On our son's birthday, we were kidnapped. Victoria gathered ten million dollars for ransom. I learned after waking that our son was dead—the sixth of our children to die tragically. Broken, I wanted only to die and atone. A hollow man, I made my way to the rooftop, but stopped overhearing Victoria speak to a doctor: “Are you sure you want to implant your and Liam’s frozen embryo? You’ve already used six of your own children for Liam’s skin grafts. He’s healed. Must Nathan’s line end?” “A vasectomy isn't ending his line. My child with Liam will be his, and losing a son will make him cherish this one more. Those six… they were born to be grafts. I gave them expensive graves. They’ll thank their loving mother in the afterlife.” I shrank into the corner, muffling my horror. The one I thought would weather life’s storms was the monster who created them. Even our children were just sacrifices for her true love. So be it. I’ll help them get exactly what they deserve. 1 The doctor looked at the nonchalant woman before him and hesitated. “Your physical state isn’t ideal for an embryo transfer right now. Perhaps we should wait…” “No need. The best cure for a broken heart is a new hope. This is the perfect time. When he finds out I’m pregnant again, he won’t have time to wallow in grief.” “Besides, Liam wants to be a father. I don’t want to make him wait. Not even for a day.” The doctor, his conscience pricking him, tried one last time. “Ms. Monroe, why not cultivate twins? One from you and Liam, and one from you and Nathan. If Nathan ever discovers the truth, he’ll still have a biological child. It could be a buffer, prevent things from getting too ugly.” Victoria’s patience had worn thin. “A heart can’t be divided equally. There’s no guarantee he’d treat both children the same. What if Liam’s child is neglected or wronged? I went through hell to restore his beautiful face after the fire; I’m not about to let him or his child suffer now.” “For years, Liam was so ashamed of his scars he wouldn’t even step outside. Now that he’s healed, he deserves to enjoy life, to be loved, not to be bothered by problems that can be nipped in the bud.” “Nathan will never find out. As long as he raises this child well, I’ll ensure he’s comfortable for the rest of his life. That’s a blessing most people could only dream of.” The doctor knew further argument was pointless. He sighed and turned to leave. As Victoria passed my hiding spot, her assistant rushed up, his face etched with anxiety. “Ms. Monroe, that bastard is trying to blackmail us. He wants another five hundred thousand to leave town. He’s here, at the hospital. He said if he doesn’t get the money, he’ll expose everything…” The assistant played a voice recording. “The great Victoria Monroe isn’t going to stiff me on five hundred grand, is she? All these years, helping you stage those ‘accidents’… I live in constant fear. I’m worried one of these days the stress will get to me and I’ll just spill the truth…” Hearing the kidnapper’s familiar voice, my blood ran cold. Victoria, however, just scoffed. “Then give him the five hundred thousand. And tell him that the only reason I haven’t dealt with him is to build up good karma for my son. But if there’s a next time, I won’t hesitate to arrange a little ‘accident’ for him, too.” After transferring the money, Victoria left. I remained frozen, unable to move. What kind of love could make a ruthless woman like Victoria spare the life of a blackmailer? Yet, she had no mercy for me, or for our six children. I found myself wandering toward the morgue, wanting to see my son one last time. But I was told Victoria had already had him cremated. The doctor’s words echoed in my mind—our children died to provide skin grafts for Liam. The thought was a knife twisting in my heart. After the “accidents” that killed our first five children, Victoria had always rushed to have them cremated, claiming she didn’t want me to prolong my grief. Lost in my own sorrow, I never questioned it. I thought she was protecting me. It never occurred to me that she was just hiding the horrific truth of their deaths, a truth their bodies would have revealed. “Nathan! I finally found you! You scared me to death!” Victoria’s face lit up when she saw me, but when she noticed the tears in my eyes, her expression softened with pity, and she pulled me into a tight embrace. “Nathan, it’s all my fault. I didn’t protect you. But don’t worry, I’ll find that kidnapper. I’ll make him pay for what he did to our son.” “This is the morgue. The air here is heavy. You just had surgery; you need to go back to your room and rest.” The familiar embrace no longer brought me warmth. Instead, it carried the scent of a cologne that wasn’t mine. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I gagged. Victoria’s face filled with concern. “Nathan, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” “Get away from me!” My coldness made her flinch. She lowered her head, her eyes filled with hurt. “Nathan, I know our son’s death is painful. My heart is breaking even more than yours. But the living must go on. We’ll have another baby…” Ignoring my struggles, she dragged me to the doctor’s office. The doctor played his part, asking a series of questions before writing a prescription for an ultrasound. I knew what was coming. I tore the paper to shreds. “I’m not sick. I don’t need a test.” Victoria ignored my outburst, her voice gentle and persuasive. When I refused to cooperate, she gave the doctor a subtle nod. A sharp pain shot through my arm as the anesthetic took hold. There was a flurry of activity from the doctor and nurses. Just before I lost consciousness, Victoria’s voice, cold and resolute, echoed in my ears. “Make absolutely sure he can never have children again. There can be no mistakes.” 2 When I woke up, Victoria was sitting by my bedside. Seeing me stir, she rushed to share her “good news.” “Nathan, I’m pregnant! You’re going to be a father again!” “For the sake of our new baby, you can’t keep drowning in sorrow. It’s like our son has come back to us. This time, we’ll protect him. He’ll grow up safe and sound.” She gently caressed her flat stomach, her face a picture of pure happiness. I knew the embryo transfer had been a success. A dull ache throbbed in my lower abdomen. I smiled, a bitter, hollow thing. Noticing my strange expression, Victoria was about to ask what was wrong when her phone rang. She answered, a warm, gentle smile gracing her lips. “Nathan, there’s an emergency at the family estate. I’ll be right back.” She hung up and hurried out. A few moments later, a text message arrived: 【Get to the Monroe estate immediately. It’s urgent.】 My hand tightened around the phone. My instincts screamed at me not to go, but I hailed a cab and went anyway. The Monroe estate, a place I had never been allowed to set foot in, was ablaze with lights, as festive as Christmas. I could hear laughter and cheerful chatter from a distance, with no trace of the sorrow that should have followed the death of a grandson. Following Victoria’s instructions, I slipped in through the back gate and hid behind a tree. I saw Victoria standing before a man, presenting him with an elegant gift box. “Liam, happy birthday!” So, this was Victoria’s “emergency.” A birthday party for the love of her life. And yet, she had never given any of our children a proper funeral. Under the soft glow of the party lights, Liam’s skin, as smooth and flawless as a baby’s, burned my eyes. He opened the gift box with an expectant smile, and the guests gasped. “Victoria, isn’t that the main event from last month’s royal auction? I was wondering who the whale was who just bought out the whole room. It was you!” “Come on, spill it. Are you about to propose?” Victoria gazed at Liam, her heart pounding. If he just nodded, she would kick me to the curb in a heartbeat. Liam glanced in my direction and made a show of taking off the necklace. “Don’t be ridiculous, everyone. I’m just trying this on for my brother-in-law. We wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea.” Victoria panicked, grabbing his hand. “Liam, this is for you! It’s your birthday present.” “Only someone as handsome as you could pull off a black diamond of this quality.” Liam leaned in and, ignoring the onlookers, planted a quick kiss on Victoria’s cheek. “Thank you, Victoria.” Stunned for a moment, Victoria then threw her arms around him, holding him tight. She was trembling with excitement, as if she were holding her entire world. “Liam, does this mean you’re willing to…” I knew I had been set up. I had no desire to watch this romantic scene play out. I turned to leave. Suddenly, Liam shouted in my direction, “Nathan! You’re here!” Her moment interrupted, Victoria spun around and stormed over to me, her eyes as cold as ice. “Who told you to come here?” “Didn’t you text me to come right away?” She pulled out her phone, glanced at the message, then turned back to Liam, poking him in the chest with a playful frown. “Don’t be so mischievous next time.” Liam just smiled and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Alright, alright, I know I was wrong. I just wanted to invite my brother-in-law to have some birthday cake with us.” Victoria melted under his touch. She turned back to me, her expression shifting to one of concern. “Why didn’t you call before you came over? If my mother had seen you, you would have been in for it…” Her mother had always despised me. She insisted that Victoria had to give birth to two sons before I could be officially accepted into the family and allowed into the estate. But with one child after another dying in “accidents,” her mother had declared me a jinx and forbidden me from ever setting foot on the property again. I glanced at the magnificent black diamond around Liam’s neck and gave a slight, humorless smile. “My mistake. I shouldn’t have come. Please, continue.” But Liam’s shout had been too loud. It had woken Victoria’s mother, who was napping on the second floor. 