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He Married Me for My Son's Kidneys
NovelShort
Completed
My younger sister, Rae, begged me to donate my kidney to save her life. Because of my poor health, I refused—the risk was too high. From that moment on, my entire family turned against me. They called me selfish, heartless, a disgrace to the family. At my own engagement party, they openly cursed me, saying I'd die a miserable death, calling me an ungrateful wretch for not valuing my sister's life. Humiliated by the scene, my fiancé, Hunter, ended our engagement on the spot, disgust written all over his face. As the guests whispered and my family secretly reveled in my misfortune, Kai Richards, the young heir to one of the most powerful families in the city, suddenly stepped forward. His voice was clear, cutting through the silence. "Milena, I've had a crush on you for ten years. Will you marry me?"
Chapters (8)
第1章
My younger sister, Rae, begged me to donate my kidney to save her life. Because of my poor health, I refused—the risk was too high.
From that moment on, my entire family turned against me. They called me selfish, heartless, a disgrace to the family. At my own engagement party, they openly cursed me, saying I'd die a miserable death, calling me an ungrateful wretch for not valuing my sister's life.
Humiliated by the scene, my fiancé, Hunter, ended our engagement on the spot, disgust written all over his face.
As the guests whispered and my family secretly reveled in my misfortune, Kai Richards, the young heir to one of the most powerful families in the city, suddenly stepped forward. His voice was clear, cutting through the silence.
"Milena, I've had a crush on you for ten years. Will you marry me?"
Out of spite—and desperation to escape the humiliation—I said yes.
For the next five years, Kai treated me like a princess. Every want, every need, he fulfilled without hesitation. I thought I had found my salvation, a love that could finally heal me.
But that illusion shattered when our four-year-old son, Leon, suddenly went missing. Days later, his small, lifeless body was found floating in the sea. His kidneys had been harvested.
Grief consumed me, dragging me into an illness I couldn't recover from. My body was weak, my heart broken beyond repair.
Late one night, unable to sleep, I passed by Kai's study and heard voices inside.
"A four-year-old provides the finest kidney, wouldn't you agree, Kai?" my father's familiar voice said. "Now, my daughter is saved. But tell me, Kai, does the cost weigh on you at all, sacrificing your own son for Rae?"
There was a pause—then Kai's cold, detached voice followed.
"Rae is the love of my life. A child born from a woman I never loved means nothing to me."
***
My heart shattered into a million jagged pieces and my legs gave out beneath me. I slowly sank to my knees, gripping the cold wall for support, my trembling fingers barely finding purchase.
The study door stood slightly ajar and my father's voice continued to drift out, each word stabbing deeper into my already bleeding heart.
"Yes, Kai, you're right. After all, men don't endure pregnancies. One night's amusement and voilà—a child. Leon's death is no big deal. You'll replace him easily."
I froze. My breath caught painfully in my throat.
I couldn't believe it—those vile, heartless words came from my own father.
Leon was his grandson. A bright-eyed boy who had once reached up to him with chubby hands and giggled at his silly faces. Yet now, Leon was nothing more than a means to an end—a convenient sacrifice to save his precious Rae.
My father's voice darkened with irritation. "Rae's been suffering from kidney failure for five years, waiting endlessly for the perfect match. If only Milena had agreed to donate back then, we wouldn't have had to drag it out this long!"
Kai's voice followed, calm and cold. "Milena's health was poor. She wouldn't have been a suitable donor."
For a fleeting moment, a fragile sliver of hope bloomed through my anguish—a desperate belief that maybe, just maybe, Kai had cared for me, even a little.
But the hope was crushed under the weight of his next words.
Kai let out a low, mocking laugh. "You're overthinking it, Mr. Nichols. The only thing I ever felt for Milena was disgust—disgust at her weak, sickly body, unworthy of saving Rae."
My nails bit into my palms as his voice carried on, each word more brutal than the last.
"Every time I touched her, I felt so nauseated I wanted to vomit. But to create the perfect donor match for Rae, I had no choice. I had to force myself to father a child with her."
My vision blurred. My entire world tilted on its axis.
So, this was the truth behind my marriage—an elaborate, carefully orchestrated scheme from the very beginning.
