Rebecca Sawyer was infamous for being the most promiscuous woman among all the socialites in Nurano. She was haughty, domineering, beautiful, and alluring. Her reputation was so terrible that no man dared to marry her.

Everything changed after she was abducted in a ten-billion-dollar kidnapping case that rocked Nurano. She wasn't the only one who was abducted—James Heaton, an upright man who was famous for having no interest in women, was also abducted with her.

They were strapped to the same bed in the filthy and abandoned house for a whole week.

On the first day, they were whipped for three hours. James had shielded Rebecca with his own body and suffered the abductors' abuse in her place.

On the second day, the abductors stripped them of their clothes before throwing them into a pool. Rebecca had only survived because James had carried her on his back the entire time they were treading water.

On the third day, the abductors drugged them both with something that made them want to satisfy their desires.

James was breathing heavily as they lay in their dark and dirty prison.

"Don't worry, Rebecca. Even if I die here today, I won't lay a single finger on you without your consent."

However, the drug was just too strong.

Tears streamed down Rebecca's face as she willingly tilted her head back to kiss James.

"I'm the one who dragged you down from your pedestal, James."

They had no choice but to sleep with each other. After the deed was done, they came to rely on each other to survive as their lives hung in the balance.

They were finally saved by the police a week later.

Later, a video of Rebecca began to spread like wildfire online. She was completely nude in the video, her beautiful face twisted in passion. A topless man had her trapped under him on the filthy ground.

Everyone criticized Rebecca for being immoral, claiming that she had shamelessly slept with the abductors just to survive.

After James found out what was going on, he immediately stepped forward to clarify that the man in the video was none other than himself. However, none of the netizens believed his words.

Just as the chaos reached its peak, James dropped to one knee in front of Rebecca in a grand proposal.

"Marry me, Becca. I promise to protect you for the rest of my life!"

Rebecca's eyes reddened as James slipped the eight-carat pink diamond ring on her finger.

From then on, the promiscuous woman and the upright heir became entwined with one another.

However, according to the Heaton family's rules, every member of the family had to vote to approve of the heir's marital affairs.

It was why James was severely punished for the next two years.

When the voting failed during the first year, he was forced to kneel outside the villa and starved for five days.

When the voting failed the second year, he was locked in a dark room and whipped 99 times.

Rebecca couldn't take it anymore during the third year. She followed James' car and tailed him back to the Heaton residence.

It had been three years. She had given her heart to James a long time ago. This year, she was determined to take him with her no matter what happened.

She would tell the Heatons that she was willing to learn the rules and etiquette that was expected of a woman for James' sake. If they still refused to accept her into their fold, she could accept not being married to him. All they needed was each other's love.

However, when Rebecca rushed into the Heaton family, she saw the other Heatons just sitting around. There was no voting going on at all.

James' mother, Alicia Morales, smashed her cup on the ground as she screamed, "It's been three years, James! Is your plan to anger us to death? You're well aware that the Heaton family will never accept Rebecca.

"The abductors had their way with her for a whole week, and the videos are all over the internet. However, not only did you falsely claim that you're the man in the video, but you also declared that you're going to marry her.

"You're clearly just taking revenge on us because we forbade you from marrying Penelope three years ago. That's the only reason you're insisting on marrying the worst woman in Nurano. You keep using Rebecca to anger and corner us so you can force us to agree with you marrying Penelope, right?"

Rebecca's mind went blank as she remained rooted to the spot beyond the door.

What was Alicia talking about? James was just using her? Who was Penelope?

Meanwhile, James didn't say a word in response to Alicia's accusations. Instead, he rose to his feet before kneeling on the ground.

"You're right, Mom," he said coldly. "I am taking my revenge on you. Let me ask you a few questions instead. What's wrong with Penny? She was born into a prestigious family in Besavia. She's gentle, kind, eloquent and elegant.

"You forbade me from marrying her just because there was a conflict between our families that happened decades ago. You even told me that I could marry any socialite except her."

James let out a mocking laugh before continuing, "Fine then. I went and found the worst socialite in our circle. How will you protect your reputation now?"

"How dare you?"

James' grandfather, Jeremiah Heaton, hurled his cane in James' direction in a fit of rage.

James didn't try to dodge it. It collided against his forehead with a resounding thud. Fresh blood began to trickle down from the point of impact.

He didn't seem to be fazed as his lips curled up into a nonchalant smile. "Let me repeat myself one more time. If you want me to break up with Rebecca, you have to let me marry Penny."

A commotion broke out among the members of the Heaton family.

For the first time in Rebecca's life, she felt the strength drain out of her body as she stood outside the door. She wanted to rush in to express her frustrations, but her legs were quivering in her high heels.

She had been in love with James for three years. She never could have imagined that he treated her as nothing more than a pawn to further his goals and take revenge on the Heaton family.

Her eyes were bloodshot as she turned around and gripped the window frame. She had to find out what was going on.

James' car was parked next to the curb outside the Heaton residence.

Rebecca made a beeline for it. She swung her bag overhead and began to repeatedly smash it onto the hood of the car like she had lost her mind.

The driver nearly jumped out of his skin when she began vandalizing the car. By the time he exited the car, the hood was already severely dented.

Meanwhile, Rebecca glared at the driver. "How long have you worked for Mr. Heaton?" she demanded.

"I… I've worked for Mr. Heaton for eight years… Ms. Sawyer."

She let her bag hang by her side as she asked, "Do you know who Penelope is?"

The driver's expression stiffened. The guilt festering in his heart made him unable to shake his head.

Rebecca's voice was trembling when she spoke again. "Tell me everything you know! If you don't, I'm going to set fire to James' car!" she gritted out through clenched teeth.

Chapter 2

Penelope Chambers was the most gentle and dignified socialite in all of Besavia.

After listening to the driver's descriptions, Rebecca learned another one of Penelope's identities—she was James' first love.

They fell in love while they were studying abroad in Switzon and were a match made in heaven.

When Penelope's father passed away due to an accident, James had brought her back to the Heaton family and declared that he wanted to marry her. Unfortunately, the voting failed since the Heatons and Chambers had bad blood in the past. Not all the Heatons agreed with the union.

James had tried to protest their decision by starving himself, but his efforts were futile.

As for Penelope, she had a prideful personality since she was a child. Therefore, she was unwilling to see James torture himself, and was even more against the idea of being stuck in a marriage that wasn't approved.

In the end, she broke up with James and left the country.

James had been at his lowest when he came up with his plan.

"Ms. Sawyer, the truth is, Mr. Heaton was the mastermind behind the abduction three years ago. He was also the one who released those videos online.

"He knew that you had a notorious reputation and a domineering personality that could take the pressure. Everyone in the circle knew what you were like. He wanted to use you as a comparison, so that the Heaton family will concede to his wishes."

It turned out that James had constantly threatened the Heaton family by claiming that he would marry Rebecca for the last three years. He only did such a thing so he could marry the woman he truly loved.

Rebecca felt like she was being stabbed by the cruel reality of the situation. As her world collapsed around her, she thought about the past.

She had only been 19 years old when her mother, Carrie Hill, passed away. However, her philandering father, Justin Sawyer, had tried to force her into an arranged marriage with a family in Besavia.

After that incident, Rebecca transformed into a completely different person overnight. She started to fool around, swearing to make herself the most undesirable and unmarriageable woman in their circle.

However, a crack had formed in the walls she erected around her heart when James put his life and the line and protected her again and again during the abduction.

She still had a hard time believing that everything had been a farce from the start. From James' perspective, she was nothing more than a prey that he could toy with as he pleased.

Rebecca clenched her teeth and held back her tears. She swung her bag again, smashing it against the car.

Unfortunately, even continuously battering the car was far from enough for her to vent her frustrations. She shoved the driver aside before flicking open a lighter and tossing it into the car.

The leather seats caught fire in an instant.

Rebecca's eyes were bloodshot as she turned around and said, "Tell James that it's over between us. We will never breathe the same air ever again!"

…

That day, Rebecca visited three different bars. She helped herself to an endless flow of alcohol and hired handsome and thoughtful hosts to accompany her.

Everything she did reminded her of how she had once been the most promiscuous woman in their circle.

