1 The Covington line is thin—for generations, we’ve had only one heir. To secure the future, my father adopted three girls, decreeing: whichever bore my son would see that child inherit the entire Covington fortune. Everyone whispered the true heir would come from these three, but they only looked at me with contempt. I loved Selena for years, yet got nothing but scorn. I thought she was just cold—until I saw her in Leo, our driver’s son’s arms, vowing: “I’m only marrying him to repay the Covingtons. Once I bear the heir, I’ll divorce him and marry you. I’ll even give Ethan millions to vanish abroad if he doesn’t hurt you. You’re my only true husband.” On the eve of the annual shareholders’ meeting, my father asked for my choice. Thinking of their evasive, resentful eyes, a cold smile crossed my lips. “I’m the Covington heir—my marriage should be a highest-return transaction. I choose Felicity Thorne from the capital.” My father frowned. “Felicity Thorne? She was paralyzed in a car crash five years ago, confined to a wheelchair and unable to have children. Are you certain?” ... My voice was soft, but my resolve was steel. "In our world, true love is a currency we can't afford. Since it's all about maximizing profit, aligning with the Thorne dynasty is the most logical choice." My father's expression was grave. "That may be true, but what about the three girls I chose for you? Did none of them catch your eye?" My father had loved my mother deeply, but she died of a sudden brain hemorrhage the year I was born. He couldn't bear the thought of remarrying, but he knew I had little interest in romance and feared I would be the one to end the Covington line. On a friend's advice, he'd adopted three orphans, all without family to their name. He'd drafted his will early: whichever one I chose would co-manage the company with me, a united front against the other board members. I looked my father in the eye. "Felicity may be in a wheelchair and unable to conceive naturally, but we can have a child through IVF and a surrogate. She is the sole heiress to the Thorne fortune. Rather than propping up an orphan to support our family, it's far wiser to ally with a powerhouse." He nodded slowly. "If those three couldn't capture your heart, then there's no reason for them to remain at Covington Corp." If I had told him the simple truth—that I wouldn't force myself on Selena because she didn't love me—he would have dragged her before me, made her kneel, and demanded to know what right an adopted charity case had to refuse his son. I didn't want him to weaponize his years of kindness against her, nor did I want to chain myself to a woman who despised me. Besides, the words I'd overheard her speak to Leo had frozen my heart solid. Letting her go peacefully was the greatest mercy I could offer. As my father left his office, he shot a sharp, appraising glance at Selena, who was waiting outside. After seeing him off with practiced deference, she turned to me, her brow creased in annoyance. "What did you tattle to him about this time?" Her eyes were filled with a familiar disgust, as if I were something vile she'd stepped in. Before I could answer, Clara, standing beside her, let out a derisive snort. "What else? The usual complaints, I'm sure. That we're not falling all over ourselves to worship him." Lara, the third, chimed in with a sneer. "Listen, your highness, the monarchy fell a long time ago. Do you really think your money makes you a king that everyone has to revolve around?" The three of them stood united, their words like sharpened daggers aimed at my heart. I was genuinely confused. "None of you want to marry me. Why has not one of you ever said so to my father?" While he'd hoped a relationship would blossom, he was a pragmatist, not a tyrant. The moment any of them had said no, he would have cut them a generous check and sent them on their way to a life of freedom abroad. But that would mean giving up the Covington fortune, wouldn't it? Lara, ever the hothead, clicked her tongue impatiently. "Don't make it sound so noble. We know what we are. We're charity cases, the dogs you Covingtons decided to keep. What right do we have to refuse?" Selena's face was pale with anger as she stared at me. "Fine. Choose me. Just promise you won't make things difficult for the other two." Lara and Clara looked at her, their expressions softening with gratitude. Seeing Selena stand there, a reluctant martyr, filled my chest with a bitter ache. Before I could speak, Leo appeared, materializing as if from thin air. The moment he saw me, he flinched and scurried behind Selena for protection. A grown man, hiding behind a woman. "He hasn't done anything," Selena said immediately, shielding him. "Just leave him alone today." I looked from one to the other, bewildered. All three of them, the women who were supposed to be on my side, now formed a protective wall in front of Leo, glaring at me as if I were the villain. They saw themselves as strong, independent women and disliked my confidence, my assertiveness. Instead, they doted on Leo, a man who was my inferior in every conceivable way. I remembered when Leo first arrived at our estate five years ago. He’d given me a cheap wristwatch as a gift. I, in turn, presented him with a ten-thousand-dollar tailored suit as a welcoming present. The moment I put on the watch, Selena snatched it from my wrist. "This was a memento