Five years ago, when I was set to marry my first love, Hunter, my parents had burst into the ceremony uninvited, creating a scene so humiliating I could barely stand under the weight of their accusations. They called me selfish, ungrateful, a curse on the family. They screamed that I was destined to die a miserable, lonely death.
Whispers rippled through the crowd, the weight of judgment crushing me from every direction.
Hunter couldn't take the shame. With a single cold declaration—"This engagement is off"—he turned and walked away, leaving me stranded, humiliated and alone on the stage.
That was when Kai appeared.
He stepped forward, cutting through the whispers like a blade. With his strikingly handsome face and calm confidence, he extended his hand to me, his smile gentle and reassuring.
"I've had a crush on you for ten years. Will you marry me?"
I thought he was my salvation—a lifeline thrown to me by fate itself.
Only now, standing outside that study, did I finally understand the truth.
The woman Kai had truly loved for over ten years wasn't me. It was Rae.
He married me for one reason—to create the perfect donor match for her. And when I gave birth to that match, my son, my sweet little Leon, they took his kidneys.
They took my child from me—the child I carried, nurtured and cherished.
I hated him.
A scream clawed at my throat, but all that escaped was a choked sob. I clutched my chest, fists pounding against the floor, my cries swallowed by the thunder that roared outside. Lightning split the sky, briefly illuminating the empty hallway around me.
Suddenly, a dark figure stepped out of the shadows.
A hand gripped my arm, strong and unyielding, yanking me to my feet.
"Let go of me!" My voice cracked as I struggled. I knew who it was even before I turned—Kai's personal bodyguard, Clayton.
His grip tightened, his muscular arms like iron bands as he pulled me into a corner. His other hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my cries. No matter how hard I thrashed, he held firm, his face impassive.
Through the narrow slit of the study door, I watched helplessly as Rae walked in.
She smiled sweetly, her voice soft and saccharine. "Kai, thank you for finding me the perfect kidney donor."
My stomach turned.
She knew. She had always known.
For four years, she'd smiled at me over cups of tea, played with Leon like the perfect doting aunt—all while seeing nothing more than two kidneys walking around in a little boy's body.
Lightning struck again, its bright flash lighting up the study just in time for me to see Rae rise onto her tiptoes, arms looping around Kai's neck as she kissed him deeply.
"Kai, you're so good to me," she purred. "You even got me my precious nephew's kidneys..."
How dare she! How dare they!
My whole body shook with rage, every muscle trembling as I fought to break free—but Clayton's hand clamped down even harder over my mouth, silencing me completely.
He wasn't rough out of malice or cruelty. Perhaps fearing I would disrupt Kai and Rae's romantic moment, he held me there, convinced that keeping me quiet was the right thing to do.
I bit him, hard enough to taste blood, my teeth tearing into his flesh—but not a single sound escaped him. He didn't flinch, didn't loosen his grip.
When I finally regained my senses, though still trembling and broken, I found myself feeling an odd sense of gratitude toward Clayton.
Yes. I couldn't let Kai and the others know that I had discovered the truth.
I had to stay silent. Play along. Pretend I was still blind.
Only then could I have my revenge.
第2章
Clayton was emotionless, a bit slow-witted and mute. Kai treated him like a loyal, obedient dog—every command given was executed without hesitation or question.
Right now, Kai had tasked him with keeping a close watch on me, making sure I didn't follow my son into the grave out of sheer grief.
"Honey, pull yourself together. Losing Leon hurts me too, but life must go on. We can always have more kids..."
Kai knelt beside the bed, his voice soft and coaxing, as if he were truly a heartbroken husband.
I turned my back to him, my face buried in the pillow, silently shedding tears. My hatred burned so fiercely inside me that my teeth ached from clenching them too hard. I wanted to tear him apart with my bare hands.
But I was too weak. His bodyguards, his power—there was no way I could take him down in a moment of fury. I needed a plan. A long one.
"Don't cry, love. Look at you—you've lost so much weight. And these bruises... what happened? Don't tell me you tried to hurt yourself..." He trailed off, then sighed dramatically. "I see now. It's all Clayton's fault for not watching you properly, isn't it?"
