Chapter 1 My mercenary husband saved his poisoned teammate by sleeping with her in the jungle. All night. When he returned, he was carrying her—clothes torn, body covered in marks—and he knelt in front of me. “Nina, Chloe took the hit for me. It was a narco-toxin. I couldn’t just watch her die.” He knew I’d be hurt. As penance, he'd already taken a knife and carved seven deep, bloody lines into his own chest. But the toxin was still in Chloe’s system. Every time it flared up, my husband, Marcus, would go to "save" her. And afterward, he would carve another tally mark into his skin. Six months later, he showed me the ninety-nine scars that covered his torso. The man who was always so cold and hard begged me, his voice broken. “Nina, I’ve paid for my sin with my own body. Chloe… she can’t bring herself to terminate the pregnancy. Please, I’m begging you, let the child live.” “You can’t have children,” he continued, his voice desperate. “As soon as it’s born, I’ll bring it to you. It will be our child. It will call you 'Mom' and take care of you when we’re old.” My heart felt like it was being crushed. I forced back the tears and said, calmly, "Okay." In my pocket, I crushed the sonogram photo I’d been hiding. Later, I tossed the crumpled ball into the fireplace. The flames leaped, and the smoke made Chloe cough. Marcus immediately pulled her into his arms, shooting me a frustrated look. “Nina, she already promised. The baby will be raised by you. You don’t need to threaten her. She’s not going to ruin our marriage.” I poked the embers. The smoke burned my eyes, making them red. "Marcus," I said, my voice flat. "I want a divorce." He scrambled forward, reaching for me. "Nina, don't do this, please! Chloe’s taken a bullet for me. She took that toxin for me. I owe her two lives! One child isn't too much to ask!" His tone was pleading, but his words were all for her. Seeing my expression, his team, who had been standing silently in the living room, suddenly moved. One by one, the grizzled operators all knelt before me. "Ma'am," one of them said, "we have to speak up for Chloe today, even if it pisses you off." "She was a clean kid. She gave up her innocence for the boss. It wouldn't be wrong for him to marry her, honestly." "You're a housewife, ma'am. You don't understand what it's like. You didn't see her shield him. We saw what she sacrificed." "If you ask me, the boss should give her a proper title, not let her and the kid be shamed!" "Shut up!" Marcus roared, cutting them off. "Nina is, and always will be, my only wife! As for Chloe, I will spend the rest of my life making this up to her." He looked down at the pregnant woman in his arms, his face softening with a tenderness I hadn't seen in months. Bile rose in my throat. They didn't know. But Marcus knew. I used to be on the line with him. I took a bullet for him, right here. It’s why I have a heart condition. I was in a coma for three months. When I woke up, he was the one kneeling by my hospital bed, his eyes red, begging me to resign my commission. He said he would protect me for the rest of my life. Now, here he was, kneeling again. But this time, it was to protect another woman from me. I turned and walked away. Marcus caught me on the porch. He gently draped his jacket over my shoulders and tucked my hair behind my ear. "It's cold out. You never learn how to take care of yourself." His familiar, warm scent enveloped me. I put a hand on my stomach. For a split second, I almost told him that I was pregnant, too. But then he spoke again. "Nina, Chloe is... sensitive to the cold now. Let her have the climate-controlled house in the suburbs. You should go to the beach house for a while. Get some rest." The words died in my throat. He’d built that climate-controlled house for me, because my heart condition made me weak and perpetually cold. The beach house was damp and battered by the sea wind. It was where we’d honeymooned, but we hadn't been back since. It was practically derelict. He used to give me the best of everything. Now, he was asking me to give it all to her. His heart wasn't mine anymore. I dropped my gaze. "Okay." He was so relieved he kissed my forehead. "Nina. You're always the most understanding." He turned and went back inside, taking Chloe’s hand and blowing on her fingers to warm them, his eyes full of adoration. I just stood there, my own hands trembling in the cold. Chapter 2 2 I was alone on the operating table. The doctor held my hand. "Mrs. Thorne, I'm glad you came to your senses. With your severe heart condition, a pregnancy is just too dangerous." The first