Chapter 6

Harvey’s POV

She must have been in the police to cover up her crime lord boyfriend from being hunted down. Most of these mafias targeted female cops as potential saviors. They work hand in hand to ensure their safety. Whenever investigations are made and plans on how to hunt them down are made, their girlfriends get to disclose them forehand, facilitating their escape. 

For years, Alisa had been playing both sides. Friend and colleague to me in the force. Lover to me when my marriage fell apart. But loyal only to Matteo.

They had used me.

This hit harder than any betrayal. 

I sank to the floor feeling despair. I was getting the results of my cheating on Nada. If I’d remained only as her best friend, perhaps I wouldn't get into this mess.

I sat in horror watching as he revealed to me what my sperm were used for, feigning surprise in between that Alisa didn’t tell me but I knew it was all an act. 

The medical tests I’d taken at the hospital before donating the sperm—

They weren’t for the standard health checks but to check out if I was linked to any outstanding, eligible lineage. They had all the details of the kinds of lineages they wanted. 

“Your sperm wasn’t injected into my girlfriend, the doctor had tricked you.” He laughed out loud. “I love it when I get to outsmart seemingly wise cops like you. It’s surprising how you didn’t notice the liquid injected into her was lighter than sperm.”

I gasped, taking my hands to my head. 

He kept on going. “It was transferred out for further research.”

“So far we have come out with a wonderful result and I guess you’re one of the best candidates. You’ll have no choice but to accept our offer, lest we will track you down and finish with you.” 

“I forgot to mention, you will get a billion dollars in eight years time.” 

Terror spiraled through my veins, there’s no way I would get such an amount of money without stiff conditions being applied which he might not even tell me here. His face was dead serious as he handed over the results to me. His men stood around in black, high with drugs, guns in their hands, ready to take down anyone in order. 

But what about the club? I looked around, having in mind to report to the cops once I get out of here to siege it but his burst into laughter redirected my eyes quickly to him. 

“I can tell what’s in your mind. You’re thinking of reporting this club to your police friends? We just rented it to ourselves today. Even if you come here after today, you won’t see us.” 

Did they know I was coming? 

The whole matter was getting me confused. 

“We get to rent different places, but don’t think what if you didn’t come out today.” He leaned towards me, hissing. “We wouldn’t lack ways to catch up with when the time would have arrived to take you but I’m glad you came to us.” He scoffed, laughing with Alisa. 

Her eyes blistered with betrayal. A proud one. She didn’t even feel a sense of remorse even for a second. She would do anything for her boyfriend, even betraying her best friend of many years.

Matteo and Alisa ran a black-market fertility business. The kind that didn’t care about legality or morality. The kind that catered to the wealthy who were desperate to be parents but didn’t want babies from random lineage. Their clients paid millions for perfect heirs — children with specific bloodlines, specific traits.

I learned that night. 

Matteo likewise had a problem.

“I’m completely impotent. No matter how much money I have, no matter how much power, I can’t produce an heir. But you can be of great help.” He said. 

My DNA was a jackpot.

Somewhere in my family history, my bloodline traced back to a seventeenth-century European aristocratic house who were close family friends to the King of England. I never knew until now. To them here, this meant market value.

“Clients can kill to have your sperm and the price would rise three times.” He went further.   

They had tested my sperm months ago. Quietly. Without me knowing. I wasn’t just a target. I was their product. Alisa had used falling in love with me and a future marriage wish to lure me into this. With my naivety, I fell. Now, I’m only regretting wishing to turn back the tides of time, I would only steady with Nada. 

Matteo laid it out like a business deal. He wanted me to keep donating. Regularly. They’d pay me, sure, but it wasn’t about the money. It was about control. I would be under them — owned, in every possible way. The term is eight years. I will have to live in an underground mansion. To the world and to the cops, I’ve gone missing. My phone would be seized and I won’t get to talk to anyone. The slightest sign of rebellion, I’ll be severely tortured. 

“But—“ 

“Within now and when you will be taken to be with us,” he stressed. “If you contact the police against us or try in any way to escape, consider your life gone already. You can’t hide from us and no one can help you except an influential family like your ex-wife’s.” His chuckle haunted me.

“Glad you’ve cut off from your source of power and protection.”

“You must have wondered, why not before?” He said, smoking. “We were just waiting for the right time and Alisa here was the bait used to pull you off from Nada and her family.”

Whaaaatttt? 

Oh God! 

“So Alisa, you were never truly a best friend all those while?” I couldn’t help but speak out again, from a place of pain and deep hurt. She smiled, then smirked. 

She said nothing. Her silence even meant more than words. 

They released me that same night, claiming they wanted to enjoy themselves and I went home that night shaking. My mind was split in two. One side replayed Matteo’s threats. The other went to Nada. Seeking for her forgiveness and protection. 

It had been seven months since I’d seen her face to face. Seven months since she’d looked at me with love instead of betrayal. I had burned that bridge myself. I had humiliated her in the worst way possible — with my best friend whom I thought would make a better wife.

Now, I heard she’s even more wealthy and healthier than I’d left her. There’s no one in the whole of the US who doesn’t know about Nada Clarkson. She’s now following in the footsteps of her family to build and buy countless estates, hotels and fashion brands, all in her name.

I even heard online she has gone back to school, furthering her law education, on her way to becoming a judge. 

I felt she’s the best person to protect me. Her family has several mafia families under their control. Matteo knew what he was saying but I hadn’t planned to appear before her again, especially to seek help. 

Shame would eat me whole. The worst would be me feeling this but not getting the help I want in the end. 

As days went by and it was approaching the day for Matteo to come take me, I had no choice but to approach Nada. I couldn’t go there alone, she had become so greater than getting to see her as easily as before. Well, I knew she stooped that low for me. 

I had to reach her through a mutual contact — a cop she had known while I was with her. A good family friend. Rhys sent her a message. Waiting for her feedback was the hardest moment in my life, it was like waiting for a sentence between life or death, my worst fear, outright rejection. 

But finally it came and she asked Rhys to forward it to me. 

She began with a smiley emoji. 

I should know what it means. Revenge is lurking. 

She began—

“I’m willing to help but with difficult conditions. 

If I take you in and shield you, if I’m going to protect you from Matteo, you will not be my equal. You can never be my husband or partner again. 

You will be my submissive. You know I’m craving for a BDSM male sub. I think you will be the best choice. 

You will be like my domestic servant. A property in and out of my bedroom.”

The message was clear.

“You want freedom from them? You give yourself to me.”

She didn’t even state for how long. What if it’s forever? 

My pulse ratcheted up several notches in the space of a millisecond. Why? My fear of the unknown. It could even be worse than Matteo’s verdict, this, on itself, wasn't something to wish for. Imagining living underground and being used for good eight years. 

Even with the pay? At the same time I wanted to think, what if I don’t survive up to that eight years? 

I sat on the couch in the living room with my head down. The clock ticked. The city noise hummed through the window but to me, it seemed I was in another world. My phone buzzed — another message from Alisa.

“Matteo wants to see you tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

The specified time of being picked was approaching, 

My phone buzzed again, a few minutes later. This time, it wasn’t Alisa. It was an archived number. I opened the message.

One line.

“Decision time. Them or I.” It was from Nada. 

My heart pounded. I didn’t know if it was from fear or shame. Tomorrow, I will have to choose.

Be a milking pawn for the mafia.

Or be a collared submissive for my ex-wife.

Either way, my life was no longer mine.