Kai put on his usual performance, a flawless blend of tenderness and concern, his hands brushing my hair as if I were the most precious thing in the world. "Whoever dares to harm you, I'll never forgive them."
He stood, grabbed a whip from the wall and coldly ordered, "Clayton, shirt off. Kneel."
Without hesitation, Clayton obeyed, sinking to his knees and pulling off his shirt to expose his broad back.
The whip cracked through the air and Kai struck him over and over—more than ten times, until Clayton's back was a canvas of raw, bloody welts. Not once did he make a sound. When it was over, Clayton calmly put his shirt back on, returned to his position beside the bed and stood like a statue.
Kai wiped the blood off his hands with a silk handkerchief, then cupped my face, his fingers cool against my skin. "Milly, are you satisfied now? Will you finally talk to me?"
I gagged, turning my head to the side and spitting straight onto his designer suit.
"Oh dear, sorry," I said sweetly, "my stomach's been acting up lately. Everything wants to come back up. Join me for breakfast, darling?"
The stench of bile and bitterness clung to him and his expression briefly cracked before he forced a smile. "I have a meeting," he said, using work as an excuse to flee.
As soon as he left, I sat up. I had to check the surveillance footage.
Leon had always wanted a cat. For his fourth birthday, I'd secretly arranged for a purebred British Shorthair to be shipped from overseas.
The cat hadn't arrived in time—but I had prepared everything. Cat food was tucked away in the storage room and I had secretly installed surveillance cameras all over the villa, ready to watch the cat's every move once it arrived.
Leon never got to meet that cat. But now, those cameras had a new purpose—they might've caught glimpses of Kai's crimes. Proof. Evidence. Anything. Except Clayton was watching me like a hawk. I tried everything to make him leave—screaming at him, hurling insults, even slapping him across the face.
"Are you deaf? I said get out! You're nothing but Kai's dog. Admit it—you killed Leon, didn't you?"
Clayton simply stared back. His sharp profile remained carved from stone, unmoved by my words or my fists.
In a fit of rage, I grabbed a porcelain vase from the nightstand, smashed it to the floor and seized a jagged shard, pressing it to my wrist.
Clayton moved in an instant, faster than I could blink. His iron grip locked around my wrist, forcing the shard from my hand. They said he held a ninth-degree black belt in Taekwondo and a fifth-degree black belt in Karate—restraining me was no harder than handling a helpless kitten.
But desperation made me frantic. Clayton had to leave, so I slammed my head against the wall with everything I had.
Blinding pain exploded across my skull and my vision blurred red.
For the first time, Clayton hesitated. Panic flickered in his eyes and then he bolted from the room to summon a doctor.
I didn't waste a second. Fighting the waves of dizziness, I crawled to my laptop, locked the door and accessed the surveillance footage.
My fingers shook as I sped through the recordings, heart pounding in my ears.
But there was nothing. Not a single clue pointing to Kai's hand in Leon's murder or the theft of his organs. He was too careful. Too cautious.
But I did find something else.
A conversation between Rae and my father.
They were discussing how to kill me.
第3章
In the surveillance footage, Rae's voice was filled with impatience. "Leon is dead and isn't Milena making a fuss about killing herself? Why is she still alive?"
My father, sitting across from her, spoke with a hesitant tone. "I heard Kai has been keeping bodyguards around her."
Rae rolled her eyes dramatically. "The only reason we kept her around was so she could give birth to Leon and donate his kidney to me. Now that the job is done, it's best if she just dies."
My father shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe Kai's just worried about you. He probably wants to have more kids with Milena—just to create a few extra kidneys, in case something happens again."
Rae's expression darkened, sharp and venomous. "No way. I can't tolerate Milena staying by Kai's side any longer. I'm the one he loves. I need to marry him as soon as possible."
There was a flicker of guilt in my father's eyes, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. "Milena is selfish, but... does she really deserve to die? What if I try to talk her into divorcing Kai instead?"
Rae's cold laugh rang out, echoing off the walls. "Dad, do you really think she'll just let go of Kai? She'll cling to him no matter what. We just need to give her a little push—and luckily, I just got my hands on a new drug."
My father frowned. "What kind of drug?"
