My dad wrote a will. Whichever of my brother or I has a child first will get his entire inheritance. So, I quietly poked holes in every condom. But what I didn’t expect was that my boyfriend had secretly replaced my vitamins with birth control pills. Yet I still ended up pregnant. It’s just…the baby isn’t his, and he doesn’t know. There’s no love lost between my brother and me. He’s ten years older than I am. Thanks to my dad’s affairs, my mom left right after she had me—took her payout and vanished. Dad passed me off to Mason, and Mason handed me over to the nanny. Even if I was bruised or hurt, he’d just act like he didn’t see a thing. As for Dad? He was hardly ever home. And after I was born, he got more careful about keeping things “fun with no consequences.” I found out later that my brother had once told him if he dared to bring home another child, he’d throw it into the river. And Mason kept his word. The older he got, the more intimidating he became. Even Dad was a little afraid of him sometimes. Recently, Dad found out he has kidney disease. Now, after a lifetime of living as he pleased, he suddenly wants a grandchild. So, he told Mason and me: “Whichever of you two has a child first will get my entire estate.” Mason’s thirty-four now, the city’s youngest, most successful CEO. And my dad? His wealth is worth at least ten times my brother’s. Mason isn’t married, but he has plenty of lovers. I only have one boyfriend.
Mason has the upper hand in this. While he can cast a wide net, I’ve only got one option. The only advantage I have is time. I feigned feeling unwell to drag my boyfriend, Adam, to the hospital, sneaking in a full checkup. Just as I thought, he’s very healthy—and his sperm count is high. He has an exhausting amount of energy. As for me, I’d been sedentary for too long, and my immune system was weak, so they prescribed me some vitamins. I had no plans to tell Adam about wanting a baby. He’d been meticulous about protection. When I casually asked if he was afraid of me getting pregnant, he weighed his answer carefully. “Lena, right now, my career is just getting off the ground. If you had a child now, I wouldn’t be able to take care of you properly.” Then he held me, kissed my forehead, and added, “I want us to be settled, married, and stable before we think about a baby.” Adam had a knack for making everything he said sound sincere. But that also made him inflexible. If he knew my real motive, he’d insist we get married first, which would trap me—if Adam didn’t work out, I’d have no other options. That inheritance would go straight to Mason without a fight. That wasn’t going to happen. No matter the odds, I had to try. Even if he worked his whole life, Adam would never make even half of what Dad’s worth. Our family’s business legacy, grown over generations, had expanded overseas. But Dad was selfish and never offered any help, not even to Mason. He knew my brother didn’t care for me, which made me think this inheritance race was really just a way for him to push Mason. No matter what wild things he might do, he’d better not think about dethroning Dad. “What’s got you so lost in thought?” Adam, fresh from his shower, hair damp and hanging over his forehead, was standing there in nothing but lightweight lounge pants. He laughed softly, cupped my face, and leaned his nose against mine. “Were you thinking about something?” I swallowed. I wasn’t particularly passionate about this, actually. But Adam, no matter how busy, insisted on at least four times a week. So how could I up the frequency without raising any suspicion? I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him down onto the bed, and kissed him with my eyes closed. But when I started tugging at his waistband, he nuzzled my neck and let out a quiet chuckle. “Why so eager tonight?” He looked at me. For some reason, there was no humor in his eyes. But before I could think too much about it, he reached into the drawer and pulled out a condom. He rolled me over, so I was facing away from him. Hearing the wrapper rustle, I exhaled in relief. Every time Adam looked at me with those eyes, I felt like my little schemes were laid bare.
The next morning at work, I ran through Mason’s schedule. When I finished, he looked at me with a wry grin. “You’re working pretty hard for that inheritance.” For some reason, Adam had decided to leave plenty of marks on my neck last night. Even with concealer, they were still faintly visible up close. “So are you, big brother,” I replied. Yesterday, he’d left work early to visit one of his “special friends.” Ours wasn’t some covert battle; it was an open war. But Mason was leagues ahead of me, running a major company, while I was just his assistant because Dad put me here. “Never thought of trying with someone else? You trust your boyfriend that much?” “He’s younger than you. Don’t overwork yourself,” I shot back. Mason just raised an eyebrow, still amused. “Good luck.” As I left his office, he tapped his desk. “Lena, pick up Bianca Ryder at five.” Bianca Ryder—a famous model, my brother’s favorite mistress with a killer body. “Will do, Mr. Tanner.” When I picked up Bianca, she hugged me enthusiastically. The first time we met, she thought I was Mason’s new fling. After sizing me up, she scoffed. “So he’s into the girl-next-door type now?” “Can you really keep him interested?” Just then, Mason walked up, wrapped an arm around her waist, and flashed his affectionate smile. “Stop talking nonsense. This is my sister.” Bianca wasn’t buying it. “Didn’t you say you were an only child?” “Half-sister. My dad brought her home from…elsewhere.” “He was going to dump her in the river, but she cried and clung to my leg, so I let her stay.” Mason wasn’t lying. The day he brought me home, he’d tried to throw me out. I cried until my nose ran, and he finally left me alone. After that, no matter what the nanny did to me, Mason never stepped in. Bianca was his longest-standing lover. He eventually found a sweet, innocent type, just like she’d predicted. They’d fought, but then his behavior got even worse—every trip meant another fling, just like Dad. They broke up, but recently her runway show caused a stir. He’d watched it repeatedly, then courted her until she came back. I figured she must really love him to forgive him for so much. But something felt different this time. On the drive back, she asked calmly, “So where’s Mason?” “He’s in a meeting and asked me to pick you up.” Mason had bought her a villa. Bianca just nodded, quiet until I pulled up. Then she looked at me, a small, steady smile on her face. “He wants a baby with me.” I blinked, gripping the steering wheel. “How do you feel about that?” She touched her stomach. “Do you think a baby would settle him down?” “Bianca, what if he’s saying the same thing to someone else?” I didn’t believe Mason would put all his hopes on just her. She unbuckled, patting my head. “Lena, I want to believe him this one last time.” “He told me this time I’d be the only one.”
I’ll admit it—Mason knows how to play his part. He had me clear out every lover besides Bianca, even sending them off with gifts, houses, and cars. When Bianca asked if Mason planned to marry her, I bit my lip and nodded. She paused, thoughtful. “Maybe he’ll propose if I get pregnant. I can feel his excitement.” I watched her smile, not having the heart to tell her otherwise. The baby part was true, but a marriage? I doubted it. Sure enough, within a week, he brought in two more. One was even younger than me, still fresh and a little innocent. He wasn’t hiding anything from me. I was the one who had to pick them up and drive them to his place. The excuse he gave Bianca was believable—work was busy, expansion projects and all. Sometimes he had me bring them to his office. Mason didn’t worry about me ratting him out. Because, after all, he held Adam over my head. If he wanted, he could destroy him with a snap of his fingers. One of the new girls was Grace Hayes. She was nothing like Bianca, with her shy demeanor and porcelain skin, but Mason was captivated. He piled my workload so high I barely had a moment’s rest, while he spent lunch breaks shut away with her. Hearing their sounds through the wall, my blood boiled. After work, I went straight to Adam’s office. He looked surprised to see me. “What are you doing here?” He’d been avoiding me lately, using work as an excuse. I wondered if I’d been too forward. Seeing Mason flaunt it all so openly just made me feel worse. Tears burned my eyes, and I couldn’t stop them from falling. He wrapped me in his arms. “What’s wrong? Did Mason give you a hard time again?” I buried my face in his chest. “Why haven’t you been home?” His voice softened. “Too busy.” “It’s my fault. I’ll be home every night from now on.” His eyes were full of concern. I kissed him, and he froze, taking my hand. “Lena, this is my office.” Ignoring him, I kissed his throat, hearing him let out a deep sigh. As my hands reached his shirt buttons, I murmured, “Adam, don’t you want me?” “Of course I do,” he whispered hoarsely. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, struggling to hold back. “There’s nothing here.” I ignored him, fumbling around. “I’m on the pill.” Adam’s breathing grew heavier, his kisses deepening. But he still didn’t give in, taking his time instead to care for me. I woke up later in the dark office, moonlight casting shadows. I walked barefoot to the door. Adam was by the window, his torso covered in scratches. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, muscles flexing as he inhaled. Just as I was about to approach, he muttered into his phone, “Hurry it up.” “And be careful. Lena’s health isn’t great. She shouldn’t be taking too many pills.” That night, I took my “vitamins” as usual. Adam watched, hesitant, until he finally spoke. “You’re taking those every day now?” I nodded. “Try spacing it out to every other day. Even vitamins can be harmful.” I shrugged. “They’re just vitamins.” He leaned down, kissing me softly. “Lena, just trust me.” He took the bottle from my hand and placed it on the shelf. Adam carried me to the bathroom, steam filling the mirror as he gently wiped away my tears. “Too much?” he murmured, his touch lightening. “Were you this bold in my office today?” I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say. Lately, I’d been nauseated more and more often. Every time, I hoped for a positive test. Still no sign of pregnancy, but I couldn’t give up. So I took the bottle to the hospital, where the doctor gave me the results: they weren’t vitamins—they were birth control pills. Adam was working for my brother all along.
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