I reached for the concealed sheath at the waistband of my pants and pulled out the knife I kept there. Slowly, I lowered the knife, so the tip was balanced on the top of the guy’s thigh. He finally started looking worried, shifting as sweat beaded on his brow. I flicked the knife so it opened up a slit in the material of his pants. The sharp point pressed against bare skin. “I don’t know nothin’, man,” the thug spat out. “I take orders. I don’t ask questions.” “Wrong answer,” I bit out, before viciously shoving down on the knife. The guy started howling as the door behind me scraped open. I turned to see Nico step in, closely followed by Raffa. The twins, Nicholas and Raphael, were my second cousins and best friends. Both acted as my next-in-command and right-hand men. “Robert called again,” Nico said, holding up his phone. “You were supposed to be at the church fifteen minutes ago.” I sighed in frustration and whipped out my own phone, texting my grandfather the same thing I’d told him all month long since he’d forced me into this position. I would go along with this arranged marriage to secure the Zanetti fortune and turf, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to attend the wedding.

I’d be damned if I was going to stand in that church and recite marriage vows to Felicity. That was what my attorneys were for. They’d assured me that a marriage by proxy was just as binding whether I was there or not. My grandfather messaged back that if I wasn’t going to attend my own wedding, then I could go to the late board of directors meeting at Mercy Saint hospital. Aunt Alberta wasn’t feeling well tonight, so someone needed to go in her place. Mercy Saint hospital was the most prestigious hospital in Manhattan. The Creed family had served on the board of directors since it had opened almost one hundred years ago. As one of the wealthiest, oldest families in New York, the Creeds had seats or stakes in almost every prominent business or organization in the city. There wasn’t any level of law enforcement or government where we didn’t have someone on our payroll. Which was why it’d been so laughable that the District Attorney had actually thought he’d nailed me this time. I’d gone to jail because I wanted to be there. It had suited my purposes. Several crime bosses had been caught up lately. The DA was newish; he was trying to prove a point and make his mark, cracking down on organized crime. What the idiot didn’t realize was that so-called organized crime was the foundation of New York City and always had been. One guy in a cheap suit with a law degree from Harvard that his mommy and daddy had probably paid for wasn’t going to unravel generations worth of systematic wealth and power in Manhattan. So I’d let myself get jammed up on some relatively minor charges that were never going to stick, no matter what the DA thought. I’d spent exactly two weeks in jail, making contact with those crime bosses, consulting with the ones we thought we could get out on appeals or technicalities, and negotiating with the ones who were stuck there, conveying how the Creed family could help run their turf while they were absent. All in all, it’d been a lucrative few weeks. Meanwhile, I sighed at the prospect of attending the hospital board meeting. Alberta, that old witch, never did anything that didn’t serve her own interests. Or that of her spoiled son, Amando. Although Alberta hadn’t made any obvious moves against me, I’d always gotten the feeling that she wanted to find some way to make Amando the Creed heir. My childhood had been beset by dangerous accidents that I’d always been lucky to survive. Once, when I was a teenager and the brakes had failed in the car I’d been driving, I’d said to my grandfather that it almost seemed like someone was trying to kill me. I hadn’t voiced my true concern that it was Aunt Alberta who was somehow orchestrating these accidents. However, my nonno had laughed it off, told me I had an overactive imagination and a penchant for bad luck. Or good luck, maybe, since none of those accidents had actually killed me. Still, something about Alberta had always made me uneasy. I knew she hated me, even though whenever my grandfather was around, she acted like a loving, doting aunt with a favored nephew. Once my grandfather passed on, I could banish her to some house in Jersey and never see her sneering face ever again. For now, however, I had to put up with the snake of a woman for my nonno’s sake. He couldn’t see the type of person his oldest daughter really was. Even though my grandfather had stepped aside some years ago and handed the reins of the family to me, he still ran things from the background, and I was forever standing in his shadow. I would be sad when my grandfather eventually did pass. But at the same time, the kingdom of the Creed family would finally be all mine. I would rule Manhattan. No enemy would stand a chance against me. I would destroy them. Even if they were family.

NataliaI walked into the church proper and saw nothing but lawyers and my father. I made my way up to the pew, where my father was talking to the priest. “Why aren’t you dressed?” my father asked in annoyance. “The dress didn’t fit,” I replied, crossing my arms. “It doesn’t matter. Can we just get this over with?” The priest winced, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else right now. “We’re still waiting for the Creed boy to show up,” my father said angrily, as if he didn’t appreciate being made to wait on the whims of Sebastian Creed. Before I could say anything, my father’s cell phone rang. I glimpsed the name Robert Creed on the screen before my father answered. The conversation was short and mostly consisted of my father agreeing with whatever Robert was saying. After a moment, he hung up again. “Sebastian isn’t coming,” my father announced, sending a cool spiral of relief through me. “Thank god,” I breathed out. My father’s eyes narrowed. “The wedding is still going ahead,” my father said. “It will be a wedding by proxy.” My hope of escaping this insane situation died a quick death, turning to ash. “Is that even legally binding?” I asked, confused. My father shrugged as if he didn’t much care. “The lawyers will take care of it.” He grabbed my elbow. “Come on. There are papers you need to sign.” My father steered me to a nearby table covered with contracts. “What is all this?” I asked in confusion. “The usual when you marry into the Creed family,” one of the lawyers answered dispassionately. The top one was a pre-nup, and the second was a non-disclosure contract. But after that, it took a dark turn. There were all sorts of things in there about any assets or possessions I acquired while married into the Creed family, stuff about the custody of any future kids—as in, I would give up custody and they would remain with the Creed family if we divorced—even a contract stating that I could not use any lawyers outside of the Creed family legal team. The last legal document, however, was what made my blood run cold. “What is this?” I asked, holding it up to the lawyer, who just stared blankly back at me as if he didn’t have a soul. Being one of the Creed’s top attorneys, he probably didn’t. “Exactly what it looks like,” he replied. I returned my attention to the document. It outlined how I was to comport myself as the wife of Sebastian Creed. I had to eat whatever the chef prepared for me. I had to regularly work with a personal trainer, maintain a high standard of appearance by regularly attending a spa, beauty salon, and hair-dressing establishment. I had to attend whatever events were deemed appropriate by Sebastian, but otherwise not be seen at other events alone. I wasn’t allowed to drive myself anywhere. I wasn’t allowed to see friends and family unless they were arranged prior with Sebastian and his security team—and those people needed to be vetted first. I was to live at Sebastian’s Central Park penthouse, but I was only to go into certain rooms; the rest were off limits. The list went on and on, covering every aspect of my life, even things I’d never thought of before. I was being stuffed into a gilded cage. How was I meant to build my career as a general surgeon if I was required to do all of this for Sebastian Creed? Once again, I vowed to get myself out of this marriage as soon as I could. Oh, and the final insult? Every single document had Felicity’s name peppered throughout. “I can’t sign these. They all have Felicity’s name on them.” The lawyer arched an eyebrow and looked at my father for clarification, as if I wasn’t even capable of speaking for myself. “This is my other daughter,” Frank explained. “Natalia Zanetti. There was a slight change of plans at the last minute.” “The legitimate one?” the lawyer confirmed, looking positively gleeful. “That’s right,” my father said with a nod like he was proud or something. “We can make amends after the fact,” the lawyer said, reaching down to shove the papers toward me. “Sign them, so we can get this show on the road.” When I didn’t move, my father nudged me, not gentle about it at all. I reached down to pick up the pen, my hand shaking. I looked at my father one last time. “We have a deal, right?” I asked my father, hating how my voice wavered with uncertainty. “You’ll get what you need,” my father said evasively. I didn’t trust him, but I also didn’t have a choice. I needed a million dollars for a heart transplant, and right now, my father was holding my life in his hands. With an uneven breath, I bent down. And signed my life away.

Sebastian“I have to go,” I told Nico in annoyance. “Robert is sending a car for me. Alberta can’t make the quarterly hospital board meeting, so I’ve been voluntold to go in her place.” Raffa snorted. “You should have gone to the wedding after all.” “No thanks,” I replied darkly. “I don’t plan on even laying eyes on that gold-digging Felicity Costa-Zanetti until I find some loophole to divorce her.” “Robert won’t make it easy to wiggle out of,” Nico warned, even though I already knew it. “I trust my attorneys to figure something out,” I replied. “Besides, if they don’t, they all know what’s in store for them.” “Nothing like a little mortal fear to motivate your employees,” Raffa said with a laugh. “You guys finish up with this moron. Find out what he knows and then get rid of him,” I said. “What?” the guy gasped, tugging against the restraints on the chair. “Come on, man, I’ll tell you what I know, but you don’t gotta kill me!” “No, I don’t,” I replied reasonably. “But you picked the wrong day to follow me. I’m not in the mood for mercy.” I reached down and yanked the knife out of his leg, blood spurting out like a geyser. I clicked my tongue at him. “Looks like I hit an artery. You’ve got about three minutes left to live. Better hurry up and tell my guys what I want to know.” I wiped the knife on his wrinkled shirt to clean it, then turned away from him. My silver Maserati MC20 had been brought up by the parking valet, but Gino and Joey were nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw a couple of our other guys standing next to a sleek and sturdy black Range Rover SV. If I wasn’t mistaken, these guys were usually assigned to Alberta’s detail. But since I was going to the hospital board meeting on her behalf, I guess it made sense that Robert had re-directed them to fetch me. “Mr. Creed,” one of them greeted with a nod. “We were instructed to drive you after this morning’s minor incident.” I clenched my teeth and got into the Range Rover. That Baldini moron had screwed up my entire day with his little misadventure. Somehow, word had gotten back to my grandfather. It was only a few blocks to the hospital, though New York traffic meant it’d probably be faster to walk. A few minutes later, there was a weird clunking noise, and the guy driving pulled to the side of the busy street. “Is there a problem?” I asked in a clipped voice, making both of them glance at me nervously. “Engine trouble,” the driver said, pushing open the door. “Don’t we pay a full-time mechanic to make sure shit like this doesn’t happen?” I muttered as both guys got out of the car and popped the hood. After a few moments, it was clear neither of them knew anything about car engines, and one of them was calling someone. I glanced down at my watch. The board meeting was about to start. We were only a block and a half away from the hospital. I’d just walk the rest. I opened the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Mr. Creed,” one of them called out. “Where are you going?” “To my meeting,” I replied impatiently. The guy who wasn’t on the phone scrambled to get an umbrella out of the back and then catch up with me. “We were told not to leave your side, Mr. Creed.” A hint of apology tinged his voice, as if he knew exactly how much he was getting on my nerves. “Fine, but keep up.” I increased my long stride, annoyed. Just as I reached the end of the block, the guy walking with me stumbled into my side and slumped over. “What the hell—” I pushed him away, and he crumpled to the sidewalk. When I pulled my hand back, it was covered in dark, red blood. The window of the bus shelter I was standing next to shattered. I swore as I pulled my gun out from the holster hidden beneath my jacket, leaping for cover behind a nearby bench. It wasn’t the best shield, but it was all I had. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, heightening my senses as I looked around, trying to spot the shooter. The world stopped as a sharp, hot pain slammed into my chest.