With a sweet smile, Rae leaned closer, her innocent face a chilling contrast to her words. "A top-grade aphrodisiac. It'll make her lose all control. I'll find some filthy man infected with AIDS to sleep with her. She'll think it's Kai."
She chuckled softly, her tone dripping with malice. "When the time comes, I'll record the whole thing and send it to Kai. The moment he finds out she has AIDS, he'll kick her out without a second thought."
Her scheme was vile—so twisted it made my stomach churn. Even my father looked unsettled.
"That's... isn't that too much? You're seriously planning to find a man with AIDS?"
Rae's expression turned icy. "There's nothing money can't buy. Don't try to stop me, Dad. Once I marry into the Richards family, you'll live the rest of your life in luxury. I'm not an ungrateful daughter like Milena."
The next day, my mother suddenly appeared at my bedside, carrying a steaming bowl of porridge.
"Milly, you've rarely eaten lately. I made this myself. Eat it while it's warm."
Her hands trembled slightly as she scooped up a spoonful, her gaze flickering uneasily.
A terrible suspicion curled in my stomach. There was something in that porridge. It had to be the aphrodisiac Rae mentioned.
"Mom..." My voice was barely above a whisper. "Do you and Dad really think I'm... ungrateful?" My heart twisted painfully in my chest. Why did my own parents hate me so much? Why were they helping Rae destroy me?
My mother sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Back then, we asked you to donate a kidney to your sister and you refused. After you married rich, we asked you to buy a villa for your brother and you wouldn't."
The bitterness in her voice was impossible to miss and it made my hands tremble. "I was in poor health! The doctors said donating a kidney could've killed me. And even if it hadn't, I might not have saved Rae—I could've lost my life for nothing!
"As for Andy, he's a drunk, a gambler and spends his days chasing women. If I'd given him money, he would've wasted it all. Mom, why can't you see that?"
My mother's expression flickered with conflict, but in the end, her gaze dropped to the floor. "Your father said you're ungrateful, so you must be. He tells me what to do and I do it. He wanted me to make you this porridge, so eat it."
The pain in my chest was unbearable, suffocating. Without hesitation, I swiped my hand across the tray, sending the bowl crashing to the floor.
My mother's shocked expression only made the knot in my throat tighten. I staggered to my feet, stumbled to the wine cabinet and grabbed a random bottle. With a jerk, I pulled out the cork and drank directly from it.
"Screw your porridge!" My voice was hoarse. "Leon is gone. Just leave me alone and let me drink in peace!"
I was deliberately putting on a show—baiting Rae into spiking my wine instead. It would make things easier for me later.
Sure enough, exactly one week later, Rae showed up at my door, smiling sweetly and holding a crystal wine glass. "Sis, this is a 2008 Lafite. Give it a taste."
Two hours earlier, I had already seen her sneaking into the kitchen and slipping something into the wine through the surveillance cameras. Now, she stood before me, dressed in an haute couture gown, her makeup flawless, her posture radiating confidence.
Dangling around her neck was a massive ruby necklace—impossible to miss.
My stomach twisted. I knew that necklace. Kai had bought it at auction, spending over a billion just to win it.
Rae caught my gaze lingering on it and caressed her neck with deliberate slowness, her smile turning smug. "Beautiful, isn't it? Kai gave it to me to celebrate my successful kidney transplant. Now I can finally live a long, healthy life."
第4章
How shameless. Rae's so-called long and healthy life was built on Leon's death, with his kidney now sitting inside her body like a trophy.
The mere thought of it made my fingers twitch with the urge to strangle her right there, to wipe that smug smile off her face for good.
"Come on, Sis, drink up! Haven't you been drinking a lot lately?" Rae's voice was sickeningly sweet, her smile stretching just a little too wide. "Have some wine and pull yourself together. I'll take you to my birthday party."
She clapped her hands and two people stepped into the room—a makeup artist and a stylist, both already armed with brushes and racks of dresses. "Make my sister look gorgeous," Rae instructed, her eyes gleaming with barely contained malice. "I want her to shine at my party and finally move on from all that grief."
