Chapter 1

Robin's face went pale as he spread his arms and blocked the container door. "You can't, Madam! Mr. Gibson hasn't signed off on the inspection yet! This doesn't follow procedure."

I looked coldly at the sweat forming on his forehead. "I'm the chairwoman of the Greendale Group. My family's cargo doesn't need approval from a man who married into the family."

I gave the bodyguards behind me a look, and two muscular men stepped forward and dragged Robin away.

Robin kicked wildly and tried to shout, but one of the bodyguards punched him in the stomach, cutting him off immediately.

The engineering team clearly took orders only from me.

They stepped forward and lowered their face shields.

Bzz…!

The piercing crackle of electricity began to ring. Sparks from the welding torch flew across the seam of the container door, lighting the dark port red.

Almost at the same time, violent pounding came from inside the container.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was the sound of bodies ramming at the thick metal walls. Clearly, the shameless pair who were having fun inside had heard the commotion and panicked.

Unfortunately, this special freezer container was designed for ocean transport with excellent soundproofing. The little noise that escaped could barely be heard under the screeching sound from the welding.

The bullet comments flooded my vision.

[The two inside are already shaking. They're pressed even closer together down there. They really don't like being separated!]

[The female lead is hugging Hayden and screaming that it's cold. Of course it's cold. How could it not be when her naked buttocks are pressed against metal?]

[Hayden left his suit in the car. He must be regretting it so badly now!]

I looked at the words and could almost picture the scene inside.

Then, I calmly took out my phone and called my mother-in-law. "Mom, the surprise present Hayden prepared for you is at the port. Bring the media and come quickly."

My mother-in-law's sharp, nasty voice came through the phone. "A surprise? What are you up to now? Are you trying to upset me again, Ivy?"

She snorted, her tone turning even harsher.

"Hayden is just as useless. He spends all day revolving around you, and he has no spine. You're nothing like Olivia. She's so thoughtful. She even knitted me a scarf by hand just a few days ago."

At the sound of Olivia's name, my fingers tightened around the phone.

Olivia Hall.

That poor college student I had sponsored for four years. The young woman who called me by name every time she opened her mouth.

When I first met her, the school uniform she was wearing had almost turned white, and one of her shoes had a hole in it.

Her eyes had been timid. "Ivy, I want to study. I want to leave the countryside."

Those eyes had moved me.

I paid all her tuition and living expenses, bought her new clothes, and showed her the world.

After she graduated, I even made an exception and let her join Greendale Group.

I thought I was taking care of a flower growing toward the sun. I was not expecting to nurture a viper that bit the hand that fed it.

How had she repaid me?

By putting on my pajamas and crawling into my husband's bed while I worked overtime late into the night?

By acting sweet and obedient in front of my mother-in-law while badmouthing me behind my back?

"You're right, of course," I forced down the nausea in my throat and kept my voice as steady as possible. "Olivia really is quite nice. That's why Hayden invited Olivia here, too. He said this gift was something they prepared for you together. It will only mean something if you unveil it yourself."

As soon as she heard Olivia was there too, Karen's attitude changed at once. "Fine. Since Hayden wants to show he loves me, I suppose I'll go over. Tell Hayden to wait, and don't let Olivia get tired."

After hanging up, I looked at the container door, now welded tightly shut.

Tired?

They certainly were.

After all, exercising in a place dozens of degrees below zero took stamina.

As I waited, I turned to the operator at the control panel. "Start the pre-cooling system. The journey to Southfrost Reach will take a while. Lower the internal temperature to minus four Fahrenheit for now. Enter preservation mode."