Natalia Why did traffic always get so bad in New York whenever it rained? I’d given up on my taxi about two blocks back. If I kept sitting in it, I’d be late for the shift I’d agreed to cover for Lydia. I was also carrying Lydia’s drycleaning, since we used the same place, and she’d asked me to grab it for her while I was there. Lydia and I had a weird friendship. I didn’t even exactly consider her a friend. She was the only other female doctor who’d been assigned to the prestigious and competitive Mercy Saint, so she’d stuck to my side ever since my first day. Lydia was the kind of person who always managed to convince other people to do the bulk of her work for her, without the other person ever really realizing what they were getting themselves into until it was too late. Weirdly enough, we also looked kind of similar. We had the same honey-blonde hair, similar build, and hazel eyes. Once or twice, people had asked us if we were related. However, I was pretty sure Lydia’s blonde hair came out of a bottle, whereas mine was natural. So, even though tonight was technically my wedding night, I’d agreed to take Lydia’s shift when she called me. Anything to avoid going to Sebastian Creed’s penthouse, where I would be living in a gilded cage for the foreseeable future. But the whole wedding night thing… Ever since I’d left the church, it’d been spinning around my mind. I didn’t expect that Sebastian would want to actually consummate the marriage. But I also wasn’t sure. And that…left me feeling unsettled. I wasn’t exactly a virgin. I’d tried sex once at a frat party. Both of us had been drinking, and it’d seemed like a good idea to just get my virginity over with. Except the guy I’d been fumbling around with had barely penetrated me before he’d prematurely ejaculated, then rushed out, leaving me lying by myself on the couch. The memory still made me cringe. After that, I’d told myself I was too busy with getting myself through med school to bother with boyfriends or sex. As I reached the dark maw of the alley that ran alongside the hospital building, a tall form appeared out of nowhere, running into me. The only reason I didn’t fall was because the man caught me and pulled me against him. He slammed a palm over my mouth and dragged me back into the alley, my back pinned tightly to his chest. I dropped everything I was holding and fought as hard as I could, flailing and kicking, trying to bite his hand. But the man simply banded his arms tighter around my midsection, backing up until we were behind a dumpster. I couldn’t break free of his hold no matter how hard I fought him. He was a whole head taller than me, and his body felt like a wall of solid muscle at my back. I whimpered, panic shooting through me as I realized what was about to happen to me.

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After six years of marriage, my husband’s childhood friend, Sarah Jensen, posted photos of them cuddling each other on Instagram with a sweet sentence: [It’s a well-known secret that I like you.] I gave her a like, and my husband, Reginald Sinclair, called me immediately. “We are friends. What’s wrong with a hug? Why are you so weird, Grace? Your pretentious behavior really makes me sick!” Three minutes later, Sarah posted another photo of the two hugging and kissing. If it were in the past, I would have cried in front of Reginald and made a scene. But this time, I didn’t care about it anymore. … It was my sixth wedding anniversary with Reginald, and he said he’d be late. I thought he was preparing a surprise for me, so I happily prepared a table full of his favorite dishes. But until nightfall, I didn’t see Reginald. It was not until I saw Sarah’s post on Instagram that I realized that he only remembered Sarah’s birthday and not our wedding anniversary. When Reginald came home, I had already begun to eat. He frowned as he looked at my leisurely appearance. “Why don’t you wait for me to come back for dinner?” I ignored him. Reginald touched his nose awkwardly, sat down next to me, and tasted the dish. “Why is it so salty? Your cooking skills are getting worse and worse. You’ve done nothing at home every day.” Reginald suddenly threw his fork down and stared at me with dissatisfaction. If it were in the past, I would apologize to him humbly and cook it again for him. But now, I didn’t want to pay any attention to him at all. Seeing that I didn’t say anything, Reginald took out a bottle of perfume and put it on the table. “You are not still angry with me, are you? I bought it specially for you. Don’t be so pretentious.” “Well.” I took the perfume and took a look at it. The word “gift” in the lower right corner caught my eye. Reginald seemed to be paying less and less attention to me, and even his perfunctory attitude was not good enough. He could forget our anniversary, but he couldn’t forget Sarah’s birthday. But the perfume looked more and more familiar. I suddenly remembered that it was in the photos Sarah had posted today. I raised my hand and smashed the perfume, and Reginald’s face became gloomy. “I never wear this perfume. Don’t you realize it is a gift?” Reginald suddenly pulled me up and stared at me. “Grace, what are you doing? I’ve already bowed my head. What do you want? I’ve told you so many times. Sarah is just my childhood friend!” “Don’t touch me. Get off me!” My hand was pulled so hard that it hurt. I struggled but fell to the ground, and the perfume fragments pierced my skin. There was a cut on my leg, and blood was flowing out. I frowned in pain and glared at Reginald in dissatisfaction. There was a flash of panic in his eyes, and his expression was a bit stiff. “Why… Why didn’t you dodge? Damn. You’re so troublesome. I’ll take you to the hospital.” I wanted to refuse him. But the pain from the wound made it impossible for me to be stubborn, so I could only nod. Just as I sat in the passenger seat, I noticed the lipstick left on the seat. Neither the brand nor the color was the one I had ever bought. Sarah was demonstrating to me. Reginald also saw the lipstick, and his expression changed slightly. “I think Sarah dropped it off when I dropped her off this morning. Don’t think too much about it.” I looked away, ignoring him, just hoping that Reginald could drive faster. Seeing this, Reginald snorted and started the car. The atmosphere was awkward, and the silence was broken by the unique ringtone Reginald set for Sarah. He pulled over and answered Sarah’s call at once with a smile. “Reginald, I suddenly have a stomachache. Can you take me to the hospital?” Hearing Sarah’s crying voice, he immediately frowned. “I just happen to be going to the hospital. Stay home, and I’ll pick you up right away.” Reginald pressed his lips with a nervous expression and changed direction directly to Sarah’s home. I looked down at my bloody calf and frowned. When we arrived downstairs at Sarah’s house, Reginald asked me to wait for him and ran upstairs nervously. Then, I waited for half an hour.

I was getting impatient and was about to push the car door open to go out when Reginald came back. He held Sarah in his arms and placed her in the back seat carefully. I frowned unconsciously. I had just limped into the car by myself. And Sarah was carried to the car in his arms. I hadn’t seen such a gentle and considerate look from Reginald for many years. Sarah’s eyes instantly turned red the moment she saw me, and she looked at me innocently. “Grace, I’m sorry. I had a severe stomachache so I asked Reginald to pick me up. I hope you won’t be angry.” “Why should she be angry? Sarah, you don’t need to apologize to her. She’s almost thirty years old and still petty,” said Reginald. Before I could say anything, he glared at me with disgust. He used to dislike me like this, and I would cry out of grievance back then. But I didn’t care about Sarah’s provocation or Reginald’s disgust now. Maybe I was immune to them. After arriving at the hospital, Reginald stopped the car and picked up Sarah, making Sarah blush. “I’ll take Sarah to the internal medicine department first. Wait here for a while.” Then, Reginald turned and left with the slightly dissatisfied Sarah. Even if my leg were broken, he probably wouldn’t come. I limped towards the emergency department. The wound on my leg was getting more painful due to the tearing. Before I reached the emergency department, my legs went weak, and I fell heavily to the ground. “Grace, what are you doing? Didn’t I ask you to wait for me in the car?” Reginald’s angry voice sounded. He rushed to me and pulled me up. I shook off his hand and looked at him mockingly. “One hour or two hours?” “Enough! Grace, is it so difficult for you to bow your head to me?” Reginald suddenly got angry at me. He picked me up despite my resistance and walked towards the emergency department. The doctor frowned as he bandaged my wound. When everything was done, he glanced at Reginald. He said with a reproachful tone, “What did you do? The wound is torn like this. Did you let her walk here on her own?” Reginald didn’t listen to the doctor but kept frowning and looking at his phone. Not long after, he cleared his throat, and his eyes wandered. “I’ll go see Sarah first.” I nodded indifferently. It seemed that Sarah acted coquettishly towards him again. The doctor looked at Reginald’s back and reasoned with me earnestly. “Your boyfriend doesn’t care about you enough. You need to talk to him.” I lowered my eyes and smiled, not answering the doctor. What a pity! Reginald and I had been married for six years. However, it would stop in the sixth year. After completing a series of examinations, I washed my face in the bathroom to calm my bad mood. Sarah patted my shoulder from behind, and her sweet voice was sickening. “Grace? Why are you so embarrassed when Reginald is not around?” Sarah looked at me with a sneer and wiped the hand that had patted me with a handkerchief. She had always looked down on me, but it was normal. In everyone’s eyes, I was just a plaything of Reginald.