The makeup artist painted my eyes with heavy, smoky shadows that darkened my gaze, adding a sultry edge I rarely saw in the mirror. The stylist then slipped me into a mermaid-cut gown, so tight I could barely breathe, with a plunging neckline that left very little to the imagination. It wasn't a dress—it was a lure.
I knew exactly what game Rae was playing. Earlier, I had caught her on the surveillance recording, her voice dripping with glee as she made arrangements with someone over the phone.
"Don't worry, my sister's given birth before, but with some makeup and a sexy dress, she's still passable. She'll definitely satisfy you..."
Her tone was filled with a disgusting mix of amusement and cruelty.
"I already know you have AIDS. That's fine—my sister won't mind. Bring your friends, too. The more, the merrier..."
She even gave him the exact room number at the Aurelian Crown Hotel—room 8868—the same hotel where her birthday party would be held.
Rae's plan was clear as day. She wanted me drugged with the aphrodisiac at her party, dragged upstairs into that hotel room and handed over to a man with HIV. The whole thing would be recorded, of course and sent straight to Kai.
Once Kai saw that I had not only cheated on him but had also contracted HIV, he wouldn't just divorce me—he'd probably throw me out like trash. That was Rae's endgame. She didn't just want my place beside Kai; she wanted to make sure I was too tainted to ever crawl back.
What a meticulous little plan. Almost admirable—if it wasn't so vile.
I gave Rae a soft smile. "Thanks, Rae, but my stomach's been feeling off all day. I feel like I'm about to throw up. Let me go vomit first and then I'll drink that Lafite and get ready for your party."
I gagged dramatically, clutching my stomach for effect.
Rae's expression twisted with barely concealed disgust. She must have still remembered when I threw up on Kai a few days back.
"Ugh, fine. I'll leave you to it, Sis." She took a careful step back, nose wrinkled. "But don't forget to drink your wine."
She left in a hurry and the second she was gone, I poured the drugged wine into a clean glass and stared at the deep red liquid swirling inside. There was no way I'd drink it—but someone else would.
I already had a plan. Kai had a habit of bringing a bottle of fine wine to every event he attended and since he'd be going to Rae's party tonight, there was no doubt he'd pick something from his private cellar. All I had to do was make sure this particular glass of Lafite ended up in the right bottle.
Slipping on a pair of gloves, I made my way down to the villa's basement, where the wine cellar was kept. Rows of rare vintages stood in temperature-controlled perfection, but my eyes went straight to a small gift basket placed near the entrance. Nestled inside was a bottle of 1982 Château Latour and a handwritten birthday card for Rae.
So, Kai had already chosen her gift. How convenient.
I retrieved a wine opener I'd prepared in advance, carefully working the cork out of the Château Latour without damaging it. Slowly, I poured the drugged Lafite into the prized vintage, making sure not to spill a drop. The rich aroma filled the air, mingling with the cool scent of stone and aged wood.
Just as I was about to finish, a sudden pressure closed around my wrist—strong, unyielding, like an iron cuff snapping into place.
My heart leapt into my throat. I turned my head sharply, only to find myself staring straight into Clayton's face.
That damn bodyguard. The man moved like a ghost, always appearing when I least expected him. Who knew how long he'd been standing there, silently watching every move I made?
第5章
"Let go!" I stomped down hard on Clayton's foot, but he barely flinched.
He stood there like an iron wall, tall and solid, his face completely unreadable as his dark eyes bore down on me. His silence was infuriating, but I knew that yelling, cursing, or even trying to physically fight him was useless.
I'd tried everything before—screaming, scratching, even pretending to faint—but nothing worked. Self-harm wouldn't get me anywhere either. Clayton had learned to predict my move, intercepting me with precision before I could slam my head into a wall, slit my wrist, or even bite down on my own tongue. There was no point trying to outmaneuver someone who could read me like a book.
From upstairs, Kai's voice echoed down the stairs. "Who's in the wine cellar? Is someone there?"
Shit. He was coming.
The sound of his footsteps grew closer, each step eating away at what little time I had left.
Desperation surged through me, leaving no room for hesitation. I threw myself into Clayton's chest, grabbing the front of his shirt and before he could react, I stood on tiptoe and crushed my lips against his.
"Get lost," I hissed when I pulled back, my voice low and vicious. "Unless you want Kai to catch us having an affair right here."
