Chapter 3

It was a share transfer agreement.

I did not even bother opening it. “Give it up, Carter. I’m not signing anything.”

Carter smiled. “It’s fine. I’ll just tell you what it says.”

The smugness in his voice was impossible to miss.

“In two days, it will be our tenth wedding anniversary. Before we got married, your father made me a promise. If we stayed married for ten years, he would transfer all of his shares to me. In two days, I’ll be the largest shareholder of Freeman Group.”

I lunged forward and snatched the agreement from his hands. Then, I sank to the floor in despair.

So, that was it. That was why he had suddenly changed after treating me so well for years. Not only had he taken a lover, but he had also let me make a fool of myself at the company. The cruelest part was that I had played right into his hands by making a mistake that helped him solidify his authority.

Ben had been right. I really was useless.

Carter finally bared the fangs he had hidden for ten years. “You should just stay home where you belong. I’m going on vacation with Nikki.”

I swept every glass and cup off the table. “Carter, so now you’re not even bothering to hide it, huh?”

Carter grabbed me by the throat. “Looking at your old, ugly face makes me sick. You know what I thought the first time I saw you? I wanted to crush you. Why did you get to grow up rich, happy, and loved while people like me were treated like some loyal pets you could order around just because we were born into the wrong family? Now, I finally get my revenge. Just wait. Soon, I’ll become the chairman of Freeman Group.”

His hand tightened. I struggled for air, gasping and flailing. I began to lose consciousness.

Through the haze, I could still hear Carter whispering in my ear, “The first time I slept with you, I filmed it and posted it online. I even wrote a caption. ‘Turns out an heiress is nothing special after all.’ It got so many likes.” Then, he laughed.

Terror washed over me. I had never imagined that the man beside me was a snake hiding in plain sight.

He was a predator that had spent ten years waiting patiently for the perfect moment to strike.

I thought, ‘Dad, you had poor judgment. You trusted the wrong man.’

A sob escaped my lips as darkness finally swallowed me whole.

I was jolted awake by the sound of my phone ringing.

The call was from my father’s doctor overseas. I answered immediately. The doctor’s voice was tight with urgency. “Is this Ms. Nancy? Your father’s condition has deteriorated significantly. We need to perform emergency treatment right away, but we require your authorization in person. How soon can you get here?”

“I’m leaving now. I’ll have my private jet ready immediately. Three hours. Can you keep him stable until then?”

The doctor said with hesitation, “We will do everything we can, but you need to get here as quickly as possible.”

I was prepared to leave at once. Then, I discovered that Carter had locked all the doors of the house.

Clinging to my last shred of hope, I called him. “Carter, my dad is dying. Please let me out. No matter how much you hate me, everything you have today came from him. For his sake, please let me go save him.”