The Billionaire's Secret Blood Sacrifice Bride

Cora tried to push herself up from the velvet mattress, but a violent wave of dizziness slammed her right back into the pillows.

Her vision blurred. The room spun in sickening circles. Before she could even catch her breath, the smart blackout curtains hummed to life, sliding open automatically. Harsh, blinding California sunlight flooded the master bedroom of the San Francisco estate.

Cora flinched, instinctively throwing her arm over her eyes to block the glare.

The heavy oak door clicked open. Kendrick walked in, carrying a silver tray. The moment his eyes landed on her pale face and furrowed brow, his jaw tightened. He set the tray down on the nightstand with a sharp clatter.

He sat on the edge of the bed. His large, warm palm pressed firmly against her forehead. His dark eyes scanned her face with a suffocating level of intensity.

"You're pale," Kendrick said, his voice a low, demanding rumble. "How is your body feeling? Tell me exactly."

Cora forced a weak smile, trying to sit up again. "I'm fine, Kendrick. Just a little dizzy-"

He didn't let her finish. His hands gripped her shoulders, pushing her back under the heavy duvet with a force that left no room for argument.

"Strict bed rest," he ordered, his tone leaving zero room for negotiation. "You are not pushing yourself today."

He turned to the silver tray and picked up a sterile blood collection needle. The plastic wrapper crinkled loudly in the quiet room. He kept his voice sickeningly soft, like he was talking to a frightened child.

"Just the routine health monitor, sweetheart. Give me your arm."

Cora stared at the sharp, gleaming tip of the needle. A cold spike of fear hit her chest. She instinctively shrank back, pulling her arm closer to her ribs.

Kendrick's eyes darkened instantly. The warmth vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, dead stare. But it only lasted a fraction of a second. He blinked, and the gentle, doting husband returned. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her trembling hand.

"It's just to keep you safe, Cora. You know I worry."

The cold metal of the needle pierced her vein. Cora bit down hard on her lower lip. She watched the dark red blood flow rapidly into the collection tube. Her stomach churned.

Kendrick pulled the needle out with practiced precision. He pressed a cotton swab hard against the puncture wound, then carefully placed the vial of her blood into a temperature-controlled lockbox on the tray.

Next, he picked up a glass filled with a thick, neon-green liquid. He held it to her lips. His eyes locked onto hers, unblinking and absolute.

Cora smelled the metallic, chalky odor of the liquid. Her throat closed up in disgust. But under his heavy gaze, she opened her mouth and swallowed the foul-tasting supplement. Her stomach violently rejected it, twisting in knots, but she forced her face to remain completely blank.

Kendrick smiled. He reached out, his thumb gently wiping a drop of green liquid from the corner of her mouth. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. It felt like a reward for a well-trained pet.

The silence in the room was shattered by a harsh buzzing. Cora's phone vibrated violently on the nightstand. The screen flashed with the name Blanch.

Cora reached for it, her heart jumping. Kendrick's hand shot out, grabbing the phone first. Without a second of hesitation, he hit the red button and rejected the call. His face was a mask of stone.

"Kendrick, wait," Cora pleaded, panic rising in her throat. "There might be an emergency at home. Let me just-"

She reached for the phone, but he tossed it out of her reach. He grabbed her waist, pulling her hard against his chest.

"I told you," he whispered against her ear, his voice a dark warning. "I am not letting your toxic family drain your blood anymore. You are mine to protect now."

The words drain your blood sent a physical chill down her spine. Cora's mind flashed back to the damp, pitch-black basement in Ohio where Blanch used to lock her up. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably against his expensive shirt.

Kendrick felt her shaking. His arms tightened around her like a vice, crushing her ribs.

"I will always protect you," he murmured into her hair. "Always."

A polite knock sounded at the door. The butler's voice filtered through the wood. "Mr. Pope, the Wall Street video conference is starting in two minutes."

Kendrick let out a heavy sigh. He slowly released her, standing up and adjusting the cuffs of his tailored suit. In a blink, he transformed back into the ruthless tech billionaire.

He walked to the door, stopping with his hand on the knob. He didn't look back at her. He looked straight at the butler in the hallway.

"The madam is not to leave the villa today," Kendrick ordered, his voice echoing with cold authority. "Not a single step."

The heavy door slammed shut. The deadbolt clicked loudly. The sound echoed in the massive bedroom, making Cora's skin crawl.

She threw off the duvet. Her bare feet hit the freezing marble floor. She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked down. A fleet of black SUVs surrounded Kendrick's car as it pulled out of the estate gates. Her chest tightened so hard she couldn't pull in a full breath.

Her phone buzzed again. It was a text from Blanch.

You ungrateful little bastard. Pick up the phone.

Cora stared at the screen. Her eyes burned. She slammed the phone face-down on the glass table, her hands shaking as she tried to force air into her lungs.

She turned and walked into the master bathroom to wash her face. As she reached for the sink, her eyes caught something in the stainless steel trash can.

It was the plastic wrapper from the blood collection needle Kendrick had just used.

Cora bent down and picked it up. She turned it over. At the bottom, printed in stark red ink, was a string of numbers and letters. It wasn't a standard lab code. It was a highly classified hematology research code-the kind used for experimental plasma extraction.

Her blood ran ice cold. Why would a routine health check require a specialized plasma extraction kit? The metallic taste of the green supplement rushed back up her throat, suddenly feeling less like a vitamin and more like a chemical catalyst.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway outside her bedroom. The guards were patrolling. Cora gasped, her hands shaking violently as she shoved the plastic wrapper deep into the pocket of her silk pajamas. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.