from Leo’s mother!" she'd snarled. "You'd even steal that from him?" I'd looked at Leo, waiting for him to explain that it was a gift, freely given. Instead, his face crumpled, and he dropped to his knees. "Mr. Covington didn't steal it! I gave it to him willingly!" he cried, his voice thick with false tears. "He's been so kind to me, he even gave me this suit. I'm not upset, really." He started banging his head on the marble floor. The sight made the three girls' eyes turn red, reminding them of their own dependent status. They rounded on me, filled with righteous fury. "Just because you're Ethan Covington doesn't give you the right to force someone to give you their mother's last gift!" "That watch may not be expensive, but its sentimental value is worth more than any suit! Give it back to him, now!" "You're always the same. So selfish. You only care about what you want." My face hardened, but I told myself it was a misunderstanding, something we could clear up later. Swallowing my anger, I held the watch out to Leo. As he reached for it, his hand "slipped." The watch fell to the floor, shattering. He stared at the broken pieces, then looked up at me, his eyes blazing with manufactured rage. "If you were just going to destroy it, why pretend to give it back?" Selena, ever the champion of the oppressed, turned on me with an icy threat. "Apologize to Leo. Right now. Or don't expect me to ever marry you." I had confessed my feelings to her by then, told her she was the only one I could ever imagine marrying. She used that confession as a weapon, forcing me to bow to Leo. I was younger then, terrified of losing her, too afraid to risk defending myself. So I lowered my head, my eyes burning with shame, and apologized. That single apology became a five-year sentence. From that day on, whenever Leo saw me, he'd react like a mouse seeing a cat, either collapsing to his knees or bursting into tears. And I hadn't done a single thing. My face was a cold mask as I looked at Selena now. "If you're that worried about me 'bullying' Leo, perhaps you should keep him on a leash." My words were dripping with sarcasm, but she took them literally. "Is that a threat? What are you planning to do to him?" Lara clapped her hands together. "I know what this is about! It's because we gave the Celestial Deep to Leo, isn't it? You're going to use that as an excuse to hurt him!" Clara's gaze was glacial. "You have everything. Leo's never even had a proper birthday celebration. It's just an aquarium. Is it really worth making such a scene over?" My blood ran cold. "The Celestial Deep?" The Celestial Deep was a state-of-the-art private underground aquarium, a project started the year I was born. Its main feature was a wall of flawless imperial jade, which, when viewed through the shimmering water, created the illusion of a vast, cosmic nebula. It was finally completed six months ago, and my father had entrusted Selena with the finishing touches. It was meant to be my gift, presented to me at my birthday gala in a month. And now, my gift belonged to Leo. My eyes locked onto Selena. She was in charge of the project. No one could have gotten inside without her approval. She flinched under my gaze, turning her head away with a flash of guilt and anger. "Leo grew up poor, working just to survive. He's never really seen a starry sky. I just wanted to grant him one small wish. Besides," she added defensively, "the ownership is still in your name, isn't it?" "Stop being so difficult. Fine. At your birthday party, I'll announce our engagement. Will that make you happy?" She looked at me as if she were bestowing a great charity, and for a moment, I felt like I was the orphan in this house. But no one else seemed to find her attitude strange. In fact, they all looked at her with pity, as if she were the one making a great sacrifice. "Why do you have to do that for him? Marrying Ethan, with his cruel, arrogant nature? You'd be better off becoming a nun." "I bet he's thrilled. He's finally getting what he's wanted for years." "Selena, please don't throw your life away for my sake!" Leo wailed, ever the performer. "I'll kneel, I'll beg him, I'll be his slave, whatever it takes..." My throat was dry. "I'm not going to marry you," I said, the words tasting like ash. Selena's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Lara and Clara exchanged nervous glances, suddenly terrified I might choose one of them instead. Being so thoroughly rejected by the three people I'd grown up with... if I didn't leave right then, I was afraid of what I might do. I turned to go, but Leo grabbed my wrist. His eyes were red, his expression one of profound humiliation as he, once again, dropped to his knees. "Please, don't take this out on Selena. They're all adopted by your family, they're already seen as lesser. If you're angry that they gave me the Celestial Deep and you're going to tell your father, I'm the one you should punish. I'll apologize." He started banging his head on the floor again, harder this time, until a raw, red mark appeared on his forehead. Selena rushed to help him up, her heart aching for him. She turned to me, her eyes blazing with fury. "You say you won't marry me, but let's see you stick to that! Using these cheap tricks to torment Leo, what does that prove?! You're just trying to find an excuse to run to your father and get him thrown out!" I looked at her, my expression unreadable. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But rest assured, I will not choose you as my wife." I thought that would be the end of it, but she grabbed my arm. "If not me, then who? Clara? Or Lara?" "Lara is passionate about art; she wants to study abroad. Clara craves freedom. Isn't it enough that you've ruined my life? Do you have to ruin theirs, too?" She took a deep breath, her voice softening into a weary plea. "If you promise to leave Leo alone from now on, I'll marry you. Just stop this, please?" Her eyes were filled with exhaustion, as if I had been torturing her for years. I looked at her, really looked at her, for a long moment. "Everything," I said softly, "will be exactly as you wish." She was so afraid I would hurt Leo, and she so desperately didn't want to be my wife. When I married Felicity Thorne, all her problems would be solved. I didn't see her again until the night of my birthday gala. She appeared with Clara and Lara in tow, her face a thundercloud. I frowned at my assistant. I had specifically told him not to invite them, that the announcement had nothing to do with them. He just shook his head frantically, mouthing, I don't know, they just showed up! I sighed and decided to ignore them. The other guests, however, were not so circumspect. "Miss Selena, you're a true prodigy! That deal you closed last month must have brought in millions. No wonder Mr. Covington is so devoted to you." I closed that deal. Selena just signed the papers. "Miss Lara, you may have a temper, but you have a strong sense of justice. Mr. Covington would be lucky to have you." I scoffed internally. Lara was the one who bullied me the most, treating me like a venomous snake she wanted to crush. "And Miss Clara, so elegant and capable. Mr. Covington couldn't go wrong choosing you." The three of them moved through my party as if they were the hosts. I was about to put a stop to the charade when all three of them simultaneously looked down at their phones. Before I could react, Lara's face contorted with rage. She stormed towards me and slapped me hard across the face. The blow sent my head spinning, and I nearly stumbled. A shocked silence fell over the room as guests scrambled to get out of the way. Selena clenched her fists, stopping Lara from hitting me again. She turned to me, her teeth gritted. "We're already here, on display like items in a shop for you to choose from. What more do you want? Do you have to drive Leo to his death?" I had no idea what she was talking about. Seeing my confusion, Clara's lip curled in disgust. "You waited until none of us were around and had him kidnapped. Let me tell you, you won't get what you want!" Her words hit me like a physical blow. Leo had played another one of his games. The guests were all my father's friends and business partners, yet not a single one of them moved to intervene as I stood there, humiliated. In that moment, I understood. They didn't believe the Covington fortune would ever truly be mine. They didn't dare cross the three women they saw as the future matriarchs. I cradled my stinging cheek, my eyes cold as ice. "Apologize." Lara glanced at my reddened eyes and sneered. "Leo was nearly beaten to death. You got one little slap. What's there to cry about?" "I'm... I'm okay..." A new voice cut through the tension. Leo limped into the room, his clothes torn, his face a mess of bruises. He looked like he'd been through hell. Selena rushed to his side, draping her own jacket over his shoulders. She looked back at me with utter revulsion. "You truly are the most manipulative person I have ever met. I would never, ever marry a man like you." Clara, usually so quiet, stepped in front of Leo. "Your family line is so weak you need to use women as broodmares. You brought the three of us here to be your tools. We accepted our fate, but even that wasn't enough for you. Fine. There's no need to keep up this pretense of peace." She turned and walked away without a backward glance, showing zero regard for the Covington family's reputation. As she left, Selena threw one last, arrogant remark over her shoulder. "I will marry you. But after the child is born, you will be nothing more than a figurehead. If you want my son to protect this family's empire, you will learn to stay in your place." I laughed. Had they forgotten? Without me, they would still be in an orphanage. As they made for the exit, a few guests finally moved to stop them. But I roared, my voice cracking like a whip, "Let them go!" Leo shot me a triumphant, mocking glance over his shoulder, as if he'd just conquered the world. I stood there, silent, until my assistant whispered frantically, "Sir, what do we do now? They're all gone. Who will you choose?" The guests were murmuring amongst themselves. "The Covingtons need an heir. If the three women who know him best want nothing to do with him, who could he possibly marry?" I almost laughed out loud. As if they were the only three women in the world. Smiling, I raised my glass of wine. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. As you know, tonight is not just my birthday celebration. It is also my engagement party." On the massive screen behind me, a face appeared—cold, stunningly beautiful, and utterly imperious. A collective gasp went through the crowd. "Isn't that... Felicity Thorne of the capital?!"
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