Chapter 2

"I swear to God, Freya, I will be your sword and shield. I won't let anyone draw even a single drop of your blood ever again!" he had proclaimed, even when his injuries were far worse than mine.

Frank Leclerc kept that promise. Within five years, he had risen to the top and become the Godfather. From that day on, I never bled again until today.

He blew gently over my wound as though it would somehow heal faster. "Try to be a little more big-hearted, okay? I don't know if you've noticed, but the way Vivi panics looks exactly like you did back then..."

I smacked him across the cheek, sending droplets of blood flying. The lingering scent of antiseptic clung to the fresh mark on his face. His head snapped to the side from the force, and for a moment, he seemed too stunned to react.

Then his eyes narrowed and turned cold. He left me with a warning. "Think about this long and hard, Freya. At the end of the day, I'm marrying nobody but you."

I took a few moments to compose myself before snapping a picture of the design I wanted to show my fiancé. He replied immediately.

[Congratulations! You've chosen a design by yours truly! You've won... a very special reward!]

I snickered. Al was in another country on business. I doubted he could return home so soon, so the reward was probably just a joke.

…

I was wrong.

The following morning, I found his butler waiting at my doorstep with an invitation to a banquet hosted by my favorite artist. I was overjoyed.

I arrived at the event only to run into Virginia Vance, dressed head to toe in designer fashion. Now that she had successfully secured Frank's favor, she was no longer the same college student who worked weekends at a boba shop.

I had no intention of acknowledging her, but she clearly had a score to settle. She strode over with malice flashing in her eyes.

"Do you really think Frank actually loves you? No! He simply has no choice because you're the only woman he isn't allergic to! You're useful. That's all.

"But me? He says he'd gladly risk his life to be with me! He told me that even dying from having sex with me would be heaven!"

She tugged one side of her scarf aside, exposing her fair, supple shoulder.

Dark hickeys stood out against her skin like a grotesque display of Frank's twisted affection.

I turned away and ignored her.

She grew irritated, circled around me, and blocked my path again. As she traced the curve of her objectively flat belly, she sneered, "The only person to blame for falling out of his favor is your infertility."

I took a glass of red wine from a passing waiter and splashed it across her.

"This is what people do to dogs that won't stop barking," I said with a sneer. "Frank should really train you better!"

Virginia shrieked and immediately burst into loud, tearful hysterics.

As the surrounding guests turned to watch, I ignored her, walked over to the artist to apologize for the disturbance, and then left the banquet hall.

I had just accepted my car keys from the doorman when Frank appeared out of nowhere and snatched them from my hand.

He looked as though he was barely containing his fury as he growled, "How could you target her belly?! You almost caused a miscarriage!"

"I didn't do anything like that," I replied flatly.

My truthful denial only enraged him further.

"Stop being so self-centered! Just because you're incapable of becoming a mother doesn't mean I have to give up my right to be a father!"

I froze.

I stared at him in utter disbelief. Never, even in my wildest imagination, had I thought he could say something so unbelievably brain-dead.

There was a reason I was infertile, and that reason was him.

At the time, Frank had been fighting one final war for dominance. He hid himself and his men from his nemesis before the decisive battle, but he forgot to hide me with them.

His enemy found me instead.

They took all of their hatred and rage out on me. I endured three days of relentless torture before I was finally rescued. I survived, but the ordeal left me unable to bear a child.

I slapped him again, so hard that the impact numbed my hand. A fresh handprint bloomed across Frank's cheek.

Only then did he seem to realize what he had said. His eyes reddened and filled with tears. He pulled me into a crushing embrace and buried his face against my neck. I felt warmth and dampness spread across my skin.

"She looks like you, Freya. Her baby has to look like yours too," he murmured, his voice trembling. "After we get married, you'll raise the baby. You'll finally get to be a mother."

My stomach churned. Acid and disgust rose into my throat, threatening to spill out.