For the first time since I met him, Clayton's usually stone-cold face cracked. His eyes widened in sheer shock, the tips of his ears instantly burning red as the flush spread down his neck.
"You dumb mute," I sneered. "If you don't leave now, I'll tell Kai you seduced me—always flaunting your big chest and showing off those eight-pack abs to tempt me." I leaned in closer, my chest brushing against him through the thin fabric of my dress, the heat of my skin pressing into his.
Clayton's wide-eyed panic was almost comical. His face turned scarlet, so red it was almost painful to look at and he stumbled back with his hands raised in surrender. Without a word, he bolted from the cellar like a scared rabbit.
Kai's voice rang out from the hall. "What's going on, Clayton? Is someone down there?"
Clayton probably shook his head, because Kai didn't press the matter. His tone, however, grew sharper. "I told you to keep an eye on my wife. How could you leave your post without permission? Forget it. Just grab the gift I prepared for Rae from the wine cellar and then go wake Milena. We're taking the burgundy Rolls-Royce tonight—we're heading to Aurelian Crown Hotel."
While Kai barked his orders, I hurried to finish what I'd started. The aphrodisiac-laced Lafite was already inside the Château Latour bottle—all that was left was to reseal it. I carefully replaced the cork, sealed the top with a layer of wax and pressed the original stamp back into place. The bottle looked flawless, as though it had never been touched.
Clayton stepped back into the wine cellar, lingering awkwardly behind one of the racks as though hiding from me. He couldn't even look me in the eye.
I reached out and pinched his chin between my fingers, forcing him to face me. "For a mute, you're actually kind of handsome."
The way his long eyelashes trembled, like the delicate wings of a moth caught in a storm, made me laugh. So, that was his weakness—he couldn't handle teasing.
Flustered and thoroughly defeated, Clayton obediently picked up the gift basket containing the Château Latour and delivered it to Rae.
Later, at the hotel, Rae's delighted squeal was enough to make me nauseous. "Oh my! Kai, you're so sweet! You took time out of your busy schedule to come to my birthday party—and you even brought my favorite Château Latour!"
Kai's response was as lukewarm as ever. "Of course. But mostly, I came to keep your sister company."
These two hypocrites. They were putting on a whole act, pretending to be polite and distant in front of me. I bet they'd already slept together more times than I could count.
The sight of them acting so innocent made me sick. I stepped forward, snatched up the Château Latour and held it up. "I want a drink. Open it. Let's all have some right now."
Rae's smile stiffened for just a moment before she quickly covered it with a pout. She turned to Kai with wide, pitiful eyes. "Kai, this is your gift to me. A bottle like this costs hundreds of thousands..."
I didn't give her a chance to finish. "Don't be stingy. Let's all drink together."
Kai's gaze lingered on me, searching my face, before he turned to Rae. "Milly wants to drink. Let's drink with her. I'll buy you another one later."
With that, the bottle was uncorked and three glasses were poured—one for me, one for Kai and one for Rae.
Rae took a sip, her face lighting up with exaggerated delight. "This is amazing wine!"
But Kai's brow creased slightly. "This wine... doesn't taste like pure Château Latour."
My stomach clenched. I'd forgotten—Kai was practically a walking wine encyclopedia. If anyone could tell it had been mixed with Lafite, it was him. Worse, what if he could detect the aphrodisiac?
But after a moment of hesitation, Kai said nothing. Instead, he tipped back his glass and drank the whole thing in one go.
Rae was nearly finished with hers too. She glanced at me, frowning slightly. "Why aren't you drinking?"
I fumbled deliberately, pretending to lose my grip. The glass slipped from my hand, shattering into pieces on the floor.
"Oh no!"
Rae shrieked, leaping back as wine splattered her expensive dress. "Milena! You got my dress all wet! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"Sorry," I murmured, pressing a hand to my forehead. "I didn't sleep well last night. I'm feeling dizzy."
Rae's expression flickered briefly before she put on her signature fake smile. Looping her arm through mine, she cooed sweetly, "Perfect timing. I booked a room upstairs—room 8868. You should go up and get some rest, Sis."
第6章
The moment I stepped into room 8868, the drug in the wine began to take effect.
