Chapter 1

I was lying on a comfortable, enormous bed when I felt a weight pressing against me. The next moment, someone tightened their hold around my waist. 

“Mister, you’ll pay me 150,000 dollars, right?” I felt his heavy breathing and instinctively grabbed his hand as I asked cautiously. 

“You and I are simply fulfilling our own needs. I naturally won’t pay you a penny for it.” His voice was extremely attractive, and it could make you tremble. 

“But I need the money right now. I can’t even wait for another day,” I said anxiously. 

A week ago, my mother met with a car accident. After three consecutive days of treatment, Mom finally got through the critical period. However, she was severely injured. She was due for a craniotomy. Otherwise, she could die at any time. 

As the daughter of the CEO of Morgan Group, I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and lived comfortably. I could quickly come up with a 150,000-dollar check. 

However, my father, Raymond Morgan, had frozen my credit card. As a result, I could not swipe even a single penny from it. 

Not only so, but Raymond had also told me that my mother would only suffer in her current condition. It would be easier on her if she died. He even told the doctor to give up on her treatment. 

How could I watch my mother die without doing anything? 

No matter how hard I pleaded with my father, he refused to save my mother. He even threatened to kick me out of the Morgan family if I brought up my mother’s treatment again. 

My father’s indifference and cold-heartedness had enraged me. At the same time, I was helpless and at my wit’s end. As a result, I ended up like this.

The man did not respond to me, and after some time, I thought I had offended him. 

“I’m sorry… I really need the money. I’ll repay your kindness in the future.” I was, undoubtedly, begging him for help. 

“I’m Calix Smith, and I need a child. I’ll have someone ready the money for you in a while.” He stared at me. “Are you willing to bear a child for me? Once you’re one month pregnant, you must stay here until you deliver the baby. Don’t worry. I’ll give you another sum of money once the baby is born,” he said. 

He spoke as if he was giving me an explanation of what was going to happen. He sounded indifferent and not at all threatening. Yet I could not fit in myself to refute him. He had even revealed his name to me.

Wasn’t he worried that I would bother him in the future? 

“Yes, I’m willing to bear a child for you. Thank you for your generous offer, but I don’t want a single penny as an extra reward.” Those 150,000 dollars could save Mom’s life, and I would do anything for it. 

“Okay.” 

I then calmly let go of his arm and quietly waited for what may come next. 

I smelled fragrant, as if I had put on the perfume of a particular brand. The smell was natural, refreshing, and enticing. 

Then suddenly, he started with a gentle kiss before it gradually became heated. 

After we had sex, he fell asleep. 

I dressed before walking out of the bedroom with my shoes. I trotted back after remembering I had left my coat inside the room. 

Light shone into the room from outside, illuminating the man’s handsome face. I could not hold but stare at him. 

He was extremely handsome. His in-depth features were so exquisite as if God had sculpted them Himself. He was impeccably beautiful. 

I ran downstairs, and a middle-aged man handed me a 150,000-dollar check to me. 

Soon as I received it, I rushed to the hospital. A middle-aged man named Henry had arranged for a caretaker to look after my mother. 

After a month, the gynecologist confirmed that I was pregnant. Therefore, I had to stay in the mansion until I delivered the baby as promised. Thankfully, my mother’s condition had stabilized by then. 

Eight months later…

I received a phone call from my mother, and the line suddenly disconnected halfway through our conversation. 

At that moment, I could care less about my agreement with Calix. I left the mansion alone without Uncle Henry’s knowledge. 

When I arrived at my mother’s ward, I saw no one around. But I noticed the floor was a mess as if there had been a fight before this. 

“Mom…?” I was anxiously looking for her in the hallway when someone suddenly grabbed me and covered my mouth in a corner. 

“Shh…” it was my mother who gestured for me to keep quiet before she slid down the wall helplessly. 

“Mom, what happened to you?” I helped her up and found that her hand was sticky. I looked at my hand, only to see it covered in blood. “W-Why are you bleeding so much?” 

“Avery, listen to me… Listen clearly to every word I’m going to say…” she squeezed my hand as she controlled her breath. 

“You’re not… Raymond’s biological daughter… and I am not Gemma Brown. I am Gracie Montero. Ismael Willows is your biological father, and he’s from France. Leave now… find him… Now!” 

I saw the excruciating pain in my mother’s eyes as blood spilled out of her mouth and her breathing weakened. 

“Mom, what are you talking about? I’m going to call the doctor now. Y-You’ll be fine.” 

“Don’t…” she stopped me. “Leave now… Raymond… is going to kill you….” 

Just then, I heard hasty footsteps from the other side. 

“That old bat has been stabbed in the waist. She can’t have run far. We must find her.”

It was a woman’s voice. And I recognized who owned it. That was from Raymond’s best friend, Mila Johnson. 

“The hospital is not big. She can’t run far. Mom, call dad now and ask him to send us more men.”

And that voice came from my older sister, Fe Morgan.

Mom? Why is she calling Aunt Mila like that?

“She’s right there….”

Mom shoved me away into an electrical room next to us. “No matter what you see or hear, don’t come out,” she said. 

“M-Mom…” I refused to listen to her. But I was so worked up that I suddenly felt my stomach cramp in agony, and I vaguely felt my skirt turn wet. 

The bodyguard dragged my mother to the hallway.

Holding the pain and what my mother had told me, all I could do was simply cry silently while watching and hearing those voices from the small space of the door. 

“Gemma, where do you think you’re going? Are you looking for your fucking daughter? Raymond and I intend to keep you alive. But you regained your memory and remembered your previous life. 

“So, what now? Are you going to save all the Morgan family’s fortune for that fucking bastard? 

“Where’s Avery now?” 

“You’ve been watching over me ever since. I was admitted to the hospital. Shouldn’t you know her whereabouts better than I do?” 

“Still not willing to tell us where she is, huh?” I covered my mouth when I saw how Aunt Mila slapped my mother. 

“We’ll see whether you will remain tight-lipped after we catch her. Now, give me the formula for Honey Fragrance!” 

The Morgan Group’s main line of business was perfume. Honey Fragrance was a type of perfume formula, and my mother was the one who came up with the procedure. 

Now, I was confused about why are they doing this to us. Why are they looking for me? What did I miss? 

“Mom, stop this nonsense with her. It’s been a long time, and she still refuses to tell us where Avery is. The Morgan Group is in our hands now. It doesn’t matter, even if we don’t get the secret formula. Let’s find a place and kill her.” There was a hint of wickedness in Fe’s voice, and she kicked my mother’s injured waist. 

I clenched my fist as I delved into pain by watching them torture my mother. If only I were not pregnant and mom hadn’t told me to hide, I would not hesitate to rush over them and kill them with my bare hands! 

“Avery will appear if she dies. I’ll figure out ways to arrest that bitch, lest she spoils my happiness with Troy.” 

“Ahh…!”

I saw how mom collapsed to the ground in agony. Her entire body spasmed violently. 

I closed my eyes as I leaned into the wall. The pain between me is too much. I lay on the ground and covered my lower body with my coat. I was about to go into labor soon. 

I gritted my teeth and bit my finger, trying hard not to make a single sound. 

I was torn between my mother’s survival and my soon-to-be-born child. I felt so helpless, like I had fallen into the abyss of hell. 

“Let me handle her.” A man’s voice rose. 

“Troy!” 

My eyes widened when I heard that name. I peeked at the door gap and saw Troy standing before my mother and kicking her several times with his leather shows mercilessly. 

“Drake, drag her out and get things done squeaky clean,” Troy instructed the man beside him. 

My entire body shook when such a sight greeted me. My heart bled, and I felt as if I was suffocating. 

Troy James!

He used to confess his love for me and even promised to marry me. 

No wonder he had turned me down when I sought help from him after mom’s met with an accident. He even told me that he lacked the funds. The truth was everything was a conspiracy! 

Mom… I’m sorry…

I watch them drag my mother away. And only I could scream in my heart. 

One moment, I held my breath and gave my all to deliver the baby. 

I swore to kill Fe and her group. I would not spare them even if I became a ghost!