Billionaire Ethan Gibson, determined to break the family's curse of ending without an heir, spent a fortune recruiting ten "candidate mothers" and placed them together on his private island.

On the day they arrived, Ethan announced publicly:

Whoever delivers his first heir will become the future mistress of the Gibson family.

Greed grew faster than desire.

Within just a few months, several women announced their pregnancies with great pride.

However, they and their unborn children were thrown into the ocean and fed to sharks.

The reason was simple: they had been found to be involved with other men.

Every night, the screams coming from the harbor kept me awake.

I was terrified, because I had also had a single accidental encounter with Ethan, and I was now pregnant.

When the day finally came and I saw what I had delivered, everything went dark before my eyes.

Those mistresses who were fed to the sharks had at least carried human babies.

I had given birth to three tiny puppies.

The midwife I had secretly brought in barely glanced at my newborn before her medical tools scattered with a crash across the floor. Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped to the ground, out cold.

An eerie silence filled the room, broken only by the soft, wet sounds of the three little ones on the bed, whimpering in my ears.

"Ow... Ow..."

Their cries were faint but hit me like a sledgehammer.

Puppies? That could not be right. How utterly bizarre!

Lydia, the maid, clutched her mouth, her body quivering like she was caught in a gale.

"Monster...monster...

"Chloe, it's all over for you. It's really all over...

"To give birth to...to this. Don't you know what they'll do to you on this island?"

I was sprawled on the bed, drenched in a cold sweat. The pain in my body was nothing compared to the fear gripping me.

"This can't be happening... It has to be a mistake..."

I pinched my leg fiercely.

It throbbed with pain.

No, that nightmare was my reality.

The three little creatures, eyes shut tight, nuzzled against me, their warmth against my skin.

Panic overwhelmed me, and I burst into tears.

This was it: the end of everything.

Ethan Gibson would surely have me thrown to the sharks!

Just days ago, another woman, one of the chosen, had twins. The island was abuzz, ready to throw a grand celebration.

However, Ethan had dismissed them with a single glance, saying, "Not mine."

She pleaded and swore her loyalty while the infants wailed.

Ethan remained stone-faced, gave a dismissive wave, and, like discarding garbage, his guards dragged them to the sea.

Gunshots echoed, and they were gone, the water stained red with their blood, a feast for the sharks.

That was the price for bearing 'humans.'

I...I had given birth to dogs.

On that godforsaken island, they probably all thought I was cursed.

Whispers about Ethan's family curse were everywhere, and he hated anything that even hinted at it.

I was certain that they would have either tossed me to the sharks or, even worse, burned me alive without hesitation!

"Chloe, open the door."

A man's voice shattered the silence outside.

My heart slammed against my chest, gripped by an invisible hand.

It was Ethan, the billionaire.

That voice was etched in my memory.

A year back, he declared that the woman who bore his child would become the Gibson family's queen bee.

A swarm of women buzzed in, eyes on the prize.

I was cornered, scrambling for cash to save my sick grandma, so I threw my hat in the ring.

Somehow, my simple resume was the golden ticket.

On the island, I knew I could not match Hannah's stunning looks, Larisse's statuesque frame, or Wendy's blue-blooded charm. I was just biding my time, waiting for my consolation prize.

However, then came a full moon night in the garden, where I stumbled upon Ethan, wild-eyed and not himself.

The moon draped us in its glow, tracing our silhouettes.

Heat rose by degrees, his touch tracing fire on my skin, his teeth tugging at my shirt button.

An exotic scent filled the air, stoking a fire inside me, drawing me to him like a moth to a flame.

That night, we were intimate, and he even left a bite mark on my neck.

From that night, I got pregnant.

Now, voices pierced the silence again.

"Mr.... Mr. Gibson… There's a birth..."

Lydia heard it: a chance to turn the tide.

She dashed for the door, ready to spill the truth to Ethan.

"Please, don't say a word!" I cried out, reaching to stop her.

However, I was exhausted, having just given birth.

I tried to lift myself up, only to fall back onto the bed with a thud.

"It's not my problem! I don't want to die!" Lydia did not care.

Her screams pierced the air as she gripped the doorknob for dear life.

Footsteps approached from outside: Ethan's armed bodyguards.

I was petrified, struggling to breathe.

"Why isn't this door opened? Don't want to let me in?" Ethan's voice was icy, menacing like the angel of death.