“I don’t know why Reginald fell in love with you. If I were you, I would have stopped bothering him a long time ago.” Sarah stood opposite me with her arms folded. The disgust in her eyes was apparent. Initially, I had thought that being arrogant and overbearing was her usual style. But later, I found out that it was because Reginald was willing to spoil her. I imitated her, raised my eyebrows, and retorted to her in a sarcastic tone. “I’m no match for you, Ms. Jensen. You’re just a mistress.” “How dare you scold me? You bitch! You’re courting death!” Sarah rushed over and grabbed my collar. I could only look up at her. “If I hadn’t quarreled with Reginald, would it have been your turn?” She then grabbed my hair and shook me hard, swearing dirty and harsh. When Reginald and I got married, he and Sarah had been quarreling. And I only knew about her after we had gotten married. Sarah believed that she was Reginald’s true love, and Reginald never denied it. We had just gotten married when Sarah returned to him. The first time I saw Reginald and Sarah holding hands, he told me it was because he lost the Truth or Dare game. Later, Sarah began to share photos of her and Reginald on social platforms. Reginald said that they were just taking photos as friends. And now the so-called good friends developed into good friends who could kiss each other. No matter if I tried to please him or cried and made a scene, Reginald would scold me for being unreasonable. But luckily, I was ready to let it go. Not long after, Sarah suddenly let go of my hand. I subconsciously stepped back. But she fell to the ground. “Grace! What did you do to Sarah?” Reginald’s angry voice came from behind. He picked up Sarah, who was lying on the ground with tears in her eyes and looked at me with disgust in his eyes. But when Sarah pulled me just now, she had pulled my wound. I didn’t want to bother with them any longer and just wanted to leave. “Who allowed you to leave, Grace? You are becoming more unbridled. Am I too lenient towards you?” Reginald grabbed me with such force that I staggered. In the past, Reginald would worry about me because of minor injuries. But now, the object of his concern became Sarah. The more I looked at Reginald, the more unfamiliar he seemed to me. His eyes were full of anger, and he completely ignored my furrowed brow and gaping wound. “Reginald, Grace was spoiled by you. I am not angry with her. I just want to go home.” Sarah glanced at my bleeding wound. She frowned, pulled Reginald’s arm, and shook it like a spoiled child. Reginald’s frown relaxed because of her words. But when he looked back at me, there was still disgust in his eyes. “I warn you. You’d better behave yourself and stop making me angry.” “I think you should teach your sweetheart how to behave.” Sarah’s acting skills were pretty good. She was the perpetrator, but she could pretend to be a victim. I looked at Sarah with mockery, and Reginald’s face instantly became gloomy. Just when I thought Reginald was going to speak up for Sarah once again, he remained silent. I followed his gaze and saw my bleeding wound. “You… Forget it. Be good these days.” This time, Reginald didn’t scold me as usual. He just hugged Sarah and walked out. Sarah hid in his arms, smiled at me provocatively, and moved her mouth. “Reginald is mine for the rest of his life.” I just felt childish and funny looking at her in this puppyish, food-guarding way. Since she liked Reginald so much, she could just take him away. After all, I hadn’t liked him for a long time.   Reginald returned home at noon the next day with kiss marks on his neck. I was sitting on the sofa applying medicine and didn’t look at him. Reginald sat next to me, his tone rarely gentle. “You are injured. It is inconvenient for you. Let me help you.” Almost every time he went to see Sarah, he would pretend to be affectionate to me the next day. I turned sideways to avoid Reginald, who was trying to take the medicine bottle from me. “Don’t. I’ve been applying the medicine by myself for so many years. It doesn’t matter.” I lost count of the number of times I had gotten hurt because of Reginald. Whenever Sarah cried, he would take his temper out on me. I was about to become a VIP client of the hospital. Reginald’s face looked a bit guilty. He then withdrew his hand with impatience. “You are not still angry with me, are you? I will take you out to play tonight, okay?” Without waiting for me to refuse, Reginald left. Before leaving, I heard him make a phone call and coax the woman on the other end in a gentle voice. “Sarah, where are you? Don’t be angry. I’ll come to find you, okay?” Once Sarah frowned, Reginald would come up to her happily. But I had spent six years without getting a single bit of his true love. When Reginald came to pick me up, we didn’t speak the whole way. After arriving at the destination, I saw his good friends and Sarah. Then, I understood why he took me out to dinner. When Sarah was unhappy with me, she usually set up a party, like now. “Reginald, we have been waiting for you for a long time. Why did you come so late?” Sarah inserted herself between Reginald and me, hugged him tightly, and looked at me with a smug look. I didn’t want to argue with her. She was still so childish at her age. Only Reginald would fall for this. During the meal, I sat in the corner and quietly watched Reginald and the others playing. Sarah glanced at me and walked towards me, holding a glass of wine with ill intentions. “Grace, because of you, Reginald is late today. How about you drink three glasses as punishment?” I frowned and shook my head to refuse her. But Sarah didn’t give up. She raised the glass and urged me to drink it. Between shoves, Sarah spilled the red wine on her and screamed in tears. “Ouch! Even if you don’t want to drink, you can’t spill it on me!” Reginald came over upon hearing this, protecting Sarah behind him, and glared at me. “Why are you always targeting Sarah? She just asked you to have a drink. Can you stop being so crazy every day?” “That’s right. Even if you don’t like Sarah, you shouldn’t be like this.” His friends echoed, looking at me with contempt in their eyes. Sarah and they had grown up together, and she was always spoiled among them. I smiled, picked up a glass of red wine, and walked towards Sarah under her smug gaze. “Okay. I’m sorry, Sarah.” I raised my hand and poured the red wine on her head. Sarah’s smile disappeared in an instant. Reginald held the tearful Sarah in his arms and pointed at me angrily. “Grace, what are you doing?” “You asked me to apologize. This is how I apologize.” Reginald was so angry that he was shaking. He grabbed me and slapped me in the face. “If you are not happy with being my wife, let’s get a divorce!” Reginald always liked to use divorce to force me to compromise. But now, I didn’t care about it. I looked up at his angry eyes and smiled. “Okay. Let’s get a divorce.”

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My stepfather treated my mother terribly, and she would cry to me every day. I urged her to divorce him, but she immediately turned around and told my stepfather, “Even my daughter advises me to leave you, but I still treat you so well.” Furious, my stepfather struck me in a fit of rage, accidentally killing me. After shedding tears, my mother, as the family member, wrote a letter of forgiveness, doing her utmost to reduce his sentence. “The child is gone, but those of us still living must carry on.” In my second chance at life, I returned to the day my mother married my stepfather. She asked, “What do you think of your new dad?” I sneered, “The two of you are meant to be together forever.”

My college roommate was pregnant and decided to stay in the dorm to carry out her pregnancy. While that was already a bit unconventional, what was worse was the rules she was trying to impose on us. Her husband had been flaunting his presence around, walking into our dorm without a care in the world. To top it off, he even barged into the bathroom while I was showering. This was way beyond what I could tolerate.

In my previous life, my husband, Felix Hastings, was snatched away by my best friend, Rachel Worthington, who was the only daughter of the richest man, Kenneth Worthington. They mocked me, insulted me, and even pushed me down the stairs to my death. Given a chance to relive my life, I set my sights on Kenneth, who was wealthy and handsome. He had few offspring, only one adopted daughter. It was on his account that Rachel had been so unscrupulous in murder. Surprisingly, I was born with a high chance of getting pregnant. Soon, I seduced him and had four babies. In this life, I wanted you to beg me and call me “Mom”. … In a daze, I staggered towards the room on the second floor of the villa. Kenneth, wearing silver-rimmed glasses and wrapped in a bathrobe, was initially taken aback when I suddenly barged in. His surprise quickly gave way to a cold expression. I bumped into him, feigning innocence and mumbling softly. At that moment, I had not yet experienced the damage of the fertility injection, and my appearance was as charming and attractive as a fairy. My soft hair was entangled between Kenneth’s fingers, and he caught a whiff of a light fragrance, which turned him on. His expression darkened instantly. Every detail about me, including the length of my straps, the curve of my neckline, the placement of my skirt’s slits, and even the tone of my voice in every sentence, was meticulously planned. I knew that by missing this opportunity, I would never get close to Kenneth again. He swallowed, and his gaze was burning hot. Suddenly, he pulled me into a tight embrace, and I could feel the warmth of his body and the rapid beat of his heart. He whispered in my ear, “Do you realize what you are doing?” ​At that moment, I distinctly felt his eagerness and eagerness.​ I knew my plan worked. Early the next morning, a scream woke me up. “Abigail! What are you doing? This is my father!” Rachel stood at the door, while everyone who had attended her birthday party the day before gathered there with mixed expressions. Staring at her innocently, I wrapped myself in the quilt tightly and interrupted Kenneth, who was about to speak. “I was drunk yesterday. We just chatted under the quilt. Nothing happened.” I understood that a wealthy man who was well-known in the business world would not want to be laughed at by others. Moreover, Rachel was not the only witness. Her expression changed from shock to anger. She clenched her teeth, staring at me with doubt and resentment. “Do you regard me as a fool?” With that, she was about to rush over to hit me. But she was stopped by Kenneth. “That’s enough! Didn’t you hear what she just said? “It was just an accident!” Rachel was stunned and was eager to retort. I leaned close to her ear and whispered, “You’d better buy my story. Otherwise, if your father is really interested in me, you will have to call me Mom.” Her eyes widened in amazement. After a moment of hesitation, she glared at me fiercely, pivoted around, and forced a smile at the guests at the door. “Don’t misunderstand. They just chatted all night.” The guests glanced at each other, laughed embarrassedly, and left. Rachel shot me a menacing look, identical to the one she had given me when she pushed me down the stairs in my previous life. I was born in a place called Belle Village. All the girls there were naturally beautiful and attractive. As a result, I was abducted three or four times during my childhood. Finally, I escaped to an orphanage and met Rachel. When I was a child, while other kids were pale and thin, I was healthy and attractive. The orphanage was not some paradise on earth, and the competition among the children was intense. Among them, only Rachel took care of me. Although many people wanted to adopt me, each attempt ended in failure. Not long after, Rachel was taken away and adopted by Gu Kenneth, who was known as a business tycoon. I was truly happy for her and genuinely believed she was the most important person in my life. Therefore, in my previous life, I was dumbfounded when Rachel touched her belly and told me that she was pregnant with Felix’s child. They mocked and insulted me for being infertile. Moreover, when I threatened to use legal means to divorce Felix and claim all the assets, Rachel pushed me down the stairs, resulting in my death. I woke up to find myself back in a time before anything had happened. It was so painful to discover that the two people I trusted most had betrayed me and that I never got to say before my death in my previous life, “It’s not my problem. The one who can’t have a child is Felix!”

Our family had a natural fertility trait, but I kept it a secret for Felix’s sake. Rachel, you relied on Kenneth, who was the richest man, to be so unscrupulous in murder. Since you liked my infertile husband so much, I would give the scumbag to you. I thought Kenneth was an ideal husband. He had good looks, wealth, and you as his only adopted daughter. When I gave birth to his own biological child, he would no longer care about you. In this life, I would make you beg me and call me “Mom”. When we got dressed and went downstairs, Rachel sat on the sofa furiously. “Dad, Abigail, there is no outsider. Do you have any sense of shame?” Shame? How ridiculous! That word should have never crossed Rachel’s mind when she slept with Felix in my previous life. Even so, I resisted the urge to curse. Covering my face, I cried softly, pretending to be pitiful. “I have no idea what happened. I just drank the glass of wine you handed me yesterday, and then everything became like this.” Rachel panicked “What! Do you mean I hurt you?” I explained, feeling hurt, “Of course not. You’re my best friend. How could I doubt you? But the people around you don’t seem trustworthy. Could they be acting behind your back?” Rachel flew into a rage. The upper class in Avalonville had always been hostile to her. She had put in a lot of effort to invite every guest to her birthday party yesterday. “You bitch, if you like my father, just admit it. Don’t talk nonsense.” Kenneth interrupted her, “She was indeed unconscious yesterday. “I taught you myself and know what kind of person you are. It’s also because I tend to spoil you too much. “You’ve actually made some undesirable friends. I’ve suspended your black card. You’re not allowed to socialize with them for now. Stay home and reflect on your mistakes.” “Dad.” “That’s it.” Rachel ran out in frustration. At that moment, only Kenneth and I were left. I said, “Mr. Worthington, yesterday was just an accident. I only intended to attend Rachel’s birthday party. I didn’t expect it to end up like this.” I choked up again. “But I hope you can forget the accident.” Kenneth was caught off guard. He had encountered women who tried to seduce him before, but I was indeed unconscious last night and tried to struggle several times. ​He remembered that Rachel had been the culprit in the accident.​ A hint of guilt surged within him. “I can give you any compensation you want.” I shook my head and smiled bitterly, “You are a victim, too. “To be honest, I’m already married, but I can’t get over this. I feel sorry for my husband and want to divorce him. “But we established the company together. If he learns of the reason for my divorce, all my hard work will be destroyed.” Kenneth patted my head hesitantly. “I understand. Don’t worry. What’s yours will be yours.” I gazed at him seriously with some admiration, my eyes wide. “Thank you, Mr. Worthington. You are so nice.” Kenneth felt that I was different from all the women he had met before. He had caused me to fall into such a state, yet I still thanked him. He walked me to the door and asked the driver to take me home. I exited the villa when something suddenly occurred to me. After turning around, I bumped into his arms, just like last night. He subconsciously hugged my waist. I took two steps back to create some distance and handed him my business card carefully.

“Mr. Worthington, I hope we can get to know each other again. “We’ll meet again in the business world.” Sitting in the car, I noticed Kenneth’s reluctant gaze, but I didn’t look back. Since he had promised me that he would handle my divorce, I didn’t have to worry about the division of property. I made a phone call and had all my stuff removed from the house. Additionally, I warned Felix, my ex-husband, that I had evidence of his affair with Rachel and instructed him to stay out of my sight. I thought that he cheated on me because we didn’t have children after several years of marriage. After being reborn, I found out that he and Rachel had been in constant contact. They actually played with me. Since you were so ruthless, don’t blame me for making life difficult for you. I stroked my belly gently. I could sense that I had succeeded yesterday and that new life was already growing strong in my belly, just waiting for the right moment. In the following month, although I gave Kenneth my business card, he did not reach me on his own initiative. Yet, I was not in a hurry. With Rachel around, how could she allow Kenneth to contact me? However, I was very confident that I could capture his heart. The memory of that night would be embedded in his mind like a stubborn nail, impossible to erase. Now, I was still the boss of the company. Coincidentally, this planning project was in cooperation with Kenneth’s company, and we had been communicating online before. ​When we next met, I was exactly a month and a half into my pregnancy.​ I revised several plans and chose the most perfect version. I leaned back in my office chair and sighed, feeling fortunate to have returned at the perfect moment. Now, in the prime of my life, I was not forced to quit my job for pregnancy preparation or to care for Felix’s mother all day, avoiding becoming anxious, pale, and thin or gaining excessive weight. On the day of the contract negotiation, I was dressed in a light blue business suit and carried a thick stack of documents in my hands. In the meeting room, Kenneth sat in the center with a stern look. However, at the sight of me, he was slightly startled. I smiled politely, as if I didn’t know him, and handed the document to him. He took the document, and his fingertips accidentally touched my hand. I felt the warmth of his fingertips, and my heart skipped a beat. Our eyes met, and the atmosphere was subtle. I was in charge of this project, while my ex-husband merely played a figurehead role, making occasional sounds but contributing nothing substantial. This situation highlighted my professionalism even more. In the negotiation, I did not give in. After several rounds of confrontation, we reached a consensus. Everyone exchanged pleasantries cheerfully. Just as I was about to see them off, Rachel pulled me aside and said angrily, “I spotted you flirting with my father behind my back. Do you still want to be my stepmother?” I replied calmly, “How could that be? I’ve been concentrating on my work. Given your time to worry about me, you might as well address your own relationship problems. I’ve divorced Felix, but why hasn’t he married you yet?” Her face suddenly darkened, and she stammered, “How did you know? No, I mean, what nonsense are you talking about?” “But you are right about one thing,” I smiled. “I really want to hear you call me Mom. “I’m pregnant!” I paused deliberately and then mouthed, “Your father’s child.” In a fit of rage, Rachel momentarily lost control and rushed towards me, wildly beating me and swearing at me. She pushed me to the floor, and the pain came instantly. Everyone was shocked. Kenneth hurriedly stepped forward to pull her away and asked, “What’s going on?” I raised my head, tears welling up in my eyes, and sobbed, “I don’t know! I thought Rachel just wanted to catch up with me, but she suddenly hit me!” Upon hearing this, Rachel immediately retorted, “That’s not true! My father can only have me as his daughter. He can’t have another child. How dare you claim that you are pregnant!” Before she could finish her words, Kenneth slapped her hard in the face, interrupting her speech. She covered her face, as if she realized what she had said. “You actually hit me for her?” Kenneth gritted his teeth, his face livid. “That’s enough. Shut up. In fact, Abigail and I have been in a relationship since she divorced.” Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “She’s bleeding!” I glanced down and saw that my lower body was already covered in blood.

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For eight years, I had been a bodyguard for a woman. Then, in a single night of passionate abandon, I became more than just her protector but her boyfriend. However, fate, ever the cruel mistress, had other plans. In a twist of irony, both her first love and I found ourselves kidnapped. But she chose her first love without hesitation. I was cast aside because I was a mere pet in her eyes. As I plunged into the abyss of the sea, my final wish was to be spared the torment of her presence in any life to come. … I was Richard Davis, serving both as the bodyguard for Natalie George and, more intimately, as her boyfriend. That evening, I had spent hours crafting a meal when Natalie came rushing towards me. Her eyes were wild with panic. “Mike has been in an accident! Take me to the hospital now!” she cried. Mike Quinn was her first love. “But you haven’t eaten…” I stated, only to be cut off by her impatience. “I can’t eat now!” she interrupted me. Her voice carried a clear tone of irritation and censure as though she were implying that my only concern, amidst everything, was the mundane act of eating. Without waiting, she swiftly strode away. I paused, torn for just half a second before my instincts kicked in; I grabbed the car keys and hurried after her. Mike’s injuries, while not severe, were complicated by his hemophilia and rare blood type. He was in a dire situation. Natalie nudged my arm and said, “Richard, I recall you have Rh-negative blood, right? You must donate blood for Mike!” I clenched my fists and silently gazed at her. Natalie declared, “It’s just blood. You won’t die. You can replenish it quickly.” My breath caught in my throat. Her attention never strayed from Mike. She had completely forgotten that I was her boyfriend. With an urgency that bordered on desperation, she pressed the nurse to hurry me along for a blood draw as though Mike would die within each fleeting second. Upon my return from the room where my blood was drawn, I found Natalie perched at the edge of the bed. Her gaze was locked on Mike, and her eyes were brimming with an ocean of love. She clasped his hand, whispering, “Mike, you must stay healthy.” I stood there, momentarily frozen. Then, with my heart quietly shattering, I walked out, seeking solace in the hospital corridor. Overhead, the cold white light bathed me in its unforgiving glow. At George Manor, I was more than a mere servant; I was handpicked by her father to shadow Natalie as her bodyguard. I embraced the duty for eight enduring years. But it was a drunken night that changed everything. I carried the drunk Natalie to her room, and in a moment of vulnerability, she kissed me, leading to a night of lovemaking. The next morning, she asked me to be her boyfriend, and I accepted, for I had loved her in silence for all those years. I recalled the day Natalie first captured my heart. At the tender age of fifteen, I was forced by an elderly servant to wash his undergarments. My refusal was met with such brutality that he nearly killed me with his fists. As I lay there, dying, Natalie approached. In a delicate dress, she was like a little princess straight out of a fairy tale. She knelt before me and gently applied ointment to my battered flesh. It was at that moment that I truly saw Natalie up close for the first time. I held my breath, afraid that even the warmth of my exhale might disrupt the serenity of her presence. When she finished, she placed a candy in my hand. “If the pain becomes too much, take this strawberry-flavored candy. It’s very sweet.” It was the first time I had tasted such sweet. Through the years, I’d bent to her every whim without hesitation, as loyal as a steadfast hound. There was a time when appendicitis clawed at my insides, and as I was prepped for surgery, her call came through. Without a second thought, I abandoned the surgery to be by her side. Natalie and Mike grew up together. They were once in a love that had been put on hold by distance. Three months ago, Mike returned from abroad. Before his return, Natalie would summon me to her side for gallant escapades. Together, we would ride horses across verdant fields, ski down the powdery slopes, and grace the tables of couple’s restaurants. We indulged in all the rites of courtship reserved for lovers, but our bond could never be proclaimed to the world. She would even post our picture on social media, though my face remained a secret. It was only days ago that I discovered the truth hidden in her phone. Those declarations of our love were for Mike’s eyes alone. I was a pawn in her game to provoke his jealousy. Even the clothes and shoes she bestowed upon me were reflections of his tastes, not mine. As dawn broke, Natalie emerged from the ward, asking me to fetch breakfast. Noticing my stillness, she seemed to sense the turmoil within me. She took my hand and softly said, “Richard, you understand, don’t you? Mike and I grew up together. With his family abroad, I’m all he has here.” I nodded and went to get her favorite breakfast. Hamburgers and milk. Her brows knitted together in displeasure as she chided me, “Richard, can you not handle even the simplest task? Mike mustn’t have such greasy fare in his condition. Aren’t you aware of that?” My hand, clasping the hamburger, became still in the air as I sought to feed her.