Rae clung to me like a snake, her limbs limp and trembling, her entire body burning up. "Kai... You're Kai, aren't you? Hold me, Kai... Hurry, take me..."
Her glassy eyes stared straight through me, her mind completely adrift in a haze of lust and confusion. She was so far gone she couldn't even tell who was in front of her anymore.
I shoved her onto the bed, her body hitting the mattress with a dull thud and turned to lock the door. The air in the room felt thick, humid with her ragged breaths, but I had no interest in watching the show that was about to unfold.
Out in the hallway, footsteps echoed, slow and deliberate. A group of men swaggered down the corridor toward me, their hair dyed in garish shades of green, purple and orange. Nose rings, earrings, chipped nails. Even from several feet away, I could smell the rank mix of sweat, alcohol and stale smoke clinging to their skin.
One of them let out a low whistle as they passed me, eyes raking up and down my body like I was a piece of meat on display. I didn't react. My gaze slid down to the key card one of them twirled between his fingers—room 8868.
So, these were Rae's special guests—the HIV-infected men she'd hired for her little scheme.
I stood there, watching silently as they approached the door. Behind it, Rae writhed helplessly, too far gone to even recognize her own reflection. In her drugged stupor, anyone who walked through that door would become Kai in her eyes.
What happened next was obvious. And it had nothing to do with me.
I hadn't bought the drugs, I hadn't booked the room and I most certainly hadn't invited those men. Rae had set the trap all by herself—now she would drown in it.
"Rae..."
Kai's voice suddenly rang out behind me, low and hoarse, startling me so badly my heart slammed into my ribs.
Damn it—why was he here now?
He staggered toward me, his footsteps uneven, his normally sharp gaze clouded with confusion and heat. The drug was hitting him too—his pupils were dilated, his face slightly flushed.
"What are you doing here..." His voice slurred as he reached out, brushing his fingers against my arm. "Are you... waiting for me?"
He was so out of it he couldn't even tell who I was—he thought I was Rae.
Originally, my plan had been simple: let Rae contract HIV from her hired men, then let her unknowingly pass it to Kai during one of their secret rendezvous. But now, looking at him swaying in front of me, a new idea sparked in my mind.
Why let Rae do the dirty work when I could punish him myself—right here, right now?
Without hesitation, I dragged him down the hall and booked another room. When the door clicked shut behind us, I hooked a finger into his tie and tugged, pulling him toward the bed.
He stumbled into me, his breath hot against my neck, the smell of wine and desire rolling off him in waves. "Rae... you smell so good..."
Revulsion churned in my stomach, but I didn't let it show. With all the force I could muster, I shoved him backward. "Kneel."
Like a puppet with its strings cut, Kai crumpled to the floor, his knees hitting the carpet with a muted thud. When he looked up at me, it was with a sickeningly eager smile. "Mmm... feisty. I like it."
I slapped him hard across the face, the sharp crack echoing through the room. His gold-rimmed glasses flew off, landing somewhere near the dresser. A vivid red handprint bloomed on his refined, elegant face.
To my disgust, his eyes darkened with pleasure, his lips parting in a low moan. "Baby... that's all you've got? Hit me harder..."
Bile rose in my throat. Had he and Rae been playing these twisted games behind my back? These two were even filthier than I'd imagined.
I slapped him again. And again. The sharp sounds filled the room, mingling with his ragged breaths and low, sick laughter.
When my palm ached from the impact, I switched to my fists, driving them into his face until streaks of blood marred his once-handsome features. But the bastard only grinned wider, his eyes gleaming with manic excitement. "Baby... you're incredible..."
Disgusting freak. Only a monster like him could rip his own son's kidneys out and hand them to the woman he loved without a trace of remorse.
The inferno of hatred inside me roared to life, burning through every ounce of restraint. My hands weren't enough—I needed more.
I kicked him, the sharp heel of my shoe digging into his thigh, his side, his stomach. Each impact drew another filthy moan from his lips.
"Oh... baby... your high heels... God... they feel amazing..."
I wanted to vomit.
Grabbing the nearest thing within reach—a charging cable coiled on the nightstand—I wrapped it around my hands and swung it down with all my strength, the thin wire leaving red welts across his chest and arms.