"I...I can't... It won't budge..." Lydia was on the verge of tears, her trembling hands unable to turn the knob.

"Knock it down," Ethan commanded, cutting through the excuses.

An instant later, a thunderous crash shook the heavy door.

The lock screeched, a metallic wail.

The three little ones on the bed, sensing danger, fell silent.

They clung to me, shivering against my stomach.

As the door began to give way, I shut my eyes, hopeless.

Just when things seemed dire, rapid footsteps echoed from down the hall.

"Mr. Gibson!" The butler rushed toward us, his voice laced with urgency. "There's trouble: the company's firewall is under a massive cyberattack. We need you to take charge now!"

The pounding stopped.

"What perfect timing for complications," Ethan muttered, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Got it. I'm on my way."

His footsteps faded, and with them, the suffocating tension.

I slumped back on the bed, taking deep, ragged breaths.

By some miracle, I was alive.

However, safety was still out of reach.

I crawled to the floor, grabbed a cup of cold water, and threw it in the face of the midwife who had passed out.

She jolted awake with a start.

I snatched a pair of scissors and pressed them against her neck, my eyes locking onto Lydia with an icy glare.

"Seems like you've forgotten who Ethan is. He's got a short fuse and won't think twice about killing!

"If he learns that three freaks were born, he'll blame you for bringing a curse into this house.

"We'll only live through this if we act like nothing's out of the ordinary!"

The midwife and Lydia shared a worried look before nodding, their hands trembling.

Without another word, they rushed out of the room.

I did not truly relax until I heard the door click shut.

However, my anxiety came rushing back when I glanced at the three little beings on the bed.

No one could ever find out about them.

I grabbed a pillow from the couch, stuffed it under my shirt, and faked still being pregnant.

Over the next few days, I kept the three pups hidden away.

They grew alarmingly fast, though.

In just a few weeks, they had turned into chubby furballs, bouncing and tumbling around.

They had even started talking.

"Mommy, I'm hungry... I want some meat," Xylon, the oldest, said, hugging my leg and looking up at me with big, innocent eyes.

I clamped a hand over his mouth, my heart racing. "Shh! Remember, you're a dog! You can't talk like us!"

Tyrone, the middle one, was not having it, his ears perking up in defiance. "We're not dogs! We're wolves!"

I gently ruffled their heads, whispering, "Wolves, humans, it doesn't matter. You only talk around me. Act like dogs with anyone else, or all of us will be in danger."

The youngest, Ray, who was always the troublemaker, tilted his head and let out a fierce little howl. "I'll bite them to keep you safe, Mommy!"

Their antics filled me with a mix of joy and sorrow. All I wished for was someone to take over as the Gibson family matriarch soon, so I could finally take my little ones home.

One day, the shock hit me like a bolt from the blue.

I had just gotten home from dinner when I realized the kids were missing. My heart skipped a beat, and I dashed out the door, not even bothering with shoes.

I searched frantically, calling their names as I went.

I was about to check the study when I caught sight of them. They were huddled around something glittering, chewing with determination.

"It's so tough!"

"Mommy said chewing on hard stuff is good for our teeth..."

It hit me then what they were destroying. It was Ethan's prized family diamond, usually kept safe in the study's display case. Even the butler would not dare lay a finger on it, yet there it was, covered in drool and scratches!

I had just managed to pry the diamond away when a voice stopped me cold.

"Chloe, what on earth are you doing in Ethan's study?"

I turned around, my heart racing. Ethan was home, and with him was Wendy Lewis, a woman with her sights set on being the next Gibson family matriarch. She was the kind who would look down on anyone and was not above dirty tricks, like that time she pushed a pregnant woman down the stairs.

Wendy's eyes locked onto the diamond and lit up with a mix of malice and thrill.

"Oh, my God! That's Ethan's most precious heirloom! You had the nerve to take it and scratch it all up!"

Ethan just stared at the diamond, his silence heavy with unspoken threats.

I could barely breathe. I bent over, bowing over and over, stammering my apologies.

"Mr. Gibson, I'm so sorry! It was an accident... I didn't mean to ruin the diamond..."

In my panic, I moved too much, and the pillow I had stuffed under my shirt for some forgotten reason chose that moment to tumble out onto the floor with a thud.

Under the table next to me, a trio of fluffy dog heads emerged.

The room went eerily quiet.

I glanced at the pillow on the ground.

Then my sight moved toward my belly, now unmistakably flat.

This was bad.