Mike declared, “Natalie, it’s alright.” Natalie snatched the food from my grasp. “Fine!” Her eyes met mine. “You should go back. I’ll stay at the hospital to look after Mike.” I bit back the bitter taste of rejection, turning away from the ward. When I returned home, there lay the meal I had meticulously prepared. Each plate was untouched. All of them were Natalie’s favorites. From the refrigerator, I retrieved a cake. In fact, today was my birthday. But Natalie forgot. At noon, I ventured back to the hospital with a lunch box in hand. The murmur of conversation halted me just outside the ward. Through the sliver of an opening, I watched as several people gathered around Mike’s bed. “Mike and Natalie are a perfect pair,” one voice chimed. “Natalie, you don’t know how deeply Mike cares for you. He’s been waiting for you ever since your breakup,” another added. A question hung in the air. “Natalie, what about your boyfriend? Did you two break up?” Natalie’s closest friend was quick to interject, “What nonsense! He’s merely a bodyguard, of low status, entirely unworthy of Natalie!” “Indeed, his lineage is marred by an alcoholic father and a mother who danced her nights away; both deemed him an encumbrance and sold him off to the George family. He needs to remember his place.” Flushed, Natalie stared at Mike. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” I was thrust back to that night when she confessed her fondness for my bashful demeanor. In my arms, she looked blushed. Suppressing the tempest within, I entered the ward. My movements were rigid as I placed the lunch box on the table. The atmosphere shifted, charged with unspoken tension. Sneers followed. Mike’s eyes locked onto mine. There was a piercing challenge in his stare, silently demanding, “Just who do you believe you are to contend with me?” My fists clenched, and I retreated. Natalie’s voice trailed after me, “Richard, my friends were just joking. Don’t read too much into it.” I faced her and forced a grim smile. “Why not tell them I’m your boyfriend?” Her eyes evaded mine. “Haven’t I explained this before? I’m not ready to make it public. Don’t be unreasonable!” I kept silent. Natalie spun on her heel and returned to the ward. I stood there without moving. Half an hour passed before the visitors departed. My hand delved into my pocket, seeking car keys. But I found instead a set of Bluetooth earphones. Natalie had entrusted me with them, yet in the tumult of emotions, I had failed to deliver them to her. I approached the ward, turning the handle to find it locked. A sense of foreboding washed over me as I knocked. It took a long time before Natalie opened the door. Her coat was discarded, revealing a one-shoulder sweater. Her bare shoulder was marred with seemingly sexual bruises. My heart sank. Natalie asked coldly, “What’s the matter?” I handed her the earphones. “Your earphones.” She was stunned and took them. With a hoarse whisper, I asked, “What did you do with him?” Her expression hardened as she slapped me in anger, “How dare you question me?” Her displeasure was palpable. “Richard, stop with the suspicions. I’m exhausted for dealing with company matters and caring for Mike.” She tugged at her sweater, offering an explanation, “It’s just an allergy. I’ll see a doctor later.” Grief threatened to consume me as I gritted my teeth. Love did not blind me but silenced my protests. The following day, Mike was discharged, and Natalie tasked me with the errand of fetching them. Yet, on the way, fate intervened. I was caught in a car accident.

A wild cat, a sudden apparition in the road, caused my swift evasion, thereby my car colliding with a tree. A sharp pain seared through my arm. At this time, my phone rang. It was Natalie. The moment the connection was made, her voice surged through, laced with irritation, “Richard, what on earth is the matter with you? We’ve been stranded at the hospital’s entrance!” I tried to speak, “I’m…” Before I could explain my involvement in a car accident, she icily cut me off, “If you’re not here in ten minutes, you’re fired!” The call ended, leaving my words unspoken. I gazed at the phone numbly as a profound ache throbbed within my chest. My heart shattered. Glimpsing my bloodied arm, I gritted against the pain, maneuvering the car with one hand and steering towards the hospital. I even compressed a journey of twenty minutes into ten. At the hospital entrance, Natalie glared at me. “What kind of bodyguard are you? Always slacking off. Mike is fragile; he can’t stand for long.” I held back and felt heartbroken. It marked yet another time Natalie cast blame upon me, all for the sake of Mike. Just last month, they ventured out for a horseback ride; Mike mounted a particularly spirited horse, which bucked him off mid-gallop, leaving him with broken ribs as a harsh memento of the day. Natalie had admonished me, claiming that the turmoil stemmed from my poor choice in horse breeds. Merely a week prior, they planned a dinner outing and instructed me to place their order. I selected a dessert with mango, not recalling Mike’s allergy, which led to an urgent rush to the hospital for his allergic reaction. Natalie accused me of nearly killing Mike! A handful of nights ago, she indulged in drinks with Mike until the spirits took hold. While assisting them into the car, she directed me to aid Mike, who, in a moment of deliberate defiance, shook off my hand, resulting in his head striking the car door sharply. She laid the fault at my feet, accusing me of clumsiness for not securing Mike adequately, which led to the unfortunate collision of his forehead with the car’s frame. Whenever a misfortune befell Mike, Natalie accused me of my negligence and my dereliction. Yet, I was her bodyguard, not Mike’s. After escorting Mike to his apartment, I drove home. Once we disembarked from the vehicle, Natalie finally noticed my injury. She asked in surprise, “Your arm is bleeding!” I said calmly, “There was an accident.” She looked at me. “Why not tell me? Go to the hospital for bandaging.” When Mike suffered a car accident, her anxiety propelled her to his side at the hospital, where she remained steadfastly by him. Contrastingly, in the aftermath of my own accident, her concern was succinctly expressed with a detached directive, “Go to the hospital for bandaging.” I was human, flesh and blood, with feelings. “Natalie,” I called She looked up at me. My voice was hoarse, “Do you still like me?” If she were to say no, I could retreat to my former role as her bodyguard, never overstepping the bounds again. She smiled at me, “Yes.” I reached for an embrace, but she pushed me away. “You smell of blood. It’s awful. Don’t touch me.” My hand hung in the air, and the warmth in my heart extinguished. “When will we make our relationship known?” I gazed at her delicate features and asked, “What am I to you, a bodyguard or a boyfriend?” Or was I merely a tool to provoke Mike? She froze. Silence hung between us like a heavy curtain. “Now’s not the time for such romantic talk. Your hand’s bleeding; you should go to the hospital.” She turned away and went into the house, leaving me to gaze upon her back. I had trailed in her shadow to care for her. Yet, all she bequeathed to me, in the end, was the view of her departing back. I took a taxi to the hospital. The doctor had just bandaged my wound when I got a call from Natalie. Her voice was fraught with tears, “Mike’s missing. I can’t reach him. His family’s in debt from a failed business. I fear something’s happened. Please, you must find him quickly!” Natalie, ever privileged, never uttered the word “please.” My resolve melted away. In haste, I left the hospital, neglecting even to don my coat. I hurried to reach Mike’s apartment. Downstairs, I encountered a group of men moving with surreptitious intent, bearing a large sack that appeared to encase human forms within its shadowy depths. My suspicion whispered that Mike might be trapped within, propelling me into combat with those enigmatic figures. However, with my arm already wounded, I was quickly overwhelmed and brought to the ground by their force. They took me in the car. Amidst their hushed exchanges, I gleaned that their quarry was not Mike himself but rather the ransom he represented. Having recognized Mike as the one cherished most by Natalie, the kidnappers sought to exploit this love, demanding a ransom of one million dollars for his safe return. With urgency driving her every step, Natalie hurried to the designated beach, clutching the ransom of one million dollars. Both Mike and I found ourselves bound tightly with ropes, so our mobility was stolen. Yet, Natalie solely settled her gaze on Mike as she cried, “Let him go.” Mike was equally desperate. “Natalie, save me!” My wound reopened, blood flowing. My face turned ghostly pale. My strength ebbed to a whisper. Natalie spared me not a glance. She stared at the kidnappers. “I’ve brought the money, so let Mike go.” Abruptly, the kidnappers revised their demand, reasoning that two million dollars would suffice for two lives. They insisted Natalie procure an additional million dollars for my ransom, warning that without it, they would liberate only one of us. Without hesitation, Natalie pointed at me. “He’s just a dog I raised, not worth a million dollars. Mike must be safe. Let him go!” At that moment, my heart felt as though it had been pierced, bleeding profusely. The intense pain stole my breath. I had known she did not care for me. From the beginning, I was but a means to provoke Mike. Yet, to hear myself reduced to a mere pet in her eyes was a blow I had not anticipated. Her declaration of affection to me, it seemed, was as fleeting and insincere as her regard for a dog. Eyeing me, the kidnappers posed a grim choice to Natalie. “If you don’t choose him, he’ll be thrown into the sea.” Natalie fixed her gaze on Mike, never once straying to me. “His death is of no consequence. I want Mike to live.” The tether that held my sanity snapped. To her, my life was worth less than a glance. After a few seconds, a strange calm washed over me. I was a creature of the George family, so my existence was a debt to her. Now, it was time to repay that debt in full. From this moment on, I would owe the George family nothing. In the next heartbeat, my body was lifted. A splash marked my descent into the icy sea. As the chill of the night invaded my very bones, my eyelids fluttered to a close. At that final, fleeting moment, a singular thought consumed me. In my next life, I wished never to encounter Natalie again.

