Chapter 1

I was hiding in the car trunk of my boyfriend, Chase McGregor, while grabbing my pregnancy report in one hand. In the other hand, I held a limited-edition watch I had specifically prepared for him. I wanted to surprise him with my pregnancy.

"Chase, you wouldn't actually marry Daphne, would you?

"What can she offer you? Love? Loyalty? These are worth nothing in our world.

"Lucille Gervais wants to marry you. Her family is in charge of the entire North Sea. Once you marry her, you'll gain control of all the shipping routes, cargo operations, and drug trade on the North Sea.

"Yeah, Chase, stop being a fool. Daphne is nothing—she doesn't deserve to become your wife."

My breath hitched as my nails sank deep into my palms. I anticipated Chase's retort, even if there was a slight hesitation to it.

However, his voice was cold as he replied, "Arrange a meeting for me with Lucille. I'll break up with Daphne."

The pregnancy report slipped from my fingers, disappearing into the darkness of the trunk.

I thought Chase would be the father of my future child. We would build a family together and live happily ever after.

But in that instant, my dreams were shattered.

I had no idea how I returned home. Dead silence enveloped the house, and Chase's words kept lingering in my mind.

I met him when I was 18.

That year, I got stranded on an alpine mountain while traveling alone. I was on the brink of death. As a snowstorm raged around me, I felt the cold seeping into my body, draining me of consciousness.

It was as if my blood had frozen. Everything before me blurred into a vast, white void. I had no idea how long I could hold on—in fact, I was mentally prepared to be buried beneath the snow.

But just as I was about to close my eyes, Chase appeared.

Clad in a dark leather jacket, he had an unlit cigarette wedged between his lips. His gaze was as cold as the frozen plain.

He shouldn't have saved me. He and his subordinates were being hunted down by their enemies and were penniless. They were even running out of bullets.

Nonetheless, he knelt down and scooped me up into his arms.

"She's about to die," someone reminded him.

Chase glanced down at me and snorted. "It's not like we're going to live any longer. It doesn't matter if we take her with us."

He still saved me and draped the only jacket he had over my shoulders. He brought me back.

Fearing that I might shatter his ego, I pretended to be as poor as him.

I followed him into the criminal gray zone where gang activities were most frequent. It was a place without order, and violence and guns were the only laws of survival.

It was in this brutal environment that Chase made his comeback.

He earned his first fortune dealing in arms. I stayed by his side, tending to his daily needs and wounds. None of it ever felt like a burden to me.

I had believed that after going through so many ups and downs together, we were meant to be with each other forever.

Even when my father—the most powerful mafia boss in the South—summoned me to return and take over his position, I immediately refused.

I was certain my place was with Chase.

But I was horribly wrong. In the end, all I got for giving up everything was Chase's betrayal.

Stroking my belly, I felt tears blurring my vision. My heart ached as if an invisible hand had seized it, the pain so overwhelming that I could barely breathe.

Just then, I saw Chase return, with Lucille trailing behind him.

Through the doorway, I watched as they clung to each other, locking their lips in a deep, passionate kiss for three whole minutes.

While they were lost in each other, my world shattered completely.

"My princess," Chase murmured, his hoarse tone dripping with affection. "I have to control myself. I'll make you mine after our wedding."

Lucille giggled, her fingers tracing his Adam's apple in a teasing caress.

"Then you'd better hold back," she said, her voice sweet and coy. "I won't let you get any sleep on our wedding night."