I used to be the world’s top mercenary. But three days before my wedding, I walked straight into an ambush on a secret mission, and just like that, I lost the use of my legs.
The second my fiancé found out, he dumped me. No hesitation, no second thoughts. And then he turned around and got with his best friend, Jacqueline Beckett.
I hit rock bottom. But while I was drowning in despair, Scott Foster, our leader, was the one who got me to the hospital. He pulled every string, called in every expert, did everything he could.
And when the doctors finally said I might never stand again, Scott didn’t flinch. Instead, he got down on one knee and proposed.
He told me he had loved me for years. That nothing else mattered. That I was the only woman who could ever stand beside him.
I was overwhelmed. Moved. In front of everyone, I said yes.
Four years later, I was eight months pregnant when I overheard a conversation that turned my world upside down.
"Sir, we owe it all to you. If you hadn’t traded Abigail’s legs to the Snake Troops, we never would’ve won that battle so easily. Soon, you’ll have full control of all the organizations."
Scott chuckled, sounding pleased. "That was nothing. The real victory is Jacqueline marrying Jared. I may not get to be with her in this life, but I’ll make sure nothing stands in her way."
Then he added, "As for Abigail’s baby, I’ll send it to Jacqueline once it’s born. That way, she can secure her place in Jared’s family for good."
I felt my stomach drop. So that was it. The love, the marriage, everything, I had been nothing but a tool. And the baby I had fought so hard to protect was just another pawn in his game.
I wiped my tears, picked up my phone, and sent a single message. [I’ll be your hostage in three days. Interested?]
——
The moment it was sent, the voices in the room carried on. "By the way, sir, how’s that other plan coming along? Jared has azoospermia, so the kid can’t look nothing like him."
"But don’t worry," the tactician assured him. "Dr. Ainsley is the best from Leninia. As long as we inject Jared and Jacqueline’s cell fluid into Abigail’s amniotic fluid every day, the baby will grow up looking like them. The process might hurt a little, though."
The moment I spotted Scott on the other side of the wall, I saw his tense expression relax. Then, he let out a sneer. "Pain? Don’t forget, Abigail was the top mercenary. What’s a little pain to someone like her? Inject it hard. And don’t even think about using anesthetics, the baby’s safety comes first."
His words slammed into me like a punch to the gut. My whole chest tightened, and I had to slap a hand over my mouth to stop myself from making a sound.
I turned my wheelchair around and rushed back to the bedroom before Scott could notice me. But I couldn’t stop the memories from rushing in.
Four years ago, during my last mission, my location was leaked. I didn’t even have a chance to react before I was completely surrounded.
The moment they caught me, their excitement was sickening.
They stomped on my head over and over. Then came the hammers. I could still hear the sound, my bones shattering, the sharp, unbearable pain before everything went black.
When I woke up, I was lying on the street like trash. That was when I saw him. My fiancé. He took one look at me, bloodied and broken, and walked away. Not a word. Not a glance back.
And just like that, I lost everything.
Then Scott showed up. He was the one who took me to the hospital, the one who stayed by my side, the one who made me believe I had finally found real love.
But it was all a lie. He was the one who betrayed me.
If someone close to me hadn’t sold me out, there’s no way my location would have been exposed. And now, I finally knew why. Everything he did, all of it, was for Jacqueline.
My life, my body, my baby… nothing but tools for his plan.
My hands clenched into fists. I pounded my legs over and over, but there was nothing. No pain. No feeling. Just cold, dead weight.
I lost my strength and slid off the wheelchair, collapsing onto the floor like a lifeless doll.