Wendy, initially taken aback, suddenly erupted into loud, mocking laughter.

Then, she said, "You aren't even pregnant!

"You're faking a pregnancy and have the nerve to let these mutts mess up Ethan's prized possession."

She whipped around, her voice sharp and cutting as she said, "Get her! And get these mongrels, too. Drag them out and toss them into the ocean!"

The bodyguard was on me in an instant, wrenching my arms behind me.

I shut my eyes tight, bracing for the end.

"Hold on." Ethan's voice cut through the tension.

Everyone froze.

He was not looking at me. He was not looking at Wendy, either.

His eyes were on the three little pups, snarling at him.

Ray even managed a defiant bark at Ethan. "Woof!"

A flicker of hope stirred in me.

In their final act, my little ones remembered my instructions and remembered to 'act the part.'

Ethan's expression turned inscrutable.

He looked shocked, yet it was as if he was piecing something together.

As my fate seemed sealed, Ethan stooped to pick up the diamond. He then casually patted each of the pups on the head, as if it were an afterthought.

"That bark was horrendous. Don't let there be a next time."

With that, he walked away.

Wendy stood there, her face a mask of disbelief.

Then it was just Wendy and me in the study.

In the suffocating silence, Wendy slowly turned to face me, her gaze venomous.

She stared for a few seconds, then sneered.

"Don't think for a second that Ethan's mercy means you're safe.

"The role of the Gibson family matriarch is mine and mine alone; no one else stands a chance!" she declared.

With her head held high, she strutted off, deliberately slamming her shoulder into mine as she passed.

I gripped my shoulder, my back slick with a cold sweat. In that instant, fear was the furthest thing from my mind; all I could think about was the puzzle of it all.

Ethan was known for his ruthlessness, so why had he spared me? He did not even lose his temper when the family heirloom diamond got slobbered on by the pups.

The three little pups seemed to sense they were in trouble, cautiously coming over to lick my hand. "Don't cry, Mommy. The meanies who picked on you are gone now."

I held them close, but the tears just kept coming.

The next morning, Ethan took his helicopter on a business trip at the crack of dawn. He had barely left when my door was violently kicked open.

Wendy stood there, makeup flawless, her gaze lethal. A line of muscular bodyguards flanked her, each one clutching a hefty hockey stick. With a sadistic grin, Wendy's eyes locked onto the pups. "Ethan's too busy to deal with you, so I'll do the honors. First order of business, these filthy mutts can't stay."

She snapped her fingers. "Get rid of them! Beat those three dogs and flush them away!"

The bodyguards moved in.

"Stop!" I screamed, throwing myself in front of my babies. "They're not mutts; they're my precious ones! Ethan said it was over yesterday. What gives you the right to hurt them?!"

"What right?" Wendy sneered as if I had told a joke, then landed a kick in my stomach. "I'll be the Gibson family's leading lady, and you? You're nothing but a shameless imposter!" With that, she signaled the guards, who grabbed my hair and threw me to the ground.

The corner of the table hit me with a thud, sending a sharp pain through my skull.

Blood streamed into my eyes, painting everything a hazy shade of red.

The three little ones yelped in shock.

Their words were not human, but somehow, I understood they were crying for their mom.

In an instant, their eyes turned a chilling shade of blood red.

Fur on end, they growled with a deep, menacing rage.

The oldest, Xylon, lunged, sinking his teeth into the bodyguard's leg!

"Argh!"

He screamed as flesh ripped from his calf.

Wendy stumbled back, then fury took over.

"Rabid beasts! Biting? Really?!" She lost it, screeching commands. "You've got those sticks, right? Use them! Beat Chloe too!

"We'll tell Ethan it was just an accident; he won't blame me!"

A flurry of sticks rained down.

Pain forgotten, I scrambled back, pulling the little ones into a fierce embrace.

"It's okay, my loves... Mommy's here..."

The sticks beat down like a storm on my back, shoulders, and legs.

Each blow echoed with the thud of my bones.

I clenched my teeth, refusing to let go.

The kids whimpered in my arms. "Stop hitting Mommy... We'll bite you to death..."

Blood ran down my back.

My sight dimmed. My mind started to slip.

Was this the end?

Maybe it was for the best.

This time, I had shielded my children.

As the heaviest stick was about to crash down on my head, the door burst open with a bang!

A tall silhouette appeared, framed by the backlight: it was Ethan.

His face darkened with fury as he took in the scene.

"Stop!"