Chapter 1

On the day of Lindsay York's third wedding anniversary, she opened her drawer and discovered that she and her husband, Brayden Hart, still hadn't finished using the box of contraceptives she had bought before their wedding.

It wasn't that they hadn't been using protection. It was just that she and Brayden were never intimate with each other.

Since it was their wedding anniversary, Lindsay had mustered up the courage to buy seductive lingerie.

She downed three glasses of red wine, and when Brayden came out after a shower, she went up to him and looped her arms around his neck.

"Honey," she breathed. "Today, we—"

However, Brayden pushed her aside at once. "You're such a slut, Lindsay."

There was a sharp look in Brayden's eyes, and his voice was as cold as ice. "You keep pestering me for it. If you really feel so empty, go and find yourself a stick."

Lindsay turned as pale as a sheet. She didn't understand why her own husband had called her a slut, just because she wanted to be intimate with him.

Lindsay couldn't sleep for the whole night. She hid under the blankets and scrolled through her phone. Almost all the websites she came across had topics like "The pain of a marriage without intimacy—what should I do if my husband refuses to touch me after marriage?"

Commenters suggested that husbands like that might be attracted to the same gender, or they were impotent.

Lindsay felt lost. She got up to get a drink of water, only to realize that Brayden was no longer beside her.

The lights in the bathroom were on, and she could hear a strange sound from inside.

Lindsay walked over and turned ashen when she saw what was happening inside.

Her husband, who wasn't interested in intimacy with her, was looking at a photo of her sister, Scarlett York, and touching himself with abandon.

Brayden clearly thought Lindsay was asleep. He was extremely aroused and kept murmuring, "Scarlett… Scarlett…"

Lindsay stumbled back into her room, just in time to see Brayden's phone light up on the bedside table.

She picked it up, trembling.

She had always known Brayden's password, but she never looked at it out of respect for him. However, she couldn't restrain herself this time.

She saw the messages in Brayden's WhatsApp group chat with his friends. "Brayden, this is the 1000th day of your celibacy, isn't it? Come out for a drink to celebrate!"

"That's ridiculous. Brayden has been married to Lindsay for almost three years. Has he really never touched her?"

"Lindsay might be a country bumpkin, but she's got an exquisite face and body. How can you stand not touching her, Brayden?"

"Of course he can! Don't forget that Brayden made an oath to Scarlett before he got married. He said that he would stay celibate for her! When has he ever broken a promise he made to her?"

"We all know what a hopeless romantic Brayden is. When that country bumpkin Lindsay stole Scarlett's identity as the York heiress, Brayden's parents forced him to marry her. He pretended to agree, but it was all part of his plan!"

"He's already planned everything. He married Lindsay, but he'll divorce her in a couple of years so she'll become damaged goods."

"Brayden, since Hart Group is now under your control, will you be able to get divorced soon?"

There was a pause in the messages, followed by the reply that Brayden had sent before going to the bathroom. "Yes."

His curt answer made Lindsay turn as pale as a sheet.

She was an orphan who had been adopted and raised by a family overseas.

Four years ago, she returned home and discovered that she was actually the daughter of the Yorks, who were an elite family.

The Yorks hadn't abandoned her. Someone just swapped her at birth with another baby.

The Yorks reunited with her, but they couldn't bear to cut ties with Scarlett, the fake heiress whom they had raised for many years. They decided to let her stay in the family.

However, the Harts and the Yorks had a marriage alliance that was formed many years ago by the older generation, which was why Brayden went from being Scarlett's fiance to Lindsay's.

Lindsay hadn't been bothered about their arranged marriage at first, but Brayden began courting her aggressively.

She was unaccustomed to the food in Hulania when she first returned, so Brayden would take his private plane to Taronta to buy food for her, because that was where she had grown up.

When she couldn't sleep at night, he would talk to her on the phone all night long.

When both she and Scarlett were abducted, and their captors announced that only one of them would be spared, Lindsay's parents chose to abandon her in favor of Scarlett.

Brayden was the one who had rushed alone into the abductors' den with no regard for the danger and rescued her.

Without realizing it, Lindsay had begun to fall for him. In the end, she agreed to marry him.

However, he became a completely different person after marriage. He grew distant and cold, and he never touched her.

At first, Lindsay had worried about Brayden's health. Now, she realized that it wasn't that he couldn't, or that he didn't like women.

He was just staying celibate for the sake of another woman.

