The day Julian Hayes brought me back from that underground auction, he stood over me, cold and imperious. "I only bought you because I needed a new plaything. Don't flatter yourself thinking I still have feelings for you." I knew he hated me. He hated me for breaking our engagement years ago when he was at his lowest, stripped of his inheritance and dignity. So, even when he showered me with expensive gifts and affection later, I never forgot my place: just a toy. Toys don't get to have babies. So when I found out I was pregnant, I kept it a secret. The day he left to pick up his "first love" from the airport, I didn't make a scene. I quietly packed my bags and vanished. I thought he wouldn't care. But later, I heard the rumors. That night, Julian tore the city apart, like a madman, looking for the woman he claimed he despised. 1 I was bored, scrolling through TikTok on the couch. The moment I opened the app, Julian’s face filled the screen. He’d been at a major business summit the past few days, and footage of him was everywhere. With his sharp jawline, tailored suit, and commanding presence, the comment section was flooded with thirsty fans calling him "Daddy" and "Husband." But the internet detectives were quick. In one interview clip, someone zoomed in on his neck. There was a very distinct, very red bite mark just above his collar. The "Daddy" comments instantly turned into heartbroken wails. Who is the lucky girl eating that good?! She really went for the jugular. That mark hasn't faded in days. Someone was hungry. Reading the comments, my face burned. I couldn't help but remember the night before he left for the summit. He held me like a child, but his energy was relentless, almost desperate. He said he needed to "stock up" for the days he'd be gone. I was exhausted, crying, begging him to stop, but he just kept whispering things in my ear, not slowing down. In a fit of frustration, I bit down hard on his neck. Pain didn't stop him. It only seemed to fuel him. That night, I genuinely thought I might not survive him. The next morning, Julian stood in front of the mirror, tracing the bruise with his fingertips. He stared at it for a long time. I thought he was annoyed. "I'm sorry," I said, walking up behind him. "I can cover it with concealer." "No need," he replied instinctively. "Leave it. I like it." Then he seemed to remember who he was talking to. He paused, his expression cooling. "Don't overthink it. I just mean... it saves me a lot of unnecessary trouble. Works as a deterrent." My heart sank a little. So, it was just a shield against unwanted advances. For a second, I thought he actually liked the mark I left on him. 2 I shook off the memory and looked back at the phone. In the video, a bold reporter asked the question everyone was dying to know: "Mr. Hayes, are you married?" Usually, Julian ignored personal questions. But this time, he smiled. "Not yet. But... it should be soon." The reporter gasped. "Wow, congratulations! Can you tell us about your fiancée? What is she like?" Julian looked directly into the camera. "If the proposal goes well, I'll introduce her to everyone." My heart skipped a beat. Who was he proposing to? Me? Just then, I heard the maids gossiping in the hallway. "Did you hear? Miss Liang is coming back to the States soon." The spark of hope in my chest was instantly extinguished. Right. How could it be me? I was the woman who kicked him when he was down. Miss Liang—Elena Liang—was the heiress who extended a hand to pull him out of the mud when everyone else turned their backs. Any sane man would know who to choose. 3 My father and Julian’s father were college roommates. Because we were born on the same day in the same hospital, they jokingly promised we’d get married one day. Years later, the Hayes family empire grew massive in New York. My dad, eager to climb the social ladder, wanted to make that joke a reality. Before I met Julian for the first time, my dad drilled it into me: "Be charming. Make him like you." I was a bratty kid. "No way. Kissing up to people is for losers." Then I saw Julian walking toward me. He was pale, delicate, and devastatingly beautiful, like a little prince from a storybook. I changed my mind immediately. Guess I'm a loser then. I ran up to him, eyes sparkling. "Hi! I'm Nina. What's your name?" Julian looked at me warily and didn't speak. "My dad said we're engaged," I announced. "That means you're my future husband. And since your last name is Hayes, I'm gonna call you Hubby Hayes!" "Hubby Hayes! Hubby Hayes!" I chanted, jumping around him. Julian froze, a pink flush spreading across his porcelain cheeks. Adults started looking over, amused by the loud little girl and