Chapter 1

~FREYA~

“Are you sure about this, Miss Taylor? Leaving everything to Mr. Grant when you’re not even married is…” Attorney Williams hesitated, as if finding the least offensive word to use.

“I know what you’re trying to say,” I cut in gently. “But I’m dying, Will. The doctors don’t think I’ll make it to twenty-four. Since my parents died, Edward has been my strength. He doesn’t pity me. He loves me. How could I not repay him?”

Will rubbed his forehead, clearly stressed. “Freya, you’re talking about a hundred and sixty billion. He’s practically a stranger to your family.”

“If I could give him the world, I would,” I whispered. “And I want to give him a child too. I’ve spoken to doctors about finding a surrogate.”

His eyes widened. “Freya, you need to slow down. You’re making too many rash decisions…”

“I don’t have time, Will,” I snapped. “Seven months. That’s all I have. I just want to make sure Edward and our child, if I’m lucky, are provided for.”

“But he hasn’t even proposed! What if he changes once everything is his?”

“That’s enough,” I said sharply, gripping my wheelchair. “Edward is not a gold-digger, Will. Just prepare the documents.”

After a long sigh, he nodded, seeing he couldn't change my mind even if he tried. “Fine. Come tomorrow to sign the papers.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, then wheeled myself out.

Ever since the accident three years ago, I hadn’t been able to walk. The doctors said it was nerve trauma, temporary paralysis. Something I could recover from… if I fought hard enough. But losing my entire family in that crash took a toll on me.

I tried to take my life several times and if Edward hadn't showed up when he did, I don't know what would have happened to me.

I let out a small smile. Today was our three year anniversary. I was going to give the asset transfer documents as an anniversary gift but since it was clearly going to take a while, I decided to present the car I got him instead.

The Maybach he had always wanted. Just thinking of how excited he would be when I presented this to him made my stomach tingle.

The guards immediately rushed over to me the moment they spotted me. I was helped into the car and the driver turned to me.

“Where to, ma’am?”

“The office. I want to see Edward,” I answered.

The ride felt longer than usual, or maybe it was just my anticipation. I kept imagining the look on Edward’s face, shock, then excitement, then that soft, tender smile he reserved only for me.

I clutched the small velvet box on my lap. Inside was the custom key fob for his Maybach. I couldn’t stop smiling.

When we finally pulled up in front of Grand Holdings, I asked the guards to help me down.

“No need,” I insisted when the driver offered to alert Edward. “It’s a surprise.”

I made my way inside, wheels gliding across the glossy marble floors. People greeted me warmly, Edward was beloved here, respected. They all thought he was a saint for staying with someone “broken” like me.

I reached his office door and raised my hand to knock… then paused.

Laughter. A woman’s laughter.

Soft. Breathless. Intimate.

I frowned, leaning closer. What was so funny that she had to laugh so loudly?

“Edward, stop,” she giggled, though she didn’t sound like she wanted him to.

“I can’t,” Edward murmured, voice low and hungry. “You’re irresistible.”

My heart stopped for a second, goosebumps razoring down my skin.

No. No, no… it couldn’t be. I… I must have heard wrong.

My hand trembled as I slowly pushed the door open.

What I saw knocked the air out of my lungs entirely.

Edward, my Edward, was shirtless, sitting on the edge of his desk.

A woman,.tall, stunning, walking embodiment of everything I wasn’t, was straddling him, her hands tangled in his hair, her dress pushed up to her waist.

They didn’t even notice me at first.

They were too busy kissing like they were starving. This was the same man who insisted we didn't have to get intimate until we got married, that he wanted it to be special.

It was the woman who spotted me first. Her eyes widened in shock and she scrambled off him.

Edward turned, wondering what was wrong. The minute his eyes landed on me, it widened a tad bit in shock before he let out a sigh. There was no guilt, no shame, not even panic.

Just sheer irritation. Like I was interrupting his fun. My chest squeezed so tight that I had to take a moment to catch my breath.