However, Lindsay didn't understand. It wasn't her fault that she had been lost for many years, nor had she done anything wrong by reuniting with her biological parents.

Why was Brayden treating her like this?

Tears filled her eyes, and her phone suddenly vibrated. She picked it up and went to the balcony to answer it.

"Lindsay."

It was Francesca Rossi, her adopted mother.

Francesca said tentatively, "It's my birthday in a few days. Can you come back to Taronta to visit me? Of course, you don't have to if your parents object…"

Lindsay's adoptive parents had adopted her because they were infertile, and they had always treated her as their own.

However, Lindsay still felt that she belonged in her own country. That was why she had chosen to stay alone in Hulania four years ago. Brayden had also played a part in her decision, but now?

The tears that she had been suppressing spilled out when she heard Francesca's voice. Lindsay said in a choked voice, "Mom, I want to go back to Taronta."

Francesca was agitated when she heard Lindsay crying.

"Why are you crying, sweetheart? Are the Yorks mistreating you? If they are, come back at once! I promise that I won't let anyone touch even a single hair on your head if you come back to Taronta!"

Lindsay's adoptive parents were part of the largest conglomerate family in Taronta and were extremely influential in Yerope.

Francesca said immediately, "I'll arrange for a private plane to bring you home in three days! I won't let anyone hurt you, sweetheart. You're the apple of my eye!"

Chapter 2

Early the next day, Lindsay was woken by the sound of her phone vibrating.

She looked at it and saw that it was Brayden's mother, Harriet Greene. She had sent over a dozen voice messages.

Lindsay tapped on one without thinking, and Harriet's anxious voice filled the room at once. "Lindsay, yet another month has gone by. Why aren't you showing any signs of pregnancy yet?

"I don't want to rush you, but you and Brayden really have to put in more effort. Work harder at night. You must have a child this year—"

Lindsay turned off the sound in a panic, but it was too late.

She looked up to see Brayden coming out of the bathroom.

He paused in buttoning up his shirt when he heard the voice message, then scoffed. "Lindsay, just how deprived are you? Why are you trying to use my mother first thing in the morning to hint at me?"

Lindsay turned pale. "I didn't—"

She wanted to explain, but Brayden just grabbed her chin impatiently.

He pinched her chin almost roughly with his thumb and middle finger, brushing his index finger against her soft throat.

"You didn't?"

Brayden sneered. "Then explain why you're still wearing that."

Lindsay was startled. She looked down and realized that she had been so upset the night before that she'd forgotten to change out of her black lace nightdress.

Lindsay's skin was as pale as ivory, and the black lace made her look as if she was glowing.

Brayden had a perfect view of her voluptuous chest, and his throat tightened.

He suddenly thought of the message that his friend had sent in the group chat last night. "Brayden, can you really refrain from squeezing that chest of hers?"

Brayden's eyes darkened at the thought.

He flung Lindsay aside and forced himself to look away as he said coldly, "It's a pity that I can't grant

your wish. I've made arrangements for having a child. Get changed and come with me."

He turned without looking back, leaving a stunned Lindsay behind.

He'd made arrangements for having a child?

Half an hour later, Brayden's black Maybach came to a stop. Lindsay looked at the building outside the window and was shocked. "Brayden, why did you bring me to the hospital?"

Chapter 3

Brayden had no intention of explaining anything. He just led her straight to the obstetrics and gynecology department.

A medical team was already waiting, and they spoke respectfully to Lindsay when they saw her. "Please get changed into a hospital gown, Mrs. Hart. We're going to give you ovulation injections, and it might hurt a little when we retrieve the eggs."

Lindsay started in shock and looked at Brayden. "Why are we retrieving my eggs?"

The last of Brayden's patience evaporated. "We're doing IVF, of course. How else are we going to have children?"

Lindsay turned white. She and Brayden were both perfectly healthy, but he wanted to have a baby through IVF.

Was that just to avoid touching her?

Lindsay mustered all her strength, but she couldn't stop her voice from trembling. "Why?"

Brayden sounded even more impatient. "What do you mean by why?"

Lindsay looked up sharply. "Why must we have this child? Do you really want to have a child with me?"

Hadn't Brayden already decided to divorce her? Why did he still want to have a child with her?

Brayden's brow furrowed at once. He finally realized that something seemed amiss.

Lindsay had always dreamed of having his child. She would've been excited, even if it were through IVF. However, she didn't look happy at all today.

For some reason, her reaction annoyed Brayden. He said coldly, "Because we need a child to stabilize the collaboration between our families, of course. Otherwise, do you think I'd want to have a child with half your genes?"

Lindsay immediately paled. It was all for the sake of their families.

She lowered her head, tears stinging her eyes. What did Brayden take her for?

Was he going to squeeze every last drop of value from her, even though he was about to divorce her?

Her fists clenched involuntarily, and she asked in a trembling voice, "What if I refuse?"

"What did you say?"

Brayden was truly stunned this time.

He had never imagined that Lindsay would refuse to have his child. However, he suddenly realized something.

He scoffed and pinched her chin. "Lindsay, are you afraid that if you have a child, you won't have any excuses to beg me to sleep with you?"

His voice was full of scorn. "Do you want me to enter you instead of getting ovulation injections? Sorry, but I'm not interested in you."

He flung her hard onto the floor and said icily, "Lindsay, this isn't a discussion. This is the only way you can have my child. Drag her into the operating room!"

Brayden ignored Lindsay's struggles and ordered them to pin her down on the operating table.

A needle pierced her stomach, and she felt a sharp pain. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Why did Brayden have to treat her like this?

The hormones brought on a rush of dizziness, and Lindsay could no longer stand it. She fell unconscious.

…

When Lindsay woke up, it was already a day later.

The doctor standing beside her bed breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her wake up.

"Wonderful, Mrs. Hart. You reacted very strongly to the hormones and had an acute stress reaction. It's a good thing that you're not in any danger."

Lindsay asked weakly, "Where's Brayden?"

The doctor looked awkward. "Mr. Hart left right after we got samples from him."

Lindsay took a moment to realize what kind of samples the doctor meant, and her fingers tightened on the blanket involuntarily.

Had he been looking at Scarlett's photo again? He was going to have a child with Lindsay while thinking of another woman.

It disgusted Lindsay.

The doctor continued, "Even though the process was a little dangerous, the fertilization was very successful. Have a look."

The doctor opened an ice box that contained five test tubes.

Lindsay was stunned.

Were those her and Brayden's children?

The doctor said, "When you're feeling better, we'll choose a suitable embryo for implantation, then you—Mrs. Hart! What are you doing?"

Chapter 4

Before the doctor could finish speaking, Lindsay grabbed the test tubes and smashed them on the floor.

"I told you that I don't want to have his child."

Lindsay was very pale, but there was a determined look in her eyes.

"No matter how much money Brayden gave you, I'll pay you tenfold. Don't tell him."

The doctor was terrified. "B-But if Mr. Hart asks—"

"We'll deal with it if he does," she said calmly.

Since she was determined to leave, she would make sure that she made a clean break.

She looked down at the glass shard on the floor and felt her heart ache dully. She had once looked forward to having a child with Brayden very much.

Now, her lip curled in contempt as she turned and left without looking back.

…

Lindsay completed the procedures for discharge on her own.

When she got back home, she felt suffocated by the scent of Brayden, which lingered in every corner of the room.

She decided that she would go to her hunting preserve to relax. When she was in Yerope, her biggest hobby had been riding and hunting.

However, Hulania didn't have a strong hunting culture, which was why she didn't have anywhere to hunt when she first returned.

When Francesca found out, she had generously bought a mountain and converted it into a hunting preserve before transferring it to Lindsay.

Lindsay would go there to ride and hunt whenever she was in a bad mood.

Everything there had been constructed to the highest standards, which was why it was also gaining popularity among Hulania's elite.

Lindsay had just reached the hunting preserve when she saw a familiar black Maybach. The door opened, and Brayden got out.

He was carrying Scarlett in his arms.

Scarlett said coyly, "Brayden, let me down. I can walk on my own."

Brayden didn't stop. "It just rained, and there are puddles on the ground."

Scarlett blushed even more. Brayden put her down at the entrance, and she froze upon seeing Lindsay.

"Lindsay?"

Brayden finally saw her, and he frowned.

He remembered that the doctor had called and said that Lindsay had an acute stress reaction.

Brayden dismissed it after confirming that Lindsay's life wasn't in danger. He hadn't expected her to turn up at the hunting preserve.

He felt strangely irritated at the sight of her pale complexion. "What are you doing here, Lindsay?"

Lindsay recovered. "I came to ride."

Scarlett and Brayden had come with a group of friends. They all burst into laughter when they heard Lindsay's answer.

"Ride? Can you even ride, Lindsay?"

"Do you think that riding and hunting is like mounting a pony in the countryside? You'd better watch out and make sure you don't break your neck!"

Lindsay had been adopted by a rich Yeropean family with mafia connections, which was why she'd always kept a low profile. She hadn't even told her biological parents much about them.

That was why everyone assumed that Lindsay had grown up in an ordinary family and was very naive and inexperienced.

Brayden's friends began whistling.

"Lindsay, I can take you riding if you don't know how. Do you want to sit in front or behind me?"

"Behind is much better! Think of her chest jiggling as it's pressed against you! I'm excited just thinking about it!"

They all began laughing obnoxiously as they eyed Lindsay boldly.

Brayden's hands involuntarily clenched into fists, and the look in his eyes turned colder.

In the end, Scarlett spoke up softly. "Alright, don't say that about my sister."

It was such a half-hearted defense that her friends began jeering at her. "You can't blame them for saying that, Scarlett. It's your sister's fault for looking like such a slut."

"Exactly. Even though you're twins, Lindsay looks nothing like you. She's so vulgar."

When the Yorks found Lindsay, they couldn't bear to part with Scarlett, whom they had raised for many years. Therefore, they publicly announced that both were their biological daughters, and that Lindsay had been stolen when she was born.

That was why everyone thought that Scarlett and Lindsay were real sisters.

Scarlett glanced nervously at Lindsay, afraid that the latter would tell the truth. However, Lindsay turned and headed into the hunting preserve without looking back.

Scarlett breathed out a sigh of relief and hastily changed the subject. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go hunting. I heard there's a white fox here. Legend has it that if you catch it for the one you love, you'll never be separated from them."

Scarlett stole a shy glance at Brayden.

They quickly changed into their gear and rode up the mountain.

Lindsay specifically chose a different path, but it soon began to rain.

Landslides were especially common on the mountain when it rained, so Lindsay left swiftly.

When she arrived back at the main hall, she saw Scarlett and her friends. They all looked extremely worried.

Brayden was the only one who wasn't present.

Lindsay walked over, frowning. "What's going on?"

Scarlett burst into sobs. "Bad news, Lindsay! Brayden is trapped on the mountain!"

Chapter 5

Lindsay was stunned. "How did Brayden get trapped on the mountain?"

Scarlett continued to sob as she told Lindsay about what had happened.

They had seen a white fox, and Brayden had gone after it alone despite the heavy rain. However, a landslide occurred, trapping him there.

Lindsay was livid. "That's ridiculous! Landslides on this mountain are very dangerous, and there are wolves here at night. Does Brayden have a death wish?"

Brayden's friends retorted defiantly, "Why are you yelling? If you're so smart, tell us what to do! We've asked the staff of the hunting preserve, and it'll take at least half a day for the fastest rescue team to get here—what are you doing, Lindsay?"

They cried out in shock as Lindsay mounted her horse deftly.

She said coldly, "I'm going to rescue him, of course."

She galloped off, leaving the rest of them staring at each other with their mouths open. "I didn't realize that Lindsay was so good at riding!"

Scarlett turned white, and she clenched her fists tightly.

…

Lindsay was very familiar with the mountain, so she immediately found a small path leading up that wasn't blocked by the landslide.

There was a reason why she was rescuing Brayden.

Firstly, she owned the hunting preserve. She would get involved if anyone lost their lives here, and it would be harder for her to leave.

Secondly, she owed Brayden her life.

Not long after she'd reunited with her biological parents, both she and Scarlett were abducted.

At the most critical moment, Laurence York and Azalea Wintour had chosen Scarlett, even though she wasn't related to them by blood. The abductors were about to kill Lindsay when Brayden rushed in without any regard for the danger.

He was stabbed thrice while rescuing her and spent the entire night in emergency care. She owed him her life.

Lindsay rode in the pouring rain for five hours and finally found Brayden.

He was lying unconscious in a cave. Despite this, he was still holding on tightly to the white fox he had caught as he murmured, "Scarlett… This is for you… This is yours…"

Lindsay's expression darkened. Was Brayden willing to give up his life just to give Scarlett such a meaningless confession?

Her lip curled, and she heaved him up.

However, she came face-to-face with countless pairs of green eyes in the dark.

A pack of wolves had arrived.

Lindsay hadn't expected to be so unlucky, but she immediately raised her shotgun to protect herself and Brayden.

An hour later, all of the wolves were dead, but Lindsay had been bitten thrice.

She thought wryly about what a coincidence it was. It was the same number of times Brayden had been stabbed for her.

She was bleeding heavily, but she gritted her teeth and grabbed Brayden before riding down the mountain as fast as she could.

When she got back to the main hall, Scarlett and the others were stunned by the sight of Lindsay, who was covered in blood.

Lindsay rolled off the horse and pushed Brayden into Scarlett's arms. She forced herself to say, "Tell Brayden that I've repaid the debt I owe him for my life."

Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

…

When Lindsay woke up, she was in the hospital.

The bites she suffered had been treated, and she asked the doctor, "Where's the man I came with?"

After getting Brayden's room number, Lindsay went over to check on his condition. However, when she reached the door, she heard one of Brayden's friends say, "Brayden, Scarlett was the one who rescued you without any regard for her own safety! She truly loves you so much!"

Chapter 6

Lindsay paused in opening the door.

She was the one who had rescued Brayden. How had it suddenly become Scarlett?

Scarlett's sickly sweet voice piped up from inside, "Brayden, you only got trapped because you wanted to give me a white fox. It was only right for me to rescue you. But…"

The light in her eyes dimmed. "Brayden, you don't have to give me a white fox just to comfort me. I know that Lindsay is the one you truly love. That's why you rescued her when she was abducted, without caring about being in danger yourself—"

"That's not true!"

One of Brayden's friends chimed in, "Brayden was the one who set up that abduction!"

"What?"

Scarlett looked up in shock.

That friend said excitedly, "Brayden wanted Mr. and Mrs. York to realize which daughter they truly loved. That was why he hired people to abduct you and Lindsay.

"As for rescuing Lindsay, he just did that to trick her and win her over so that she would marry him willingly!

"Don't worry, Scarlett. Brayden only married Lindsay for the sake of his family and to get revenge for you. He's already planned it all out. He'll divorce Lindsay very soon!

"Isn't that right, Brayden?"

There was silence inside for a moment before Brayden spoke. "Yes."

Outside, Lindsay stumbled backward. The abduction had also been a part of his plan.

She once thought that it was one of the few sincere things Brayden had done for her. She had never imagined that it would also be a lie.

Her phone vibrated, breaking her out of her thoughts.

She answered it, and Francesca's loving voice traveled from the phone. "Sweetheart, the private plane that I've arranged will set out at noon tomorrow. Remember to get to the airport on time."

"Yes, Mom."

After hanging up, Lindsay looked up at the hospital door that separated her and Brayden. She smiled bitterly. Perhaps this was a good thing.

She had never owed Brayden anything. There was nothing between them except for their marriage certificate, which now seemed like a farce.

There had never been anything in the past, and there wasn't anything now. There would be nothing in the future, either.

…

Lindsay got busy as she prepared to leave.

She found a lawyer and drafted a divorce agreement, after which she went to the city center to meet an old classmate named Marcel Dubois.

Marcel was a Yeropean who had been working in Hulania in recent years. His main job was asset management.

When Lindsay first came to Hulania, her adoptive parents had bought her many assets here to protect her.

The hunting preserve was one of them.

She also owned the biggest clients of the Yorks and the Harts, but she had never mentioned it to them.

Now that she was going to leave, she would need someone to manage her assets, which was why she had thought of Marcel.

It had been a while since they met, so they had a few drinks.

Marcel only mustered up the courage to speak once he had downed a few glasses. "Lindsay, are you sure you want to terminate all of your companies' collaborations with the Yorks and the Harts?

"They're both prestigious families, but they've been on the decline in recent years. They're going to feel the sting if you terminate them!"

Lindsay nodded. "I'm very certain."

Marcel clicked his tongue. "It's their fault for being so ignorant. They're going to pay the price for that!"

Since Lindsay needed to catch her flight, they ended the meeting early.

However, Lindsay suddenly stumbled while they were heading downstairs. Marcel caught her quickly.

"Sorry."

The two of them were very close to each other. Lindsay was about to stand up, but when she looked up, she saw Brayden and his friends heading out of a different room.

Brayden's friends stopped in surprise when they saw Lindsay. They began whistling cheekily.

"Damn, what's this? Brayden, does your wife have another man?"

"Wow, and it's a foreigner! I didn't expect you to have such exotic tastes, Lindsay!"