Chapter 1

At our engagement dinner, my fiancé Liam publicly announced his secret marriage to socialite Chloe.

Dressed in my wedding gown, I became the laughingstock of the evening.

In that moment, my childhood friend Ethan, a renowned surgeon, slipped a ring onto my finger: "Maya, you're mine now."

I nodded in agreement.

Seven months pregnant, I suffered a terrible car accident.

Ethan arrived like a guardian angel, pulling me from the wreckage moments before it exploded, performing emergency care on the spot.

When I opened my eyes again, he was by my hospital bed, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse: "Maya, I'm so sorry, we lost the baby and your uterus..."

I was devastated beyond words.

Ethan held me tight: "Don't be afraid, I'll always be by your side."

But six years later, I accidentally stumbled upon a surveillance video:

"Chloe's infertile by nature. Am I supposed to watch her lose Liam's love? Maya's child is the perfect 'asset'. That accident must look flawless, ensuring the 'asset's' safety."

"As for Maya, her survival is already my act of mercy. Making her infertile ensures she'll be mine forever."

What I thought was my salvation turned out to be a carefully crafted cage.

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1

The studio was dimly lit, Ethan had just left.

The contents of the chip still echoed in my mind.

"Ethan, you're too reckless. That kind of impact, Maya could've easily lost both lives!" An unfamiliar male voice rang out, tinged with lingering fear.

"It won't happen. I personally calculated all the variables. Lily must come to Chloe's side flawlessly."

The voice sighed, "But Maya... she trusts you so much. Couldn't you just tell Chloe to adopt?"

"No way. If it's not my own flesh and blood, I can't trust it. Lily must be my child to give Chloe more clout with that big shot."

"What if Maya finds out?"

Ethan paused for a moment, his tone carrying a hint of amusement: "She won't. And if that day ever comes... I'll make her choose me again, willingly."

The chip's contents ended.

I clamped my hand over my mouth, nails digging into my palm, as a chill seeped through my entire body.

The man I deeply loved had personally orchestrated the plot to take away my daughter and destroy my body.

His proposal was merely to prevent me from falling into despair after losing Liam, unable to bear that "asset" for him.

Years ago, when Ethan placed the charred baby swaddle in front of me, held me as he cried, and said he was sorry.I stared at him, thinking he understood my pain. But all along, he had given my Lily to Chloe, helping her secure her position.

What did all my years of suffering and unhealthy dependence on him mean, then?

"Maya?" Ethan's magnetic voice sounded from behind me. He had returned.

Seeing the shock on my face, he strode forward in a few quick steps. His knee hit the hard edge of the table, but he paid no attention. His burning hands cupped my face, his tone carrying a hint of barely noticeable anxiety: "What's wrong? You look awful. Are you feeling unwell?"

I carefully avoided his touch, keeping my composure: "It's nothing. I just watched a thriller. The ending was too shocking."

Ethan pulled me close again, his nose nuzzling my neck, his breath hot: "Don't watch those things. You only need to look at me, Maya. I'll give you everything you want."

Those words used to intoxicate me.

Now they were nothing but cold irony.

"Your knee is bleeding. I'll go get the first aid kit. There's your favorite red wine in the fridge."

Ethan was a very light sleeper. Red wine was one of his few ways to relax.

"Alright. Maya, I can only truly relax when you're around." His voice was low and husky, filled with seduction.