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After my daughter, Kathy Bowman, was declared brain-dead, my husband, Patrick Bowman, urged me to sign the organ donation agreement. I was drowning in a sea of grief, my mind on the verge of collapse. Then, I discovered, quite by accident, that Kathy’s attending physician, Laurie Guerrero, was my husband’s former lover. They lied, claiming Kathy was brain-dead, tricking me into signing the agreement to harvest her heart to save Laurie’s daughter. I saw Patrick escorting Laurie’s daughter out of the hospital. They laughed together, looking like a blissful family. I confronted them at their door, only to be pushed down the stairs by Patrick and Laurie, my life ending then and there. Now, I have been reborn on the very day I signed that donation agreement. Looking at my daughter lying in the hospital bed, I silently swore to myself. This time, I would make those two deceitful lovers pay. Kathy’s small body was covered in tubes, her pale face marked by a sickly flush. I rubbed my eyes, realizing I had returned to that familiar scene, facing once again the moment that had shattered my heart in my previous life. With trembling hands, I stroked Kathy’s warm little hand. A pang of sorrow hit me, and tears streamed down my face. “I miss you so much, so much… I’m so sorry…” My husband, Patrick, gently patted my shoulder from beside me. “Don’t disturb her anymore. Let’s go; it’s time.” Urged by a nurse, I dragged my weakened legs out of the ICU alongside Patrick. We entered a cramped office, and he handed me a pen. “You’ve seen it all. Every moment Kathy stays alive is pure agony now that she’s brain-dead. “Sign the organ donation agreement. Let the child find peace.” Hearing his casual words, a tide of anger surged within me, drying up my tears instantly. I slammed the pen down on the desk and brushed off his hand from my shoulder. “I’m not signing! My daughter is definitely not brain-dead!” Patrick froze. “Didn’t we already agree? You’ve seen the doctor’s diagnosis. This is the best hospital in the city. What more could you be doubting?” I was furious. I saw right through Patrick’s feigned innocence and surprise at his sinister intentions. In my past life, I trusted him far too blindly. My daughter Kathy had been admitted to this hospital for pneumonia. I never imagined that the attending doctor Patrick had arranged, Laurie, would turn out to be his former lover. Pneumonia wasn’t usually fatal, but after I left for just one night, Kathy’s condition suddenly deteriorated, landing her in the emergency room. I rushed back to the hospital, only to hear Laurie announce that my daughter was brain dead. Before I could even recover from the shock, Patrick was already pushing me to sign the organ donation agreement. “Kathy has always been a kind child. If she knew her organs could save others, I believe she would agree.” I was inconsolable, and under Patrick’s half-coercion, half-persuasion, I signed my name on the agreement. What I didn’t know was that soon after Kathy’s ventilator was removed, her heart was transplanted into Laurie’s daughter. I was consumed by the agony of losing my daughter while Patrick quickly returned to his normal life. By sheer chance, I saw Patrick in an amusement park in a neighboring city. A little girl I didn’t recognize sat on his shoulders, with Laurie leaning close to him. I followed them, seeking the truth, but they teamed up and pushed me from a high building. In a pool of my own blood, I clutched the pendant containing a lock of my daughter’s hair. I had thought about ending my own life many times. But whenever I saw their triumphant faces, the flames of hatred pierced through my weakness. To be reborn at this moment, I felt incredibly fortunate. I realized that fate had given me this chance to avenge my daughter!

Thinking about all this, I wanted nothing more than to slap that deceitful look off Patrick’s face. “I’m taking Kathy to another hospital right now for a full re-evaluation! I will never sign this agreement!” Seeing the fury on my face, Patrick frowned. “Amanda, stop being unreasonable. You went home last night, while I stayed here all night. I saw the entire resuscitation process with my own eyes. “I know this is hard for you, but this is the reality. Can you control your emotions?” I let out a cold laugh. “Are you seriously asking a mother to stay calm when her child’s life hangs by a thread? “And why did I go home last night? I went because your mother said her heart was feeling unwell and wanted me to look after her.” A flicker of annoyance crossed Patrick’s face. “Don’t go blaming my mother or me. This is just Kathy’s misfortune. “You agreed to sign the agreement just now, and now you’re changing your mind. Don’t you think you’re being too emotional?” Seeing his indifferent attitude, I didn’t want to waste any more words on him. I knew the most important thing now was to transfer Kathy to another hospital for a fresh diagnosis and treatment. I understood that the Patrick standing before me was no longer the man who once played barefoot in puddles with our daughter in our small rented room. I pushed the office door open forcefully and headed towards the ICU. At the same time, I dialed a familiar number on my phone. In the seven years since I married Patrick, I had also severed ties with my family. My parents and brother had vehemently opposed our marriage, so I left my wealthy home to move to another city with Patrick. But now, the only ones who could help me were my family, who had always supported me. When the call connected, I didn’t have time to explain much. I choked out a single sentence before breaking down in tears. “Mom, Dad, please save my daughter. She needs to be transferred to the best hospital in the province…” My parents didn’t hold any grudges from the past. They quickly contacted the best medical team in the province. After hanging up the phone, I looked up at the clock on the wall. The transfer team would arrive in two hours. Just then, Patrick rushed over in a hurry. “Amanda, what are you doing here? Stop making trouble and come with me to sign the agreement. We already agreed to it before, and the whole medical team is waiting for us.” I didn’t look at him; I just kept my eyes on the ICU door. Seeing my lack of response, Patrick seemed a bit agitated. “Stop standing there and let’s go. Don’t keep the doctors waiting.” I turned to look at him. “Kathy is still lying in the ICU, and you’re already so eager to take her organs?” Patrick suddenly looked a bit flustered. “What are you talking about? She’s our daughter. How could I be that cruel? “But Kathy is already brain-dead. There’s no hope of her waking up; she’s just a lifeless shell! “Organ donation is a meaningful act. Kathy once said when she was watching TV that she wanted her life to have more value. Isn’t this fulfilling her wish?” Hearing these words, my rage boiled over. A few months ago, Patrick had us watch some documentaries about organ donation. At the time, Kathy was moved to tears. After all, she was so young, so kind-hearted. But I never imagined that Kathy’s kindness and my trust would become the groundwork for Patrick’s plan. I gathered all my strength and slapped him hard across the face. “Get out! I’m not going anywhere! No one is to touch my daughter. I’m transferring her!” Patrick staggered back, clutching his face, looking utterly disheveled. He couldn’t help but shout loudly, “You’re holding onto your own issues, forcing our daughter to stay in this world. Keeping her like this is only causing her pain. What’s the point? “Her muscles will atrophy, she’ll develop bedsores, her whole body will decay. She’ll rot alive! Wouldn’t it be better for her to leave peacefully?” I glared at this stranger of a man standing before me. I knew that beneath his self-righteous words lay a carefully plotted, vicious scheme.

In the midst of the tense standoff, a figure rushed over and grabbed Patrick. “Patrick, Patrick, are you okay?” It was Patrick’s mother, Doreen Bowman. She looked at his swollen face with concern, then turned to me, her eyes blazing with anger. “Amanda! How could you hit Patrick like this? You’re nothing but a shrew!” “Kathy’s condition is hopeless now. This isn’t Patrick’s fault, so stop taking it out on him! “And what’s the big deal about signing a donation agreement? The dead can’t come back! She’ll be cremated in the end anyway. What more do you want? Are you planning to keep Kathy at home forever?” Doreen’s words became more and more outrageous, her emotions escalating. I was livid, my eyes burning with fury, and I slapped Patrick hard on the other side of his face. Dazed by the two slaps, Patrick seemed stunned. Doreen, not expecting this, screamed and rushed to cradle Patrick’s face, filled with distress. I looked coldly at my hand, now reddened from the impact. “Does it hurt? It should. Only a parent feels the pain of their own child!” “Get out of here! If you say another word, I’ll smash you with this thermos!” Doreen’s eyes widened, and her lips trembled with rage. “Shrew! You’re nothing but a complete shrew!” The scene turned chaotic. Patrick, barely containing his anger, demanded answers from me. “Amanda, you’ve slapped me, you’ve yelled, you’ve vented enough, haven’t you? “Now come and sign the papers! There’s nothing more to discuss. You already agreed back in the doctor’s office; you can’t just back out now!” With that, he snatched my phone and forcefully grabbed my arms. With Doreen’s help, they started dragging me away. I gritted my teeth and struggled desperately. Seeing that I was no match for the two of them, I decided to cry out for help. “Doctor! Nurse! Security! They’re trying to kidnap me!” A few nurses rushed over, but seeing it was Patrick, a familiar face, they awkwardly hesitated. Patrick forced a smile. “It’s fine, my wife is just a bit emotional. No need to bother yourselves.” But I refused to relent, shouting, “They were the ones who attacked me first! If you don’t stop them, I’ll keep shouting until every patient’s family comes over to see!” The nurses exchanged glances, then reluctantly stepped forward to separate us. Patrick grudgingly let go of me. My heart finally settled, and I quickly glanced at the time. I thought to myself, “Only one more hour until the transfer team arrives. If I can just hold out for one more hour, I can take my daughter away from here for good!” “Patrick, what’s going on? Why is it taking you so long to come over?” Laurie’s sweet, coquettish voice rang out. She looked at Patrick tenderly and, noticing the swelling on his face, hurried over to examine it. The moment Patrick saw her, all his anger vanished, replaced by a gentle expression. “It’s nothing. Amanda doesn’t want to sign, so we had a bit of an argument.” Laurie looked up at me. At that moment, I knew I must have looked a mess with my disheveled hair and wild eyes. “Mrs. Bowman, your daughter is already brain-dead. You yourself agreed to sign the donation agreement earlier. “The hospital is very grateful for your magnanimity and generosity. I also understand that there’s always a mental hurdle to overcome with such decisions. “Rest assured, though your child is no longer here, her life will continue in another form…” I cut her off, my voice loud and fierce, silencing her hypocritical speech. “You’re lying! My daughter is not brain-dead. Your diagnosis is fake! There’s no way I’m signing anything—I want a transfer right now!” Laurie shook her head, pretending to look hurt. “Mrs. Bowman, I know you’re grieving, but please don’t make baseless accusations, okay? “I worked tirelessly to save your daughter for nearly ten hours, stayed up all night, and now I have to continue treating other patients. And yet, in your eyes, I’m just an incompetent doctor! “We prepared extensively for the signing of the agreement, and the media reporters are waiting. How am I supposed to explain this to them?” Hearing this, the surrounding patients and nurses began whispering amongst themselves. “Dr. Guerrero is one of the best doctors in the entire hospital. How could she have made a wrong diagnosis?” “I think this mother is just too emotional, causing all this trouble.” “Yeah, there’s no sympathy for her. Dr. Guerrero put in so much effort, and she’s still being criticized. This is just unreasonable!” Upon seeing the crowd pointing fingers at me, Patrick’s face showed a hint of smug satisfaction. “Amanda, you’re too emotional right now. Why don’t we go back to the office and talk, okay?” As he spoke, he reached out to grab me. I took a step back, wary. “Don’t touch me!” Laurie signaled to the nurses who had gathered around. Out of nowhere, a security guard appeared, pinning my shoulders and slamming me hard against the wall. Laurie directed the nurses with authority. “She’s too agitated. We need to administer a sedative right away!”