Unfortunately, God was waiting to play a cruel joke on her when she dropped by her final destination—the most exclusive club in Nurano.

There was a welcoming party going on in full swing in the room next to hers. When Rebecca walked past it, she coincidentally spotted the large words decorating the flower display.

"Welcome back Ms. Penelope Chambers!"

Penelope's best friends intentionally raised their voices as they sat within the private room.

"It was impossible for James to forget you, Penny. There's no way that slut can compete against you now that you're back in Nurano."

"She's right, Penny. Mr. Heaton already gave you a diamond ring that's worth 30 million dollars. He also called you more than 50 times. Are you sure you don't want to meet him?"

Rebecca's hands curled into tight fists. She felt as if her heart was being stabbed by countless needles. She never would have thought that Penelope would return to the country that day of all days.

Penelope sat under the flower display. She was wearing a tight dress, which showed the pale and smooth skin of her neck. She was thin and carried herself with an elegant demeanor, making it clear that she and Rebecca were complete opposites.

However, when Penelope made eye contact with Rebecca, an assertive smile stretched across her lips.

"I've thought things through. I came back this time because I want to be with James. However, he still fooled around with another woman even though it was for the sake of marrying me. Naturally, I need to punish him for a little while."

Rebecca's lips curled up into a cold smile. She strode into the room and swept the champagne tower off the table.

"Who was the one who called me a slut? I dare you to say that to my face."

She then grabbed the woman who spoke first. Ignoring her shrill shrieks, Rebecca slapped her hard across the face.

"There are plenty of fish out there in the sea. I don't need someone who doesn't love me!"

To prove that she was being serious, after Rebecca was done taking out her frustrations, she returned to her own room next door and hired a group of muscular men to accompany her.

Balancing a cigarette between her lips, she patted the cheek of the handsome young man next to her and asked, "Light this for me, will you?"

The young man had only just lit the cigarette when the door slammed open.

"Get out of here!"

James was suddenly there, wearing a cold expression. It was obvious that he had just been punished by the Heatons. Although he still carried himself with a dignified air, he wasn't able to fully suppress the irritation in his eyes.

He loosened his tie after the male hosts hastily exited the room. He then sat down next to Rebecca.

"So, you know everything now?"

The driver must have told him what had transpired.

However, before Rebecca could make a retort, James grabbed her chin and said, "Since you know everything now, Becca, let me give you a warning. If you want to vent your frustrations, take everything out on me. Leave Penny out of this!"

Chapter 3

Rebecca had been charmed countless times by James' extraordinarily handsome face in the last three years.

However, at that moment, there wasn't even a hint of guilt or regret on James' face. There was only cold indifference as he stood up for Penelope.

Rebecca suddenly burst into laughter. She exhaled some smoke before ruthlessly pressing the cigarette to the back of James' hand.

"It's been three years, James. I'll just pretend that I've been sleeping with a vibrator that I got for free all this time."

She ignored James' muffled grunt and shoved him aside. "Get out of my sight. The two of us are over. Don't you understand?"

However, it soon became clear that James had no intention of letting Rebecca go. He trapped her under him before tying her wrists together with his tie.

"You don't get to decide when this game is over, Becca. You can ask your father. I gave him a project that's worth 30 billion dollars."

Rebecca was momentarily stunned before she started struggling. She tried to kick him, but he yanked out the ribbon in her hair and tied her ankles together with it.

"You're a shameless and despicable prick, James Heaton! Besides, anything that Justin Sawyer does has nothing to do with me! Penelope is right next door. Aren't you afraid that—"

James' face darkened. He used his thumb to roughly rub against her lips, saying, "Listen here, Becca. I've been planning this for three years. I won't allow it to fail at the very last moment! I just have one condition—help me. I'll set you free the moment my family agrees to let me marry Penny."

Rebecca couldn't believe how ridiculous the situation was.

James only wanted to keep her around to highlight the differences between herself and Penelope's gentleness and gracefulness.

Rebecca tried to break free from James' grasp again when a deafening boom suddenly resounded from downstairs. A few seconds later, a piercing alarm began blaring all throughout the club.

"Oh no! The wine cabinets downstairs exploded and caught on fire!" someone shouted from the hallway.

James immediately released Rebecca. He turned around and sprinted out of the room. In the split second before he ran through the door, she heard him mutter Penelope's name.

Ignoring the suffocating feeling in her chest, Rebecca screamed, "Get back here, James! Untie me right now!"

However, the only response she received was the door slamming shut behind him.

Rebecca rolled off the couch onto the floor. She gritted her teeth as she struggled wildly. It was a herculean task, but she managed to wiggle her way toward the door and knocked it open.

When she crawled out of the room, she spotted James in the hallway that was filled with thick smoke.

James had one arm wrapped around Penelope. He was using a damp towel to carefully cover her nose and mouth.

Penelope seemed to be rather disgruntled. She stood on her tip-toes and as she wriggled around in his arms.

"You're hurting me, James. Just leave me alone. Your woman is lying on the floor behind us. You should show some concern for her instead!"

James looked back at the long hallway and glanced at Rebecca. However, he swiftly averted his eyes.

"She's not important. There's no other woman. You're the only one in my heart, Penny!"

He then picked Penelope up before rushing downstairs.

Rebecca stared at his retreating back. She let out a self-deprecating laugh, but she couldn't hold back the single tear that rolled down her cheek.

The thick smoke had completely filled the hallway.

In the end, she lost consciousness before she could struggle her way toward the stairwell.

…

Rebecca's throat felt sore when she woke up.

As the nurse removed the needle from the back of her hand, she said, "You were hovering between life and death when the firefighter rushed you to the hospital last night, Ms. Sawyer. You were foaming at the mouth. The doctor said that it's best that you stay at the hospital for another day for monitoring."

Rebecca had no interest in remaining longer than needed in the hospital. Once she regained some of her strength, she silently got off the bed. She then hailed a cab and returned to the Sawyer residence.

Gentle laughter floated from the living room when she stepped into the Sawyer residence.

"This wedding dress suits you so much, Mom. You're going to look stunning during the ceremony!"

Rebecca halted her footsteps. She felt as if her blood had turned to ice in her veins. She didn't expect to see Penelope locking arms with the woman in the wedding dress—the woman who Justin was about to marry.

At that moment, she couldn't shake the feeling that fate was playing a cosmic joke on her.

It turned out that Penelope's mother and the woman who Justin was about to marry to be his third wife were one and the same—Wanda Lawson.

It was no wonder Penelope had returned to Nurano.

"Penny still has the best eye when it comes to these things. She even specially brought the red wine that we need for the ceremony with her. When you marry James, I'll also—"

A loud crash echoed around the room before Justin could finish currying favor with Penelope.

Rebecca had stormed into the room and swept the red wine on the table onto the floor.

Chapter 4

The glass shattered into a million pieces while the wine splashed all over the floor.

Penelope shrieked. She grabbed Wanda and dragged her with her to hide behind Justin.

"Have you lost your mind, Rebecca? Do you even consider me as your father?" Justin demanded with a steely expression, making it obvious that he was furious.

Rebecca scoffed. "No, I don't. I don't have a father like you!"

She showed no signs of backing down as she continued, "Answer me, Justin. Did you know about James' plan from the start? Did you exchange me for 30 billion dollars?"

A sheepish look flickered across Justin's face. "You ruined your own reputation in Nurano a long time ago, Becca. I nurtured you for so many years, but you weren't willing to agree to the arranged marriage in Besavia.

"The business was struggling at the time. Since James needed you, I don't see anything wrong with having you help him to help the family.

"Besides, Penny's going to be your sister soon. We're going to be a family. All you have to do is go along with James' plan. I definitely won't mistreat you once Penny marries into the Heaton family."

"Get out!"

Rebecca nearly broke her fingernails.

"I came back today to take the things that Mom left behind. I'm going to leave Nurano forever!"

She couldn't fully express the frustration raging within her. As if she had lost her mind, she grabbed the porcelain vases off the antique shelf and smashed them onto the floor.

The broken pieces of porcelain that rocketed through the air left a clean slice across Penelope's skin. She grabbed Justin's arm and exclaimed, "Dad, Mom's pregnant with your child. How will the two of you get married if Rebecca continues to cause a commotion this way?"

Smashing the vases didn't satisfy Rebecca. She grabbed Penelope and dragged her outside toward the swimming pool.

Just then, a tall and broad figure suddenly rushed toward them, shouting, "Penny!"

James appeared and pulled Penelope into his embrace while shoving Rebecca aside.

The overwhelming force caused Rebecca to fall backward. She hit the edge of the pool before plunging into the water with a loud splash.

Rebecca didn't know how to swim, and she nearly choked on water several times. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank.

Blood seeped out of her fresh wound. Together with the water from the pool, it flowed into her nose and mouth, robbing her of oxygen.

Meanwhile, everyone else was gathered around Penelope, who had a ring of red around her wrist.

James couldn't control the way his heart ached as he asked, "How are you feeling, Penny? Does your wrist hurt?"

Penelope started sobbing pitifully upon hearing his question. "I don't know why Rebecca hates me so much. I didn't do anything, but she tried to push me into the pool to drown me!"

Rebecca threw up when the bodyguards dragged her back onto solid ground. The water she vomited had slivers of blood mixed in it. She lay on the ground and was on the brink of unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, James held himself back for a few moments before taking off his blazer with a frown. He then gently draped the garment over her, covering up her chest that was nearly exposed.

There was a complicated emotion in his eyes when he leaned over her.

"How long are you going to cause a fuss, Becca? I already told you yesterday that you just have to work with me. I'll set you free as soon as my family agrees to me marrying Penny."

"Over…my….dead…body…"

Rebecca wanted to leave, but she wasn't going to do it if it meant setting the stage for someone else. Not in a million years!

She clenched her teeth before grabbing the blazer. She mustered all the strength she had left and hurled it at James.

In the end, Justin was the first one to lose his temper.

"You ungrateful child! I still have your mother's ashes. If you keep causing trouble, don't blame me for using her ashes in a blessing ceremony tomorrow!"

At that moment, Rebecca curled up into a ball on the ground and became still.

A blessing ceremony?

She suddenly recalled how the Sawyer family's business took a sharp turn for the worse two years after Carrie passed away.

Justin had then sought out a shaman, who told him that in order to turn his fortune around, he had to use Carrie's ashes to make a statue. Only by keeping her trapped with him for the rest of his life, would he be able to guarantee Sawyer Corporation's prosperity.

It was a method that many successful businesses in the city employed.

Rebecca would never allow such a thing to happen. Carrie had been forced to endure hardship all her life thanks to Justin's philandering ways. Rebecca couldn't allow Carrie to not have peace even after she passed.

She had handed all of the shares that Carrie had left behind to Justin, exchanging them for peace that the dead deserved.

Rebecca let out a mocking laugh. However, no matter how much she laughed, she still couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face.

Seeing how she had fallen silent, Justin coldly gave his orders to the bodyguards.

"Take Rebecca to the hall. Have her kneel in front of her mother's urn to repent. I'm curious to see if she'll change her arrogant ways."

Chapter 5

That day, no matter how much Rebecca struggled, she was forced to kneel on the uneven floor. Any time she tried to get up on her feet, the bodyguard would whip her.

She would have torn the house apart if she was the person she was in the past, but Justin knew her weakness. He knew that she would end up conceding as long as Carrie was brought into the picture.

Rebecca's knees stung. The dried blood staining her back from the countless times the bodyguard had whipped her made for a gruesome sight.

The door to the hall swung open only after a day had passed.

Rebecca wobbled as she got to her feet unsteadily. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to support her own weight anymore. Her limbs turned to jelly, and she fell facefirst toward the floor.

However, the pain that she was expecting never came. Instead, a strong pair of arms pulled her into an embrace.

James held Rebecca tightly, his eyes shining with a myriad of complicated emotions. "Why did you choose to do this to yourself, Becca? Today is your father's wedding ceremony. I'm here to take you there."

Rebecca mustered the strength she had left and pushed him away. She then slapped him across his face.

The sound of the slap rang through the air.

She had slapped him so hard that there was blood speckled at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't touch me! Your hypocritical ways make me sick, James!"

