My husband once said he longed for a world that belonged only to the two of us and coaxed me into getting an IUD.

But just a day after the procedure, my hacker best friend suddenly warned me that my reproductive rights had been listed on a dark web auction site. The bidding would begin in three days.

I was stunned. My world collapsed in a heartbeat. I ran, lost and helpless, straight to Hugo’s studio, only to overhear a conversation that shattered me completely.

“Hugo, how long do you plan to keep up this ‘marrying-into-the-family’ farce? You’re the crown prince of the Velmora elite! If you like Nova so badly, just kidnap her and marry her. Why go through all this to marry that sickly man’s sister and live under the same roof with her?”

Hugo’s reply was as cold as ice. “Nova believes in traditional female virtues. She thinks a woman should only marry once. This is the only way I can be part of her life.”

He paused before continuing with a sneer, “But that bitch Isabella actually went to Nova, asking for a child. Now Nova won’t even let me touch her.”

“If she wants a child that much, then I’ll give her one. I’ve already arranged to auction off her reproductive rights. The starting bid is five dollars. Each new bid increases by one.”

My legs buckled beneath me. I dropped to the floor, and tears streamed silently down my face.

So the love I once thought was sweet had been nothing but a carefully spun web of lies.

The man who shared my bed every night was also the one slowly pushing me toward death.

Since that’s how it is, then I’ll walk away.

I turned around and dialed the number of the man listed on Forbes.

“I’m willing to join your closed-door research project.”

——

“No wonder he’s the crown prince of Velmora; his ways of humiliating others are unmatched! Starting at five dollars, one-dollar increments. If Isabella found out, wouldn’t she die from rage?”

Hugo Simson paused mid-smoke and let out a cold sneer. “Why would she be angry? Wasn’t having a child all she ever wanted? I’m just granting her wish. If the Morrison ancestors were still around, they’d be thanking me.”

“Honestly, the ancestors should be grateful to Hugo for more than just that. Even the child he had with Nova still carries the Morrison name. Without him, their bloodline would’ve ended long ago!”

Hugo’s eyes turned sharp. “Nova doesn’t want Daniel’s parentage exposed. If anyone dares let it slip, don’t blame me for turning hostile.”

The room fell into an icy silence. Someone quickly changed the subject.

“Hugo may be obsessed with Nova, but he’s heartless to Isabella! After all these years, she still doesn’t know the man warming her bed each night isn’t him, does she?”

“Don’t let her innocent face fool you. That body of hers, no wonder the brothers can’t get enough!”

Their laughter rang out, shameless and crude, as they tossed around filthy talk about me like I wasn’t even human.

I felt like I’d plunged into an ice cave.

The chill seeped through my bones, freezing every part of me until even my heart ached.

I met Hugo the year my parents and brother passed away.

With the weight of the Morrison family on my shoulders and my research I couldn’t afford to abandon, I ended up in the hospital time and again from sheer exhaustion.

Then Hugo suddenly appeared, claiming to be an orphan, saying he was willing to marry into my family to help me manage Morrison Corporation.

After we got married, we remained polite in the daylight and burned with passion when night fell.

I always believed we were soulmates, perfectly matched in every way, inside and out.

But in the end, what I mistook for salvation had been nothing more than his ploy to get close to Nova.

Those nights I thought were full of sweetness were actually laced with poison, fed to me, one drop at a time, by the man I trusted most.

Even the so-called world for two he spoke of was nothing but a carefully spun lie.

He and Nova had already had a child long before I ever stepped into the picture.

Between us, from the very beginning, there had only ever been betrayal and harm.

I collapsed to the floor, powerless.

Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes, and the foundation on my collarbone was washed away by them, revealing the bruises beneath.

I staggered into the bathroom, turned the water to full blast, and scrubbed at the marks on my body with all the strength I had left.

In my ears, the vile voices of Hugo’s friends still echoed.

“Isabella’s a genius, skipped grades straight to a PhD, and breathtaking on top of it. A flower on a high mountain like that, only Brother Hugo could drag her down into the mud, let a thousand men ride and ten thousand sleep with her…”

Blood began to streak down my collarbone. I clutched at my ears in agony, desperate to shut them out, but the voices refused to fade.

My phone rang and vibrated for ten minutes before I finally picked it up.

Hugo’s anxious voice came through the speaker. “Isabella, what’s wrong? Why did you take so long to answer?”

I answered in a low voice, almost hollow, “Nothing.”

“As long as you’re okay.” He didn’t even catch the tightness in my voice. “If anything happens, you must tell me right away, okay?”

“Oh, by the way, Nova has something today, and I can’t get away either. Go pick up Daniel from school later. That kid’s been craving strawberry cake; swing by the dessert shop in the north of the city first…”

His voice brimmed with tenderness.

Now, I realized what I once missed had long been traceable.

He never once called Nova “sister-in-law,” and he was always attentive to both her and her son.

Back then, I thought he was simply being considerate, loving what I loved. I had even felt grateful, believing he was helping me care for my widowed sister-in-law and her child.

But now, I let out a laugh through my tears.

He must’ve taken my silence as agreement. He blew me a kiss over the phone and said, “Love you the most. Wait for me tonight…”

The call ended. The beeping dial tone echoed endlessly in my ear.

My clothes were drenched, and I looked like a complete mess.

Thankfully, there were spare clothes in the car. I cleaned myself up and still drove to the school.

When Daniel saw me, the smile on his face instantly faded. “Where’s Mom? Why is it you again?”

He pouted all the way to the car, kicking stones along the road.

“You’re always dressing up so flashy. The Morrison family’s money is mine, so don’t you dare waste it!”

I had planned to collect Daniel’s hair for a paternity test.

But now, suddenly, I felt there was no need.

Not a single trace of my brother could be found in him. His arrogant tone and the way he spoke were exactly like Hugo in that studio.

Since childhood, I have dreamed of doing scientific research, but I was never cut out for business. The only reason I kept the Morrison Corporation alive was to pave the way for Daniel.

But he wasn’t my brother’s posthumous son.

At that moment, the bond I once clung to snapped clean.

I told the driver to take him home, then got in a taxi and headed straight for the research institute.

“I’m willing to join the closed-door research project.”

The man, buried in his experiments, suddenly looked up, eyes full of surprise.

“The project runs for ten years. You won’t be allowed any contact with family during that time. Are you sure?”

He stood 188 centimeters tall, his features deep and striking, and he was handsome enough to rival celebrities. He was also the only heir to one of the world’s four largest conglomerates, the Hamilton Group.

Yet, for me, he had hidden his identity, lowering himself to become just another researcher on my team.

He even invested heavily in launching this national-level scientific project.

Research has always been my dream. This closed-door project was a key national initiative, and I had turned it down more than once for Hugo.

A flicker of pain swept through my eyes. As I glanced at the bruised mess along my collarbone, I nodded without a second thought.

“I’ve decided. I want in.”

That evening, Hugo came home two hours early, something he rarely did.

As always, he pushed open the door to the study and set down a warm glass of milk on my desk.

Then he leaned down beside me and pressed the power button on my laptop.

“Is your husband’s charm no match for your work?”

His breath brushed against my ear, laced with the faint scent of jasmine.

Instinctively, I turned to face him.

The faint nail marks on his neck, the lingering heat in his gaze, each detail stung like needles in my eyes.

I stood up to avoid his touch and restarted the laptop. “There’s an important project I have to rush these few days, I...”

At that, he let out a sigh of relief and gave a casual shrug. “I was just joking. Your husband will always support your career.”

He picked up the glass of water from the desk, handed it to me, then gently patted my head. “Alright, drink some warm milk and get to work. Try to rest early.”

His eyes were deep, tender, and full of warmth.

I almost wanted to applaud his flawless performance. Even with his heart entangled with another woman, he could still show me such gentle care.

Seeing me tilt my head back and drink half the milk, he smiled and reminded me not to stay up too late. Then he finally turned and walked out.

The door clicked shut.

And all at once, the room began to spin.

The glass slipped from my hand and shattered against the floor. I stared at the milk, frozen in horror.

Something was wrong with it.

Hugo had always brought me warm milk before bed, claiming it helped me sleep better.

But now I understood it wasn’t to soothe me.

It was to knock me out.

No wonder I could never remember anything from the nights.

No wonder his friends whispered that I was promiscuous.

I tried to scream, but no sound escaped my lips. I couldn’t move a single muscle. Only my mind remained alert, trapped in this paralyzed body.

Moments later, Hugo returned, Nova nestled in his arms, followed by his private doctor and a pair of bodyguards.

The study was cleared in seconds. Then, the bodyguards dragged me and slammed me onto the desk.

“Nova, didn’t you say you wanted me to leave a child for Isabella? I’ll let the doctor run a pre-pregnancy check now.”

Nova let out a giggle. “Are you serious? Doing the exam live in front of thousands, do you think Isabella would agree to that?”

Hugo kissed her, grinning. “She drank the special milk. She’s long unconscious. She won’t remember a thing.”

“Besides, she’s naturally wild. I bet she’d enjoy a live pregnancy check.”

A silent gasp echoed through me. I couldn’t move, but my body trembled in fear.

The private doctor began his examination. With each part he touched, he tore away my clothes, exposing more of my skin to the cold air.

Beside him, the bodyguard read the livestream comments aloud.

“So this is the super-smart rich girl? The seller’s too generous, letting us witness this rare gem; what a feast for the eyes!”

“Too bad she’s not a virgin. But I heard she’s a researcher, perfect for breeding and upgrading the genes!”

“Bro, above is dreaming. Look at the crowd in this livestream. It’s anyone’s guess who gets the final bid!”

….

The filth continued to pour out in waves. Even the bodyguard, red-faced, stumbled over the words as he read them.

My heart felt as though it was being crushed by an iron fist, the suffocating pain tightening with each breath.

After what felt like an eternity, the livestream finally ended. The doctor and bodyguards left one by one.

But Hugo and Nova were still there, their presence like a spark to dry grass, igniting a fire between them. Their breaths grew heavier.

“Isabella is nothing but trash. Just looking at her disgusts me.”

Suddenly, Nova’s hand tightened around his shoulder. “Hugo... Hugo...”

It sounded like Hugo picked her up and moved her away. The chair creaked beneath them, the sound eerily rhythmic.