Patrick quickly chimed in. “I’m her husband. I agree!” Seeing the nurse with the syringe coming closer, I struggled in desperation, shouting for help, but no one around me made a move. “Stop! Let her go right now!” Suddenly, a commanding voice boomed across the room, startling everyone. My brother, Stanton Blakely, had finally arrived with the medical team. Taking advantage of the moment when the security guards and nurses were stunned, I shoved them away and dashed over to Stanton. “Stanton, save Kathy!” Stanton patted my shoulder reassuringly and then turned to Patrick, his face furious. “Are you helping these people hurt your wife and child? “Where’s the declaration of Kathy’s brain death? Show it to me!” I couldn’t stop trembling; my back was soaked with sweat. If Stanton hadn’t arrived in time, I might have been sedated or even forced to sign the papers, losing Kathy forever! Laurie composed herself and looked at Stanton arrogantly. “And who are you? “This is an intensive care unit! Where are the security guards? Only family members are allowed here; everyone else needs to leave.” Stanton let out a fearless laugh. “I’m Kathy’s uncle, so I am her family! I have doubts about your diagnosis. Hand over the report!” Patrick and Laurie suddenly seemed flustered. “Why didn’t I know Kathy had an uncle? “Didn’t Amanda say she had no family?” Doreen turned to look at me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I held onto Stanton’s hand. “Stanton, I’m sorry. I was too naive back then, deceived by this man. He’s worse than a beast… Now I know how wrong I was.” Stanton wiped away my tears. “Alright, let’s deal with the transfer first. As for your divorce, I’ll take care of it when we get back.” Patrick suddenly sneered with a mocking tone. “Transferring her requires a decision from Kathy’s biological parents. You’re just her uncle. You don’t have that authority. Even if her grandparents showed up, it wouldn’t matter.” Doreen nodded in agreement. “Exactly, this is a family matter, none of your business!” Stanton’s face darkened as he prepared to speak again, but Laurie stepped forward, blocking his path. “Sir, transferring Kathy requires not only the parents’ consent but also the attending physician’s approval. “As Kathy’s attending physician, I believe she doesn’t meet the criteria for a transfer, so I won’t approve it.” I glared at Laurie with intense hatred. “I’ll write a waiver. My medical team will be responsible for Kathy’s safety during the transfer. It has nothing to do with your hospital! I couldn’t care less whether you approve it or not!” As the standoff continued, the hospital’s director, Dwayne Wilbert, walked in. Stanton whispered to me, “Don’t worry. I spoke with him before I came.” I exhaled deeply, waiting for Dwayne to intervene. Dwayne cleared his throat and began slowly, “I’ve already got a general understanding of the situation. Mrs. Bowman doesn’t agree with Dr. Laurie’s diagnosis, so she refuses to sign the donation agreement and now wants to transfer the patient, correct?” Laurie nodded nervously. Dwayne continued, “Then bring over the diagnosis reports showing the patient’s brain death. Let Mrs. Bowman take a look, and everything will be clear.” Patrick and Laurie’s faces immediately turned tense. Laurie hesitated and tried to explain, “Director, because of the urgency, our team worked through the night saving patients and handling other tasks, so the reports haven’t been compiled yet…” I couldn’t help but sneer loudly. “Not compiled, or not enough time to fake them?”

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On the day of our scheduled divorce, I waited at the civil affairs office for three long hours. He never showed up, but news of his car accident did. The crash had wiped his memory clean. I covered my face and cried, not out of sadness, but from happiness. I didn’t have to divorce him anymore. In the three years we were married, he never truly looked at me. I was the only one who had feelings for him. But on the night he was discharged from the hospital, he came to my bedroom door with a pillow in hand. He asked, looking a bit pitiful, “Honey, aren’t we sleeping together?”

Morning sunlight poured in. Lydia Bell stared at the sleeping man next to her, totally captivated. She traced her fingers over his chiseled chest, up to his Adam’s apple, then paused at his tempting lips. Suddenly, her wrist was caught. Chad Holland’s eyes snapped open. Lydia shivered but quickly smiled brightly. “Good morning, Chad. Or… Uncle Chad?” Uncle?! Chad’s eyes darkened. He instantly pushed Lydia away and sat up. No wonder she looked familiar when she seduced him last night! She was his nephew Brian Holland’s fiancée! “You’ve got guts,” Chad said, getting up irritably. With his back to Lydia, he threw on a robe and then sent his location to his assistant. “So… are you mad?” Lydia sat up slowly, wrapping her arms around Chad from behind. Feigning innocence, she said, “Brian’s been cheating with Eva Bell for ages. To get back at him, I slept with his uncle. Fair, right?” “You’re the first woman to use me,” Chad said coldly. “Aren’t you scared of me?” At 6’7″ with a killer stare, Chad was downright intimidating. As the future head of the Holland family, he was known for being ruthless. But she couldn’t deny last night was unforgettable! Sure, he had a rough edge, but there were surprisingly tender moments too. “Scared? You were amazing last night!” “So, Brian doesn’t do it for you?” Chad smirked, gripping her chin. Lydia scoffed. “He’s too busy with Eva in bed. Why else would I come to you?” She stood on her tiptoes and then kissed Chad, pressing herself against him. Chad felt his body heat up. He couldn’t deny it—this woman was stunning and irresistible! Slowly, a dangerous and alluring aura surrounded him. “Are you sure about this?” His eyes locked onto hers, desire flickering within. “What?” Before she could react, Chad pinned her to the bed, sending a shiver down her spine. “Chad… mmph.” His kiss silenced her. His fingers tightened around the back of her neck. “You asked for it.” Two hours later, Lydia lay exhausted on the bed. Who knew Chad, with his cool exterior, could be so fiery in bed? Something she never experienced with Brian! He always said she was boring and stiff. After years together, they barely kissed. Now here she was, in bed with his uncle! Whoa! Revenge never felt so sweet!

Suddenly, Lydia’s phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen- It was Brian. She answered. “Make it quick.” “Where have you been? Eva and I messaged you a ton, but no reply.” Lydia tightened her robe, eyes meeting Chad’s. Fresh out of the shower, water droplets traced down his sculpted abs. Quite the sight! “Oh, missed them. What’s up?” Lydia looked away, casually picking up her clothes from the floor. “My uncle’s back. I’m picking you up for dinner.” Then, Brian hung up before she could respond. Lydia’s heart skipped a beat. “What? Brian’s coming over?” But now wasn’t the time to confront him. She had a bigger plan! She rushed over, blocking Chad and shoving him toward the closet. “Hide, Brian’s coming up!” “What?” Chad’s face darkened. “How dare she make me hide in the closet?” “Ding dong—” The doorbell made Lydia even more anxious. Without a word, she pushed Chad into the largest closet with all her might. “I promise, you’ll be out soon!” she pleaded, hands clasped. Then, she slammed the door shut. Rushing downstairs, she opened the door and was mortified to see Eddy Mogen standing there. What? Not Brian. Chad’s assistant? “Ms. Bell, Mr. Holland asked me to bring him a new outfit,” Eddy said, handing over the bag. Lydia watched as Chad dressed with effortless grace, her heart racing. “Sorry…” Lydia started awkwardly. She hadn’t meant to lock him in the closet. “I’m not interested in you and Brian,” Chad said coldly, finishing up without even looking at her. But Lydia grabbed his arm. “Can you wait a bit? Brian’s almost here.” “You want to hide me in the closet again?” Chad’s tone was icy. Lydia knew he was on the edge of anger, but she felt bolder now. She stood on tiptoe and kissed Chad again, whispering, “Maybe that’s not such a bad idea?” Then, before Chad could react, she darted out. “See you, Uncle!” she called with a mischievous grin. Chad felt a wave of anger. “How many times is she gonna mess with me?” he thought. “She’s got some nerve!”

