Chapter 1

The seven men before me dropped to one knee in perfect unison.

"Ms. Nadia Sterling, marry me!"

Their voices echoed in my head, and I instinctively tried to run. However, the moment I turned around, I locked eyes with Grandpa.

Grandpa flashed me a warm smile. "Nadia, which one do you like? I've already trained them all for you.

I lost my parents when I was young, and Grandpa raised me all by himself. All these years, he only had one wish: to see our family grow and thrive.

My high-fertility genes made me the perfect candidate to make that happen. So, Grandpa brought in seven jacked jocks to get close to me.

Athletes had the best stamina, especially when it came to that sort of thing, and these seven were handpicked from the best of the best. Every single one was a total animal, perfect for breeding. In my past life, I thought the same thing.

Back then, I chose my favorite among them: Kyle Grant, the oldest. However, after the wedding, he showed his true colors.

The seven of them were after my inheritance, and they worked together to push my loving Grandpa down the stairs. Blood pooled everywhere as the man who raised me was murdered right before my eyes.

After Grandpa died, they became even more brutal toward me. They hated me for bullying Felicia Tucker, the maid's daughter. So, instead of laying a finger on their precious Felicia, they chained me to the bed and violated me over and over.

Felicia even ground her stiletto heel into my pregnant belly. "You're supposed to be so fertile, right? Let's see how many little children you can give birth to in one go."

The memory made my stomach churn, and I threw up right there on the spot.

Grandpa rushed to my side immediately. "Nadia, are you feeling sick? Should I call the doctor?"

I waved him off. "I'm fine, Grandpa. I just need to rest for a bit."

"Alright." Grandpa turned to the seven brothers. "We're pausing the selection. Let Nadia rest first."

Grandpa walked me back to my bedroom. "Nadia, are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?"

Seeing how much he cared about me and remembering how he died in my past life, I could not suppress my rage. This time, I was going to protect Grandpa no matter what.

"Grandpa, I want to marry Sebastian Irving instead," I said, meeting his eyes as I voiced my decision.

"What did you just say? You can't marry Sebastian! Everyone knows he's impotent! Plus, he's practically on his deathbed!" Grandpa immediately protested.

Sebastian was our family's biggest business rival. He was powerful, wealthy, and utterly mysterious. His only flaws were his impotence and his terminal illness, which was why Grandpa completely rejected the idea.

"Grandpa, I don't mind." I kept my voice steady.

"Well, I do! We're not hurting for money, so there's no need to sacrifice your entire life on some marriage alliance. All I want is for you to be happy and give me a few grandkids."

"Grandpa, instead of marrying some guy who's only good in bed, wouldn't it be better to marry someone with real status and wealth? Once Sebastian dies, I'll inherit everything he has. Our family's power and reputation will skyrocket, and since I'm so fertile anyway, I can always find a good husband after that and have plenty of kids. What's there to worry about?"

Grandpa's face darkened, and he did not say anything for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. "Nadia, you're all grown up now. Do what you think is right."