Chapter 1

On the eve of her wedding, Sienna Rhodes and her stepsister, Natalie Rhodes, were abducted. However, her fiancé, William Sanders, only rescued the stepsister. The abductors sneered as they lunged at her, ripping her clothes apart with a sharp tear. Sienna couldn't believe it, clinging to a shred of hope. "No! Please wait a little longer. William promised to pay the ransom." The abductors let out a sinister laugh, dialing a number. "Natalie, your sister's really naive!" Sienna's mind went blank as Natalie's mocking voice came through the line. "Did you really believe that nonsense about Will coming to save you? Let me tell you the truth—I'm carrying his child!" Sienna's face turned pale. "When… When did this happen?" "Will has always loved me. Being with you was just a way to use you to start his company. Now that he's the CEO, do you know why you were abducted?" Sienna's hands and feet went cold as she shook her head. "I don't believe it. Let me talk to William!" "He's lying right next to me. I'm pregnant, and he still can't get enough of me." The man's cold, emotionless voice came through the phone. "Sienna, you're no longer of any use. Just accept your fate." Her world shattered in an instant. Eight years of love and commitment had been nothing but a cruel manipulation. To take full control of the company, he wanted her dead. Tears streamed down Sienna's face. Natalie's voice was filled with malice. "He wanted to leave you intact, but I want you to die miserably. Have your fun with them first, and then we'll throw you to the wolves!" "Natalie, I treated you like my own sister. How could you do this to me? Mom and Dad won't let you get away with this!" Natalie's sneer deepened. "Do you think Mom and Dad actually love you?" Sienna froze. What did she mean by that? Before she could think further, the abductors dragged her into the wilderness. Their sinister laughter filled the air as they loomed over her trembling form. Sienna refused to accept her fate. Would she really die because of Willam and Natalie's scheme, at the hands of these men? No, she couldn't let it end like this. Suddenly, she noticed a car parked by the dark road below. The door was strangely open, and a man sat in the backseat—a tall, shadowy figure exuding a stifling, ominous bearing. Summoning every ounce of strength, Sienna broke free from the abductors and rolled down the hill, rushing toward the car. "Sir, please let me hide in your car!" "Get lost," came the man's icy warning, his voice heavy and threatening. The abductors were closing in. "Someone's after me! Please, I'm begging you!" Sienna threw herself into the car, clutching his leg and pulling the door shut. Her trembling body brushed against his tailored pants, but she didn't notice. In the dark, his cold, predatory eyes snapped open. His Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke with a sinister smile. "You're not leaving?" "I can't!" she stammered, trying to climb to the front seat. Suddenly, a scorching hand grabbed her ankle. "Interesting." His voice was low and chilling. "No matter who sent you, since you've come to me, don't regret it." Before she could react, the man yanked her onto the seat. His powerful frame descended upon her. Pain consumed her. Sienna's cries were muffled as she struggled against the overwhelming force. Darkness swallowed her whole. When she awoke, the night was still deep, and the man was asleep. Quietly, she gathered her clothes and fled the car. That night, she escaped the abductors, but at the cost of her dignity. Wiping away her tears, Sienna dared not look back. … Ten days later, Sienna stumbled back to Rotschire, barely alive. Penniless and starving, she had endured a journey that left her clinging to life. Her fists clenched tightly. In all this time, not a single news report mentioned her father, Carl Rhodes, searching for her. Natalie's words echoed in her mind, "Dad never loved you." Memories of the unfair treatment she had endured since childhood resurfaced, filling her with bitterness. She refused to believe it. She had to return and demand the truth. At the Rhodes residence, she slipped in through the back door, only to hear heated voices from the living room. "She's dead, but we haven't found her body. How can we rest easy?" Julia Collins, her stepmother, sounded anxious. Natalie's voice was sharp and sinister. "Dad, if you're worried about her haunting us, just arrange a posthumous marriage for her. We can profit from it while trapping her soul. She won't dare seek revenge then." "Isn't that a bit too much?" came Carl's cold, indifferent voice. Sienna collapsed to the floor, trembling, her face expressionless but pale as if stripped bare by an icy wind. She had once imagined her father wracked with guilt over her safety, her stepmother and Natalie consumed with fear and regret. But the reality was far worse—they were plotting to squeeze every ounce of value from her death, even binding her soul through a posthumous marriage. "Honey, Sienna was only ever meant to shield Natalie from harm," Julia added cruelly. "And her mother? If Sienna ever finds out the truth about her death..." "Enough! Even if she weren't dead, I would've made sure she died today." Carl's voice held not a shred of fatherly compassion. "Next, smear her name. Let Natalie and William use it as an excuse to take over her company. Everything her grandfather left behind will be ours. As for her uncle, he'll be dealt with sooner or later…" Hell was empty, and all the devils were here. Sienna bit her lip so hard it bled, resisting the urge to storm in and confront them. Terror and unbridled rage churned inside her, sending waves of pain through her abdomen. She understood now—her mother's death wasn't as it seemed, and worse, her own origins were in question. She couldn't die here. With her heart in pieces, Sienna clutched her stomach and ran, hailing a cab. "To the hospital…" The radio in the cab blared, "Breaking news: Rhodes family heiress Sienna Rhodes is suspected of engaging in multiple illicit affairs and was reportedly murdered by a lover in the mountains. Her family is devastated and is actively searching for her remains…" For a moment, Sienna sat frozen, then let out a cold laugh. She had longed for news of her family searching for her. Instead, they had twisted the truth, tarnishing her reputation to justify Natalie and William's eventual seizure of everything she had. Hatred. Burning, all-consuming hatred. She couldn’t afford to die. She had to survive. She had to take revenge. "Miss?" The driver's voice cut through as he shouted, noticing her fainting in the backseat. "What happened to this woman? She's badly injured!" Faintly, Sienna heard the voices of doctors rushing toward her before losing consciousness. When she woke again, Sienna found herself lying in a hospital bed with an IV in her hand. A doctor approached, holding a test report, looking visibly surprised. "Miss, your HCG levels are very high. This indicates that not only you're injured, but you're also pregnant!" Sienna froze, struck as if by lightning. "Doctor… what did you just say?" "It's early, not even two weeks yet. Has your boyfriend been informed?" Sienna's lips turned pale as the realization hit her—ten days ago, the night of that assault. How could she be so unlucky? Pregnant from that? The doctor, noticing her reaction, seemed to understand. "Do you want to terminate the pregnancy? I can schedule the procedure…" "No one is touching her stomach!" Suddenly, a group of men stormed into the emergency room. Leading them was a sharply dressed man in a suit who immediately dismissed the doctor. He turned to Sienna and nodded politely. "Ms. Rhodes, you're pregnant, correct? Please come with us." Sienna's unease deepened as she asked nervously. "Who are you?" "The father of the child you're carrying requests your presence," he replied calmly.