“Freya,” he said flatly. “What are you doing here?”

My entire body shook violently.m, trembling with disbelief. My mind was still in denial. I couldn’t just bring myself to believe it. “E…Edward?”

He sighed in annoyance, buttoning his shirt slowly. “I told you not to come to my office unannounced. Now, look at what you've done.”

My throat burned as tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “You’re… cheating on me?”

The woman snorted, finally gaining some confidence when she realised my presence meant nothing to Edward.

“Cheating? Sweetheart, he’s never been faithful to begin with. How could you not know that?”

I flinched.

Edward didn’t deny it.

Instead, he walked toward me, expression cold, like a businessman analyzing a liability.

“Freya, you should have stayed home,” he said. “This isn’t something you need to concern yourself with.”

“I’m your girlfriend!” I choked out. “Three years, Edward. Three years!”

He slipped his hands into his pockets. “And we could have had more if you'd just freaking stayed in the dark. Do you know how hard it is to flaunt you to the world? To pretend you're all I’ve ever wanted when I can't even stand the sight of you? I'm just trying to pity you, okay?”

The words hit me hard like he stabbed in the heart with a dagger.

“Pity?” My voice cracked. “You… you told me you loved me.”

He shrugged. “And you believed it? Are you dumb? Why would anyone love someone like you? You're not only paralyzed but undesirable and irritatingly clingy. Even if you paid a million dollars, no one would ever sleep with you, talk more of love you!”

Tears blurred my vision. “W-why? Why would you…”

“Because you’re easy,” the woman answered for him, arms folded smugly. “He doesn’t have to try with you. You’re grateful for crumbs. You're so eager to please him that you're ready to give away your entire fortune, if it meant pleasing him.”

Edward didn’t contradict her and the tears I was fighting so hard to hold back slipped out.

He looked down at me like I was something beneath his shoe.

“Speaking of assets…” he added casually, approaching me with a smug smile. He snatched the box containing the Maybach key from my hands. I was too disoriented to fight back. “I bet you've already signed the papers with Williams, haven't you? Like a dumb little bunny, you not only got me the Maybach I wanted but you gave all your family assets to me because you are hopelessly in love with me. I must say, thank you. You made everything rather easy for me.”

My blood ran cold.

He knew.

He knew about the transfer.

I guess everything I thought I was hiding was just going according to his well structured plan. He never really cared about me, just wanted to use me to climb the social ladder and build his business.

My stomach twisted violently. “You planned this.”

Edward didn’t bother denying it.

“Freya… you’re dying,” he said bluntly, leaning over to me. “I’m just preparing for the future. You should be grateful. I saved your life, remember? I deserve it all.”

Something inside me shattered so completely I swear I heard the cracks.

“You were going to take everything,” I whispered. “All of it. And leave me with nothing.”

His silence was confirmation.

That was when I realized Edward hadn’t saved me. He’d harvested me.

“Take her out,” he finally said, waving to security outside the door as if discarding trash. “She’s causing a scene.”

Two guards entered immediately.

I stared at him one last time… at the man I loved more than life… the man who never loved me at all.

And as they began to wheel me away, Edward’s final, careless sentence stabbed deeper than any knife:

“Freya, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. You should just accept your fate.”

My fate.

Death.

Betrayal.

And now, losing everything to the man who wanted me gone. Williams had been right all along. He was nothing but a gold-digger and I couldn't be more grateful that I hadn't signed those papers.

Rather than give away my money to a leech like, I would rather use these seven months to enjoy my little pathetic life to the fullest and give away the rest of the money to charity.

My guards hurried to me as soon as I was kicked out of the building by security.

“Ma'am? Are you okay?”

My fists clenched around the arms of my chair, trembling as my eyes watered. Yet I refused to let the tears fall.

Even if I paid a million dollars, no one would want me huh?

“Take me to the most expensive club in town. Let's see how many men a million dollars can get me.”