time I saw that tiny flicker on the ultrasound, my whole world had softened. I’d ignored the doctor's warnings. This was my baby with Marcus. I would have traded my life for this child. But now... there was no point. The cold instruments moved inside me. I gripped the sheets, pain tearing through me as silent tears streamed down my face. My phone rang. The nurse answered it and held it to my ear. It was Marcus, screaming. "Shen Anning! I am so disappointed in you! How could you do this to Chloe?" I was confused, my voice hoarse from pain. "What... what are you talking about?" "Chloe's been kidnapped! The kidnappers sent a drop-off location. It's the beach house, Nina! Our beach house!" He was hysterical. "Only you and I know that location! Who else could it be?" I was in too much agony to speak. I just shook my head, forgetting he couldn't see me. My silence enraged him. "If anything happens to her or my child, I will make you pay a thousand times over!" The line went dead. I closed my eyes, a cold desolation washing over me. After the surgery, as I was being wheeled out of the OR, Marcus's team was there. They dragged me off the gurney. Cold iron chains were locked around my wrists and ankles. "The boss's orders," one of them snarled. "We're taking you to the island. If they don't free Chloe, we trade you." "Are you insane?" my doctor shouted, running over. "Stop! She just had surgery! She's bleeding!" One of the men shoved him to the floor. They threw me in the back of an SUV. The rough movement sent a fresh wave of blinding pain through my abdomen. I passed out. I don't know how long it was before I woke to a splash of icy water. I was on a boat. Marcus was standing over me. He threw the bucket onto the deck and grabbed my throat. "Nina, have I been too good to you? Is that why you've become this cruel? You couldn't even spare an unborn child?" I was freezing, shaking so hard I couldn't form words. "It... it wasn't... me..." He didn't believe me. He dragged me off the boat and onto the sand. Chloe was tied to the old lighthouse, her belly large, sobbing. "Marcus, no! It's a trap! Don't come any closer!" When she saw me, her tears redoubled. "Nina! If you hate me, I can leave! Why did you have to hurt my baby?" I just shook my head, helpless. "I didn't do anything! I didn't!" "Boss! Clear! Whoever it was, they're gone." His team fanned out, cut Chloe loose, and Marcus rushed to pull her into a protective embrace. Chapter 3 3 One of Marcus's men, Vic, spat at my feet. "Ugh. And we called you 'ma'am.' You make me sick." "Poisonous bitch. You're not worth one strand of Chloe's hair." "Enough," Marcus said coldly. He looked down at me. "Nina, you've gone too far. You'll stay here and reflect on what you've done." He turned and walked away, carrying Chloe. I collapsed onto the cold sand. Just before they disappeared, I saw Chloe look back over his shoulder. She was smiling. Three days later, I was numb. My lips were cracked and bleeding. I thought I was going to die here. Then, a blurry figure walked toward me. "Help... me..." I whispered. Before I lost consciousness, I heard a familiar sigh. "Nina... what am I supposed to do with you?" I woke up on the floor of a basement. Marcus was staring at me, his expression unreadable. "You're awake." He offered me a glass of water. I instinctively turned my head away. He slammed the glass down. "Are you done with your tantrum?" His eyes were full of disgust. "I'm not even holding the kidnapping against you, and you're still pulling this shit? Can you stop being so goddamn petty?" I let out a dry laugh. He hadn't even investigated. He just knew it was me. "Marcus," a soft voice called from the doorway. Chloe. "What are you doing here?" Marcus rushed to her, his hands hovering protectively around her stomach. "I was worried about Nina. Is she okay?" Chloe asked, her eyes wide with fake fear. "She's fine. She won't die," Marcus spat, not even looking at me. "You'll stay down here until Chloe delivers the baby safely." The heavy door boomed shut, locking me in darkness. I crawled to the table and drank the water. Then, I went to a loose panel in the corner and pulled out a small, encrypted satellite phone. I dialed a number I knew by heart. "What you asked for... I'll do it." The voice on the other end was frantic. "Really? You're not lying? Nina! Where are you? I'm coming to get you." "Not yet. I have one last thing to do. Wait for me." "Okay. However long it takes. I'll be waiting."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "385684", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel