Chapter 1/
My husband’s first love had a depressive episode and jumped off a building.
In a fit of rage, he dragged me–eight months pregnant–to an abandoned amusement park and strapped me to a drop tower ride. His men stood by, their faces blank as they bound my wrists and ankles to the cold metal seat.
“If you hadn’t provoked Sienna, would she have had a breakdown and jumped?“}
Terrified of heights, I clutched at the restraints, my swollen belly making it hard to breathe. Tears streamed down my face as I admitted my mistake, my voice cracking as I begged him, “Hugh, please… let me go. I promised–I swore–I’d never appear in front of Sienna again.“}
But my husband only looked at me with chilling indifference.
“Ava, for the sake of the child, I won’t divorce you.” His voice was calm, almost gentle, but it only made the next words colder.
“But the pain you’ve caused Sienna–I want you to pay it back a hundred… no, a thousand times over.“>
Hugh ordered the ride to be set to run non–stop for an hour, then turned and walked away without a backward glance.§
The machinery groaned to life, the seat jerking beneath me as the tower rose higher and higher. I fought against the restraints, screaming until my throat felt raw. Every time the ride plunged, my stomach flipped, the terror so intense I thought I might lose consciousness.
Then, on one brutal drop, pain ripped through my body–sharp, hot and unstoppable. A rush of fluid gushed between my legs, soaking my dress and the seat beneath me.§
The next day, Hugh finally remembered that I was still there.
“Ava, Sienna is fine now,” he said, his voice devoid of concern. “As long as you apologize to her, I’ll let you down.“>
What he didn’t know–what none of them knew–was that the platform had already been drenched in blood for hours. My baby had been torn from my body somewhere between the sky and the earth, reduced to nothing but mangled flesh and silence.§
<–0
“Doctor Jason called this morning. That woman is avoiding her prenatal checkups. What trick is she playing to get my attention this
time?”
Hugh frowned, a trace of disgust flashing through his dark eyes.
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Beside him, Mason, the family butler, turned pale, his voice trembling as he spoke. “Sir, Madam still hasn’t been taken down. And she’s terribly afraid of heights. She won’t even step onto the second–floor balcony. Now that she’s in her late pregnancy, could… could something have happened?“>
Hugh’s expression froze for a split second before he frowned again, doubt flickering across his face. “Really? Ava’s afraid of heights?”
Before Mason could finish confirming, Hugh waved a dismissive hand. “It’s just a drop tower. It’s not like she’s actually jumping off a building. Let her be scared–it might teach her a lesson so she won’t bully Sienna again.“}
Mason lowered his head and dared not say another word.
However, Hugh’s assistant couldn’t hold back any longer. “Sir, at first Madam was screaming. But later, she went completely silent. And… she’s carrying your child–your own flesh and blood. Shouldn’t you at least check on her?”
Hugh’s expression shifted slightly, but the brief flicker of realization was quickly replaced by scorn.
“I knew it. Even her so–called fear of heights was just an act. If she were really that terrified, how could she suddenly go quiet? Ava’s as manipulative as ever. Since she wants to put on a show, let her stay up there until morning. Tomorrow, I’ll bring her to kneel before Sienna and apologize. Only then will this matter be considered settled.”
With that, he waved his hand impatiently, cutting off any further protests and strode towards the bedroom.
On his bed, Sienna lay half–naked beneath the soft sheets, her delicate shoulders exposed to the dim light. Hugh’s gaze darkened as he approached, his Adam’s apple bobbing with desire. Without a word, he leaned down and captured her lips in a deep kiss.
Sienna whimpered softly, her fingers pressing weakly against his chest in resistance before she opened her eyes. “Hugh… we’re in your room. If Ava finds out, she’ll be upset.“}
Her voice trembled just enough to sound pitiful, her wide eyes filled with guilt and hesitation. “And about what happened before… Hugh, I only did it because I love you too much. I thought that if I died, Ava wouldn’t fight with you over me anymore. I never wanted you to punish her for my sake. Should I go and apologize to her?”
She bit her lip, looking heartbreakingly conflicted.
Sure enough, seeing her like this, Hugh’s desire and anger intertwined. His large hands moved to roughly knead Sienna’s soft chest, his breath growing heavier as he flipped her beneath him with ease.!!
“Sienna, you’re too kind. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve died back then. Even your fear of heights came from saving me. Just thinking about how Ava told someone as gentle and kind as you to jump off a building makes my heart ache.”
His grip tightened possessively, his voice dropping to a cold whisper. “If she ever does it again–even if she’s carrying my child–I‘}} make her pay with her life…”
