After a car accident left Vincent Holt, head of the powerful Holt family, disabled, he stunned high society by publicly seeking a wife.

My father immediately submitted my profile.

“Since you’re so determined to break up with Cole, let’s see if you can land someone from the Holt family instead.”

I refused, only to get slapped hard across the face as I tried to grab his phone. “You have no choice in this.”

With nowhere else to turn, I went to ask Cole Brody for help. He was the only one who could change my father’s mind.

However, I overheard their conversation.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Brody. Vincent Holt is just a cripple. Bethany’s too proud to accept him. Just give it some time. She’ll come crawling back to you.”

Cole chuckled. “Lulu wants a baby. I’m just helping her out by sleeping with her a few times. It’s not a big deal, yet Bethany just won’t leave it alone. I knew you got a way to keep her in check.”

My body went cold.

It turned out that I had been standing alone in a ruin of lies all along.

However, when the Holt family really picked me, they panicked.

I held my breath outside the study. My heart ached with every word uttered inside.

The conversation carried on inside.

“Mr. Brody, Lulu has a gentle heart and a trusting nature. Please, take care of her.”

“Don’t worry, sir. If Lulu hadn’t risked her life to save me from that fire five years ago, I wouldn’t be here today. I’ll protect her for the rest of my life.”

Cole Brody paused for a moment before continuing, “However, getting Lulu pregnant was just repayment for her kindness, nothing more. Bethany is threatening to break up with me over it. Who knows what other crazy things she might do out of jealousy?”

My father, Adrien Theroux, appeased him with a smile.

“Please don’t take it to heart, Mr. Brody. She’s just being childish. A few harsh lessons will set her straight.

“Vincent Holt is not only crippled, but he is also infamous for being a violent madman. Even an idiot like Bethany wouldn’t be stupid enough to throw herself at him. Anyone with half a brain knows who to choose.”

Cole sighed and said, “Still, Lulu is carrying my child. I can’t let her suffer.”

“Yes, of course.” Adrien nodded.

My body went numb.

So, in my father’s eyes, I was just a stepping stone for his illegitimate daughter, Lulu.

To Cole, the man I had once loved more than anything in the world, I meant nothing.

My nails dug into my palms, and the taste of bile rose in my throat.

I staggered back and collided with the vase by the entryway.

The sound of shattering porcelain split the air.

The study door swung open. Cole frowned as he saw my tear-filled eyes.

“Are you still upset about the matchmaking arrangement?”

He said with a troubled expression, “I tried talking your father out of it, but he’s made up his mind to marry you to the Holt family.”

When I did not respond, he leaned in closer and said, “There is another way. If you were carrying my child, the Holt family wouldn’t want you.”

His hypocrisy made my stomach turn.

I sneered and said, “How generous of you! But I’ll pass.”

I turned to leave, but his hand suddenly clamped around my wrist.

Cole shoved me up against the wall. His tone was harsh as he spoke.

“Bethany, be grateful that I’m giving you a choice. Don’t you remember how you used to beg me to sleep with you?”

Rage burned through me. I swung my hand at his face, but before the blow could land, my father rushed from behind him and grabbed my wrist.

He flung my arm away. His face was dark with rage. “Have you lost your mind, Bethany?! Mr. Brody is offering you a way out! Show some gratitude!”

Before I could say anything, a honeyed voice sounded from behind.

“Dad, Cole, please don’t be mad. It’s my fault! Bethany only lost her temper because I upset her.”

Lulu Theroux walked over with her round belly. Cole immediately rushed to help her. There was a look of concern on his face.

“Silly girl, how could this be your fault? You’re just too kind for your own good. You shouldn’t be on your feet. Let’s get you to your room.”

Before leaving, he turned around and warned me.

“Bethany, I’m throwing you a lifeline, not giving you a license to lash out. Think it over.”

Once they were gone, my father’s tone finally softened.

His brow furrowed in irritation. “You were the one who insisted that you’d marry no one but Cole. When he finally agreed to marry you, you wanted to break up with him. I arranged the Holt match to secure your future, and you wailed like a banshee. Now, when Cole offers to take you back, you refuse again! What do you actually want?”

His words felt like a knife twisting in my chest.

I never imagined my own father would be so willing to throw me into the fire just to clear the way for his illegitimate daughter.

A bitter laugh escaped me as tears streamed down my face.

Just as my father was about to unleash his anger at my silence, his phone rang and broke the tension.

He answered it with visible irritation. When the caller introduced themselves, all color drained from his face.

“You’re the… the Holt family?”

A calm, authoritative voice said, “Yes. Congratulations, Mr. Theroux. Your daughter, Bethany, has been chosen by Mr. Vincent Holt himself. Someone will be delivering the wedding gifts shortly.”

My father stared ahead in disbelief. His voice trembled as he asked, “T-This isn’t some kind of mistake, is it? You’re sure he picked my daughter?”

The reply was sharp and brisk. “Mr. Theroux, this was a personal decision made by Mr. Vincent himself. There are no mistakes. But if your family intends to treat this engagement as a joke, be prepared to face the consequences.”

At that, cold sweat broke out across my father’s forehead. He forced out a shaky smile.

“No, no, I was just overjoyed by the news! We’re honored! Truly! Our family will cooperate fully with the arrangements!”

The call ended. His phone clattered to the floor.

His face darkened as he pointed at me and shouted, “You stupid girl! If you hadn’t broken up with Cole, we’d never have attracted the attention of the Holt devil himself! That’s the man who threw his own father into prison. If you think marrying into that family means a life of luxury, you’re being delusional!”

As soon as he said that, his hand, with its veins bulging, swung toward me.

I did not flinch. “Dad, what do you think Vincent Holt will do when he finds out someone laid a hand on his fiancee?”

His face flushed a deep red with rage, but the fear of crossing the Holt family made him hesitate. He pulled back his hand.

“Fine! We’ll see what game Vincent is really playing!”

With that, he stormed off and slammed the door behind him.

I stood frozen in place.

Cole’s betrayal, my father’s manipulation, and a marriage I could not see the end of…

The weight of it all crashed over me.

Half an hour later, a chauffeur from the Holt family arrived with a group of servants who carried in eight sandalwood chests.

Each one was filled with exquisite and rare jewels.

“Miss Bethany, these are but the first of Mr. Holt’s wedding gifts.”

His words sent a jolt through me.

I had assumed the engagement would be a quiet, perfunctory affair, but I had not expected that they would make such a grand display.

Not long after, footsteps echoed down the staircase.

Cole descended with Lulu clinging to his arm. They were stunned when they saw the sandalwood chests wide open in the foyer.

They were clearly unaware of what had just taken place.

Lulu deliberately tilted her neck to display fresh hickies as she sniffled against Cole’s chest.

“Oh, I envy you, Bethany! You’re marrying your true love with such splendor. Unlike me… I can’t even provide my child with a legitimate status.”

At her words, Cole shot me a smug glance.

“Bethany, just days ago, you were sobbing about breaking up. And now, you’ve prepared a wedding gift? Couldn’t wait to be my wife after all, huh?”

Then, he turned to Lulu affectionately.

“My family has more than enough of this stuff. Let’s just give it all to Lulu.”

Lulu covered her mouth and feigned surprise.

“Bethany, you’d really give me all of this?”

Before I could speak, Cole chimed in, “Consider it our baby’s welcome present.”

“I couldn’t possibly…”

Before I could respond, she turned to order her bodyguards. “Take these to my villa. Be careful, there shouldn’t be a single scratch.”

The villa had been a gift from Cole just last month, supposedly for the baby.

In moments, the eight sandalwood chests were whisked away.

I had not uttered a single word the entire time.

As she turned to leave, Lulu cast one last taunting glance in my direction. Her hand brushed gently over her round belly.

I leaned against the wall with a sneer as I pondered something.

What price would Vincent Holt, the man they called “the Devil,” exact when he learned his wedding gifts had been stolen?

My father returned home in the evening after failing to glean any information from the Holt family. He paced the living room with his phone clenched tightly in his hand.

He wanted this alliance desperately, yet the stories of Vincent’s ruthlessness slithered through his mind like poison. What if he ended up crossing him?

Then, suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Didn’t the Holt family say they were sending over some wedding gifts? Why aren’t they here yet?”

I shook my head. “No idea.”

A wave of relief washed over his face. “That’s actually a good thing. Maybe they’ve changed their minds. Families like ours were never meant to reach that high. Maybe it was a misunderstanding.”

Muttering to himself, he suddenly turned and fixed his sharp gaze on me.

“In that case, you’ll do as you’re told and marry Cole.”

My face hardened. “Am I even your real daughter? Why are you so determined to marry me off to that cheating trash?”

“If it weren’t for the Brody family supporting us all these years, the company would’ve gone under a long time ago. Cole wanting to marry you is a blessing you don’t deserve. Who do you think you are that you get to be so picky?”

“So, in your eyes, I’m just a bargaining chip to win over the powerful?”

That hit a nerve. He flushed with anger and yelled, “Enough! You know nothing! Why do you think I’m humbling myself in front of the Brody family? I’m doing it for our family!”

“If you really respect the Brody family that much, why haven’t you told Cole that I caught Vincent’s eye?” I scoffed.

My father’s face twisted further in rage. He raised his hand to strike me.

“You ungrateful girl! Do you want to destroy this family?”

The door suddenly swung open. My father’s hand stopped midair.

Lulu walked arm-in-arm with Cole. Her diamond bracelet glinted under the light as she held up her wrist and said in a sweet, chirpy voice, “Daddy, do you like my new jewelry?”

I recognized it immediately. It was picked straight from Vincent’s wedding gifts.

My father’s anger vanished in a flash. “Gorgeous! You look beautiful in anything, honey!”

His face was practically glowing. He was clearly thrilled by Cole’s generosity. Cole’s generosity meant the Theroux family’s coffers would stay full.

I stood at the side with arms crossed and watched in silence. Then, Cole turned to me and held out a plastic beaded bracelet.

“Lulu picked this out for you when we were shopping today. You will wear it at the wedding.”

Lulu added with a hypocritical smile, “I hope you like it, sis! It’s not expensive, but it comes from the heart.”

Things like these did not faze me anymore.

When Lulu wanted something, my father and Cole would bend over backwards to get it for her.

Whatever she did not want always ended up with me.

Once, I would have made a scene and accused them of playing favorites, but not anymore.

I calmly took the bracelet and looked Cole in the eye. “As you wish.”

I let them think I had surrendered.

Even if marrying into the Holt family turned out to be a torment, I would make sure they tasted the flames first.

Seeing my reaction, my father assumed I had finally agreed to marry Cole. He brightened up at once. “See? Isn’t it better when you behave? After you marry Cole, you can help take care of Lulu and the baby. I’ll finally have some peace then.”

Lulu’s eyes welled up with tears. “I won’t upset you again, Bethany! I just hope you will accept me and the baby.”

Cole’s arm tightened protectively around her waist.

“Lulu has been having terrible morning sickness lately. I’m taking her to the villa on the outskirts. It’s quieter there and is far better for her pregnancy.”

Before leaving, he shot me a warning glance.

“No more games. Just focus on getting ready for the wedding.”

I did not respond.

After they left, my father’s face darkened again.

“No matter how nice Cole is to Lulu, he’s only doing it to repay her kindness. So, stop throwing tantrums and acting out. Lulu is carrying his child, and you’re going to marry him like you always wanted. Both of you will have the Brody family’s protection. That’s more than most people could ever hope for. Be grateful!”