the mortified boy. "Stop yelling!" he whispered, covering my mouth. "I'll... I'll tell you. I'm Julian." He dropped his hand. I grinned. "Hubby Julian, you have a pretty name!" He turned beet red. "You... you're impossible!" He stormed off. I chased right after him. "Hubby Julian! Wait for me!" ... I pestered him for years, all the way until our families officially announced the engagement. But the girl who chased him, who swore she'd marry him... she was also the one who walked into his house after his father died and the vultures stripped his family of their assets. I walked in and broke the engagement. For Julian, who was already drowning, it was the final blow. I’ll never forget that day. When he saw me, his eyes lit up with a fragile hope. And when I said "It's over," I watched the light die, replaced by a shattered, hollow despair. After that, he came to my house. He stood outside my gate for hours, in the rain, in the wind. Just wanting to see me. My dad asked, "Do you want to see him?" I swallowed the agonizing lump in my throat. "No." Dad smiled, satisfied. "That's my smart girl." Eventually, Dad got tired of Julian’s persistence. He sent security to drive him away, using the cruelest, most humiliating insults imaginable. It worked. After that day, Julian Hayes vanished from my life. ... I thought our paths would never cross again. But karma is real. My dad made bad investments and racked up millions in debt. He jumped off a bridge. My uncle took me in, pretending to care, only to sell me to an underground trafficking ring to pay off his own debts. That’s where Julian found me. He bought me. When he brought me back to his penthouse, he looked down at me with ice in his eyes. "I was in the market for a pet. Don't think this means I forgive you, or that I still care." I knew he hated me. So I played the part. The obedient pet. But I heard stories. I heard that Julian, who had just reclaimed his empire and was still fighting for stability, made enemies with the powerful Jiang family just to secure my bid at that auction. I heard that my uncle’s ruin—and the prison sentence that followed—was entirely Julian’s doing. These things... they made me hope. They made me fantasize that maybe, just maybe, he still loved me. ... I shook my head, forcing the thoughts away. Stop it, Nina. If he loved anyone, it was Elena Liang. The Liang Corp heiress who saved him when I abandoned him. 4 "What are you thinking about?" A deep voice rumbled above me. I looked up to find Julian staring down at me. "Thinking about you," I answered instinctively. Julian raised an eyebrow. He sat next to me on the sofa and pinched my cheek. "Seducing me?" He smirked. "A few days away and your techniques have improved." My face heated up. He always did this. When I first moved in, I walked out of the bathroom in full-length flannel pajamas. He stared at me darkly and asked, "Who are you trying to tempt dressed like that?" Another time, I dissolved a Vitamin C tablet for him. He sneered, "Drugging me? I knew you had ulterior motives." I learned to just shut up. Explaining never worked. 5 Julian was back, which meant my nights belonged to him. He kept me up until the early hours of the morning. My body was exhausted, and my mind was bitter. Men really can separate sex and love, I thought. He’s planning to propose to another woman, but he’s still using me like this. Scumbag. "Focus," he growled, gripping my chin. "You have the nerve to zone out right now? Nina, you're getting bold." "I haven't even punished you for watching thirst traps earlier." Turns out, he saw my phone screen. Earlier, to hide the video of him, I refreshed my feed, and the first thing that popped up was a shirtless guy dancing. "It was the algorithm! I'm innocent!" I cried, clinging to his neck. He ignored my pleas and carried me to the floor-to-ceiling mirror. He sat me on his lap, facing the glass. One arm wrapped around my waist, the other forcing my chin up so I had to look at our reflection. He bit my earlobe. "Watch closely. Watch how I own you." ... Afterward, I slept like the dead. I didn't feel him slip a ring onto my left ring finger while I slept. He examined my hand, whispering to himself, "A little loose. I'll get it resized tomorrow." He took the ring back, then pinched my cheek, muttering through gritted teeth, "Nina, if you dare say no when I propose, you're dead." He told himself this was punishment. Since I abandoned him so ruthlessly, he would trap me in a marriage, bind me to him for life. Yes. It was just revenge. Definitely not because he couldn't live without me. Julian lowered his eyes, repeating the lie to himself.
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