James was momentarily stunned. His Adam's apple bobbed as he used his thumb to wipe the blood away. He scoffed and asked, "Did that make you feel better? Don't worry, Becca. I'm going to ruin you even more to make sure I can become your brother-in-law."

He wrapped his arms around Rebecca's slender waist and pressed her closer to him. His words were laced with mockery as he said, "I'll make sure to save you a seat at the main table when Penny and I get married."

…

In the end, Rebecca was forcefully brought to the wedding ceremony.

Worried that she would cause a scene, Justin assigned a few bodyguards to keep an eye on her.

Although it was Justin's third time getting married, the Sawyer family still placed great importance in the wedding, inviting all their good friends and connections in the industry.

Rebecca swirled her wine glass as she watched Justin fuss over Penelope and Wanda backstage. She felt nothing but disdain for them.

Finally, the ceremony began.

Rebecca felt like she had been struck by lightning the moment a video began playing on the big screen. She saw her own image being broadcasted—she was completely naked as a man trapped her under his own body.

Chaos erupted in the banquet hall when the guests realized what they were watching. Sensual music had been paired with the video playing on the screen.

Rebecca could feel the weight of everyone's mocking and repulsed gazes. She leaped to her feet and stared at James, who was still sitting calmly next to her. However, before she could express her rage, Wanda let out a shrill scream from where she was standing on the stage.

"How could you be so shameless, Rebecca? I can't believe you're willing to sacrifice your own reputation to ruin your father's and my wedding ceremony."

Her accusations caused an uproar among the guests.

"Oh my God. I heard that Rebecca was rotten to the core, but I never would have expected her to broadcast this video of her own volition."

"Do you really think she cares about that when she slept with her abductors?"

"I think Mr. Heaton was bewitched by her. It's been three years, but he still insists on marrying a despicable woman like her. The Heaton family definitely won't be able to accept it if word of this gets out."

Rebecca bit her lip hard. It became blatantly obvious that James and Wanda had worked together to come up with this scheme.

Meanwhile, Penelope was watching the events unfold with a gleeful expression.

Although Justin was pretending to be furious, the way he avoided making eye contact with Rebecca told her everything that she needed to know.

All of them had worked together to set this trap for her. They were willing to sacrifice the wedding to ensure that Penelope was able to marry into the Heaton family.

Since they were willing to go to such lengths, Rebecca had no reason to hold back either. She grabbed a wine bottle from the table and hurled it directly into the center of the screen.

The bottle smashed into a million pieces. The broken pieces of glass rocketed in every direction along with the wine.

"I was on my best behavior for your sake, Justin. Since you don't appreciate my efforts, you can forget about having a nice wedding!"

Rebecca then pulled the cloth off the table, sending everything hurtling to the ground.

The guests fled the venue amidst the sounds of breaking dishes.

Meanwhile, Justin's first reaction was to protect Wanda.

"That's enough, Rebecca! Have you forgotten about your punishment from yesterday?"

James lunged at Rebecca and caught her in a death grip. "Calm down, Becca! Stop causing a scene!"

He still wanted to pretend that he couldn't live without her in front of the outsiders.

Disgust roiled in Rebecca's gut, and she nearly threw up. She struggled wildly within James' arms. She pushed herself up to her tiptoes and bit his Adam's apple. She had put all her strength into the bite, causing the taste of blood to permeate her tongue.

James let out a pained grunt. His chest tightened when he felt something cold drip onto his neck, reminiscent of tears. As a result, he momentarily forgot to keep Rebecca restrained.

Just then, Penelope rushed over to them. The sight of them wrapped around each other greatly irritated her.

Her eyes reddened.

"Why are you just standing around and doing nothing?" she barked at the bodyguards. "Rebecca's lost her mind. Hurry and take her away!"

Rebecca took her chance the moment the words left Penelope's lips. She grabbed a fistful of Penelope's hair and ruthlessly shoved her into the cake that was next to her.

James' expression changed completely when Penelope shrieked.

In the next second, excruciating pain exploded at the back of Rebecca's neck, making her feel as if her neck had been snapped in half. Black spots danced in her vision before she fainted.