3 Victoria’s mother strode into the courtyard, spitting on the ground in my direction. “Nathan, you’re getting bolder and bolder! Do you think this is a place you can just waltz into? Get out!” I turned my gaze to Victoria, saying nothing. I didn’t expose Liam’s little trick. He, on the other hand, looked on the verge of tears as he explained to Victoria’s mother, “Godmother, I was the one who used Victoria’s phone to text him. I just wanted to make a new friend…” At that, Victoria’s mother shot me a venomous glare before turning to Liam, her voice dripping with affection. “Liam, a jinx like him is not worthy of being your friend. It’s your birthday; you don’t want to be tainted by his bad luck. If you want to make friends, just tell me or Victoria. We’ll invite all the handsome men and beautiful women in our circle for you.” She ordered me to leave again. This time, however, Victoria didn’t just stand by and watch. Liam also pleaded with her to let me stay for a piece of cake. Victoria’s mother snorted. “Fine. Since it’s the birthday boy’s request, you can have a piece of cake before you go.” I had no desire to be in their house, nor did I care about a piece of their cake. I turned to leave, my expression calm. Victoria grabbed my arm, her brow furrowed in annoyance. “Since you’re here, at least stay until after the party. Liam was kind enough to invite you. Don’t be rude.” Liam pushed me towards the tiered cake. After making a wish, he suggested that I cut the cake with him. Staring at his flawless, delicate skin, I nodded numbly. As our hands touched, it was as if I could feel my six children again. While I was lost in my thoughts, Liam whispered in my ear, “Feels smooth, doesn’t it? It’s all thanks to your children’s skin. I invited you here for cake as a thank you.” A fire of rage ignited within me. I yanked my hand away. In the sudden movement, the plastic knife in Liam’s hand somehow scratched his delicate skin, and a red welt immediately appeared. “Victoria! I think he doesn’t like me! He said my skin was as soft as a baby’s and he just had to cut it to see…” Victoria cradled Liam’s hand, her eyes red with distress. “Nathan! Apologize to Liam!” I met her icy gaze and refused. “He did that to himself. Why should I apologize?” Her eyes blazed with fury. “Liam just had his final skin graft surgery! Why would he deliberately hurt himself? Besides, he can’t stand pain!” “He can’t stand pain, but our sons could? Do you dare to tell me where the skin on his body came from?” “Don’t drag Liam into this just because you’re grieving! His skin came from the hospital, of course! If you’re going to cause any more trouble, then get out of this house!” I searched her face for a trace of guilt, but there was none. Her mother, who had been looking for an excuse to get rid of me, had found it. She called the butler, who unceremoniously threw me out the front gate. Still not satisfied, she cut a slice of cake and threw it at me. “Get lost!” The guests snickered, and I could see the triumphant, provocative glint in Liam’s eyes. Victoria stared at my calm, emotionless face, and an unbidden sense of unease crept into her heart. She said a few comforting words to Liam and her mother, then followed me outside, trying to wipe the cake off my shirt. “Nathan, you shouldn’t have come. My mother adores Liam. I was protecting you by telling you to leave. If she decided to punish you, you wouldn’t have been able to handle it. You understand that, don’t you?” In the past, no matter how her mother insulted me, a few sweet words from Victoria were all it took for me to forget. I even pitied her for having such a cold-hearted mother. Now I knew. I was a complete and utter fool. And she didn’t need my pity. “It’s fine. Thank you.” Thank you for showing me the truth. Seeing that I wasn’t making a scene, Victoria was about to call her driver to take me home, but then she heard Liam say he wanted to go shopping later. So she called a taxi for me instead, her voice once again gentle and soothing. “Go home, take a shower, and get some rest. I’ll be back to keep you company after I’m done here.” “Okay.” Once in the cab, I told the driver to take me to the hospital where I’d had my surgery. I paid a small bribe and found my severed vas deferens in a medical waste bin. I sealed it in a glass vial and took a cab home.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "391454", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel