ManyWriters

I sold my body to my husband, Cade Sterling.
One hundred thousand dollars. That was his price for a night with me. The only thing keeping our son, Leo, alive.
My stepmother whispered lies in his ear, and he believed them. He forced another woman into our bed while I was forced onto an operating table.
"You're pregnant," the nurse said, her voice a sterile blade. "Mr. Sterling has requested a termination."
Then, I was forced to watch my son Leo, my only reason for living, leap from a cliff to save me from further torment.
He was gone.
My husband had murdered our first child, and now our second. There was nothing left to live for.
In the cold, scarlet water of the bathtub, I finally let go.
But as darkness claimed me, I didn't know the truth was a far more cruel and twisted thing than I could have ever imagined.
And that Cade Sterling, my tormentor, was about to pay a price far greater than money could ever cover.

His Ruinous Price

Cade saw Thane’s hand on Aria’s waist. A subtle, dangerous scowl crossed his face.


Under normal circumstances, Thane would have lost that hand.


But Cade let none of his possessiveness show. Instead, he lifted the corners of his mouth into a scornful smile. “Is Mr. Hann interested in the woman I brought with me tonight?”


Thane stared at Aria’s beautiful face, his eyes full of undisguised lust. “Beautiful. So beautiful.”


“If you’re interested, please, help yourself. Have fun.” Cade sneered at Aria, his voice laced with venom. “All she cares about is money. She’ll be a bitch to anyone who pays.”


Ken was overjoyed. “Rest assured, my beautiful lady, I have more than enough money to pay you. Just please me, and it will all be yours!”


Hurriedly, Thane offered her a full bottle of whisky.


The liquor was already making her sick, but she had to drink it. She gritted her teeth and accepted the bottle. She raised it to her lips and drank, gulping down the burning liquid, almost choking.


Her body swayed. The wrenching pain in her stomach was becoming unbearable. With a sudden rush of nausea, she pushed Ken aside and vomited a mouthful of blood onto the expensive carpet.


In an instant, the pain and the alcohol sent her spiraling into darkness. She collapsed.


A voice, full of a grief she didn’t recognize, called her name. It was the last thing she heard before losing consciousness. It sounded like Cade’s voice, but that was impossible. She dismissed the thought. He wanted her gone. There was no reason for him to sound so anxious.


“Don’t use any anesthetic. Mr. Sterling’s orders. He wants her to suffer.”


Aria opened her eyes to a blinding surgical lamp pointed directly at her. She was on an operating table, her legs spread wide. The pain in her belly was the worst she had ever felt, as if something was being forcefully ripped from inside her.


Two nurses held her down. “What are you doing? Let me go!” Aria shrieked, her voice raw with terror.


“You’re pregnant. Mr. Sterling has requested a termination of the pregnancy.”


The nurse’s voice was robotic, devoid of any emotion. Aria trembled. The claim was so absurd it was implausible. “What are you talking about!? I’m pregnant? And Cade… Cade asked for an abortion?”


“No! You will never hurt my child!”


She struggled against them. Leo was diagnosed with leukemia. A bone marrow transplant was his only chance. His biological father, Cade, could be a match, but he would never agree to it.


This second pregnancy was Leo’s last hope. She would not let anyone take it away.


“Let go! Let me go! How can you be so callous! This is a life!”


Aria was hysterical, fighting with all her might, but she was powerless. She fought on, but it was useless. Helplessly, she watched as the instruments entered her body, as the fetus was crushed and pulled from her womb, piece by piece.


The next few hours were a blur. Aria no longer cared. The nurses’ words echoed in the sterile room.


“Mr. Sterling has requested the termination of your pregnancy.”


“You won’t be able to have another baby in the future.”


She finally broke down, her sobs wracking her empty body. The baby was his own flesh and blood. How could he be so merciless? He had just destroyed Leo’s last chance at survival.


Kendra arrived at her ward, a look of pure contentment on her face. A wave of triumph washed over her as she gently caressed her own stomach.


“Aria, I have some good news for you! I’m pregnant. With Cade’s baby.”


Chapter 6