It was pouring down heavily, causing low visibility on the road. The car was stuck in traffic just two kilometers away. Brian was in a foul mood. When he saw Lydia wearing a turtleneck sweater with her chin tucked in, he couldn’t help but frown. “Are you going in that?” It was only autumn, and it wasn’t the season for high-collar sweaters yet. Although Lydia looked stunning in the sweater, she still looked a bit odd. Thinking about the hickey on her neck left by Chad, Lydia’s lips curled up. “Well, it’s raining. This is for not catching a cold.” “Overly cautious. Make no sense.” Brian’s impatience grew even more. Lydia stroked her collar with her fair fingertips. “Brian, you haven’t been to the company for half a month, have you?” Brian hated she talked to him that way, as if she was superior to everything. “Wherever I go has nothing to do with you.” Brian honked the horn impatiently, feeling that sitting in the same confined space with Lydia was a torment. Then his phone rang. From the corner of her eyes, Lydia noticed that the caller was Eva, her best friend. In contrast to his impatience with Lydia earlier, Brian’s expression suddenly softened. “Eva, are you awake? It’s pouring outside. Don’t go out. Do you have a fever? Is it serious?” His tone shifted from cheerful to concerned, and then to panicked. Lydia didn’t ask any more questions. She absentmindedly played with the hair. Brian cursed twice, hung up the phone, and angrily pounded the steering wheel a few times. Lydia found his behavior funny. She wasn’t upset about his excessive concern for another woman, but rather curious about how he would react if he went upstairs then and discovered the absurd situation between her and his uncle Chad. But Brian was never interested in her, let alone visited her apartment. Thinking of his reaction in the future, Lydia laughed silently. Brian had already pulled out the car keys angrily. Without even holding up his umbrella, he ran directly into the rain. “Not going to the Holland Manor?” Lydia opened the car window and shouted when his figure was about to disappear. “Eva is sick. I’ll go and see her first. She is your friend, after all.” Brian’s voice faded away in the rain. Lydia closed the car window. Her eyes were filled with sarcasm. “Then you must take good care of my friend,” she murmured. Then Lydia sighed. She knew this man was unreliable. Lydia looked at the torrential rain outside, turned her head, and found that Brian had taken away the car keys. She frowned. The car in front had been cleared, but the car she was sitting in was parked in the middle of the road. She soon attracted a lot of scolding. Lydia wanted to find an umbrella to get out of the car but found several used condoms from the seat gap. She felt nauseated. Lydia opened the storage box and saw a limited edition lipstick. It was a gift she had given Eva the last time. There were only 30 pieces in the world. It couldn’t be a coincidence. She knew Eva left it here deliberately. Lydia sneered and closed the storage box again, pretending not to see this blatant provocation. She couldn’t find an umbrella, so she had to get out of the car and stand in the rain. The rain was too heavy. Lydia was soaked instantly. She watched the traffic police ordering people to tow the car away. Poor Lydia stood in the torrential rain with people coming and going, with nowhere to hide. She wiped the rain off her face. She was just about to go to the roadside and saw a black Bentley slowly stop before her. Bentley’s license plate was a series of conspicuous 1, with a small flag next to it. This flag represented that this car could enter and exit any place unimpeded, even if it was a military exclusion zone. Lydia was inwardly amazed, but she recognized the car as Chad’s. She smiled, opened the car door, and got into the back seat. “Chad, what a coincidence.”

Chad was also sitting in the backseat. He gave her a quick glance before looking away, then casually fiddled with the bead bracelet on his wrist. “My nephew Brian doesn’t want you anymore?” What a Lord on Earth! Bah! He was a devil on earth. He knew how to hurt people badly. “Chad, I served you well in bed last night, didn’t I? Why are you so mean to me when you get out of bed?” She smiled cutely. She could seduce people with just a glance. There was no embarrassment or annoyance of being left behind by Brian in her tone. Eddy Mogen, sitting in the driver’s seat, closed the car partition between the front and back seats, not daring to eavesdrop on the conversation happening behind him. “Served me good?” Chad repeated her words. “You were like a corpse. You only screamed but did not move. You call it a good service?” Lydia clenched her teeth and forced a smile. “A corpse? So you worked so ‘hard’ to thrust into me, a lifeless body, last night, why? I guess you’ve never been with a woman before, have you?” Lydia rebutted him with a sharp tone, but her demeanor betrayed a hint of vulnerability. She leaned over to get out of the car but was pulled back forcefully by a hand. Chad grabbed her wrist. He imprisoned her and said to the front, “Go back to Villa 1.” Villa 1 was where Chad lived. It seemed that he was not planning to go to the banquet, although he was the protagonist of that. Lydia was stunned but didn’t refuse. She was in such a mess anyway. She would be disliked if she went to the banquet. So she nestled into his embrace, like a lazy cat. Chad looked down at her. His gaze was inscrutable, concealing his emotions. “Not leaving now?” he asked. “Are you kidding, Uncle Chad? How can a corpse walk?” On the way to Villa 1, the both of them kept silent. Lydia knew that Chad’s choice to ditch the banquet was not out of pity or affection. Chad stood at the top of the food chain. At the age of seventeen, he made a name for himself on Wall Street by single-handedly facilitating the largest corporate merger and acquisition case of the year. The shocking commercial feast that affected most of the world was planned by him alone. His fame was based on the dead bones of his competitors. Such a man had no heart at all. Lydia felt a chill creep up her spine and couldn’t help but sneeze. A clean blanket was thrown over her body. She looked up and found that Chad was still working on a document. He didn’t even glance up nor did his hands twitch from their place on his lap. But Lydia knew it was from him. “Thank you.” After taking it, Lydia wiped her dripping hair. The gate of Villa 1 was just ahead. As the car crept up, the two iron gates were slowly opened. Even after seeing the big scenes, Lydia was still amazed by the landscaping inside. The car finally stopped at the entrance of the villa. From the front seat, the driver, Eddy, got out of the car and opened the door respectfully. Lydia was blown by the cold wind outside, making the hair on skin stand. She struggled to keep up with Chad, trying to keep the proud look on her face. “Chad, am I the first woman to come here?” Chad stopped walking. Lydia bumped into him. There was a teasing look in his eyes. He pointed to the maid who was pruning branches not far away and said, “Nice try.” “Then I must be the first woman to successfully get you in bed.” Lydia felt a painful tug on her chin and she was forced to look up. When meeting Chad’s eyes, Lydia felt her heart rate pick up for no reason. Even though she started this game, it was easy to forget that there were only so many buttons she could push. Especially when it came to Chad. “Yes.” Lydia didn’t know what to say. She was absolutely speechless at Chad’s answer. When she came back to her senses, Chad was already walking away. Lydia took a deep breath and bit her lip. Gathering the courage, she then called out shamelessly, “Chad! Wait!”

“What.” “You know what’ll happen to me if people find out. Please…will you protect me?” Lydia tried, in a last ditch request. They had already entered the hall of the villa. Chad pulled out the tie around his neck with one hand. “It depends…will you make it worth my time? Will you be worth the investment?” Lydia had never heard of someone referring to a long-term relationship like it was all business. But this was Chad Holland. Business was the only language he spoke. When Lydia thought of Brian, the tiny bit of regret disappeared immediately. Brian said she was boring. His mother said she was too much of a prude. And the Bell family thought she was nothing more than an obedient daughter. But they were all wrong. Lydia would be their worst nightmare. “Don’t worry, Chad. I will serve you well. I’ll be so good, you’ll never want for anyone else. Just me.” Chad raised his eyebrows. His eyes were full of indifference. Still, he unbuttoned the buttons on his shirt one by one before pulling her close. Lydia could feel the hard lines of his muscle pressed against her skin. “As long as you’re here, you’ll belong to me. And I won’t let anything touch what’s mine.” “And here I thought you didn’t like me because I’m just dead meat in bed.” She didn’t let go of his words earlier. Chad didn’t turn on the light in his master bedroom. He directly pressed Lydia against the door. “It’s a good thing that’s exactly how I like it.” Lydia was really glad that she had smooth skin and a beautiful appearance. Because Chad didn’t even give her time to prepare. Before she could even think, his lips were already on hers. Lydia knew too well that Chad was extremely crazy. His madness could destroy everything she was if she wasn’t careful. If Lydia was in love with Brian, she could still get out of it. But as Chad led her closer and closer to the bed behind him…the idea of trading one Holland for another didn’t seem all that bad anymore. *** Lydia stayed in Villa 1 for one night. The next morning, she returned to the apartment to tidy up and went to the Holland family’s company. There were countless missed calls on the phone. Some were from her own family, the Bell’s. And some were from Kim Holland, Brian’s mother. The family banquet last night, because of Chad’s absence, was canceled as a result. However, as a prospective daughter-in-law, it was impolite for Lydia not to show up. Lydia took the initiative to make a phone call. Before she could speak, Kim’s question came from the phone. “Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on Brian? Someone from the company reported this morning that he hasn’t been showing up to work for half a month. Lydia, what are you doing?” Lydia had already arrived at the entrance of the company, looking up at the towering Holland Group Building. “He doesn’t answer my phone calls either.” “Then you go to look for him! Lydia, I thought you were supposed to be smart. I put you in Holland Group because I wanted you to help Brian run the company. But now that Chad is back, the company will be in turmoil over Brian’s absence. You majored in finance at Harris University. You should know what this means.” Chad had rarely been in charge of the Holland Group before. For the most part, he had been conducting remote control over their assets abroad with significant success. As a result, the company’s benefits had risen steadily, and the stock price had doubled even more. In Brian’s case, he rarely had to do anything thanks to Chad’s work. But now that he was back, those moths who idled around in the company should naturally panic. In this case, Brian and his mom. “If you can’t help Brian, then we might as well call off your wedding.” Kim’s voice was cold. She always looked down on Lydia. Lydia knew that if she didn’t take action, Kim would call the Bell family next. Then Lydia’s parents would call and scold her for being so ignorant and unable to please others. Once upon a time, Lydia would have done anything to appease them. Unfortunately for them, she didn’t want to continue being a marionette anymore. After hanging up, she sent Kim the address of a suburban villa, followed by a message saying that this was Brian’s last known location. It was the same address where Brian’s mistress lived.

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As an orphan, I never thought my true identity was so special. I thought I was a humble omega, every werewolf in the pack said so, until I came to my eighteenth birthday. Everything changed from the night I shifted. That night, I owned the gorgeous white wolf and suffered the betrayal of my mate. As I was drowning in busy chores, a wonderful scent helped me quickly recognize my second mate, the noble Lycan Prince. It says that the Lycan Prince is brutal, bloodthirsty, and ruthless, and I want nothing more than to stay away from him. However, when I was about to be killed by him, an incredible miracle happened… ‘You are his destined mate,’ the Moon Goddess whispered softly.