"You sick bastard!" My voice shook with rage, each word punctuated by another lash. "How dare you kill Leon?! Give me back my son!"
第7章
Kai writhed on the carpet like a maggot drenched in filth, every twitch of his body as grotesque as the man himself.
Outside, thunder cracked and a flash of lightning illuminated his twisted, exhilarated face. He was laughing—hoarse, breathless and utterly unrepentant. "Who? Leon? Hah! He served his purpose. His kidneys saved you, Baby..."
The words were gasoline poured directly onto the fire raging inside me. My hands trembled with fury as I lashed him harder, the charging cable snapping in half from the force. Without missing a beat, I grabbed a soaked towel from the bathroom and continued whipping him, the wet fabric smacking against his skin with a brutal crack.
Kai shrieked, then laughed, the sick sound ringing in my ears. "Leon had to die! Too bad I couldn't kill him myself—but I watched! I watched every second of his dissection! They cut out his kidney while he was still alive because, you know, a living donor's kidney is always the best!"
A searing pain twisted deep in my chest, sharp enough to steal my breath.
Leon—my precious son. Did they really cut him open while he was still breathing? How much agony did he suffer before his tiny body gave out?
Did he cry for me? Did he scream for his mother while they sliced him apart like a piece of meat?
The image alone shattered me. My vision blurred with tears and my grip on the towel grew so tight my knuckles ached. Hot tears streamed down my face, but the grief only fed the inferno inside me.
"Bastard!" My scream ripped through the room, raw and jagged. "Give me back my son's life!"
I struck him again and again until my arms felt like they would snap under the strain, then I wrapped the towel around his neck, twisting it tightly.
Only then did Kai's smug expression flicker into fear. His bloodshot eyes bulged, his tongue pushing between his lips as he gasped like a fish dragged onto dry land. "N-No... I can't... breathe... Stop..."
But I couldn't stop. Sanity had long slipped through my fingers, leaving only one relentless, burning desire: Kill him. Make him pay. Bury him with Leon.
Another crack of thunder roared outside, rattling the windows as rain pounded against the glass. The storm outside howled, drowning out Kai's choking gasps. Just as his eyes started rolling back, the door burst open with a loud bang.
Clayton stormed in, his heavy footsteps shaking the floor. He grabbed me, fingers pressing into pressure points on my wrist, forcing me to release my grip. My hands spasmed open, the towel falling uselessly to the floor.
"Don't you dare stop me!" My voice was ragged, my throat raw from screaming. "I want him dead!"
"Calm down. Please calm down, Ma'am." Clayton's deep voice was low but firm, his words cutting through the haze of fury like a knife. "Leon is still alive."
The world tilted. Everything—the storm, Kai's choking gasps, my own trembling breath—blurred into a dull hum.
Leon... still alive?
"Where is he? Where's Leon?" My words came out in a desperate rush, emotions crashing over me like a tidal wave—disbelief, hope, fear, joy. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst, but I forced myself to focus.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clayton kneel beside Kai, swiftly positioning him on his back and starting CPR with expert precision. His movements were fluid, practiced—too competent for the bumbling, harmless bodyguard I thought I knew.
This wasn't the Clayton I remembered.
The tall, simple-minded brute was gone. In his place stood someone else entirely—someone whose sharp, focused eyes gleamed with cold intelligence. His tightly fitted black clothes stretched over lean muscle, radiating quiet strength, his every movement controlled and efficient.
He wasn't just a bodyguard. He was a predator lying in wait.
"Who are you really?" I demanded, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to stay composed.
Clayton didn't answer right away, too focused on resuscitating Kai. After a tense moment, Kai sucked in a sharp breath, his limp body convulsing slightly as air returned to his lungs. He hadn't died—only lost consciousness for a moment.
Clayton stood, gently taking my arm and guiding me out of the room. Once the door clicked shut behind us, he finally spoke in a low voice. "I'm an undercover agent. I infiltrated the Richards family to investigate Kai's criminal activities. His company is deeply involved in illegal dealings. Mrs. Richards, were you aware of this?"
I shook my head. No, I hadn't known. Between my own illness and taking care of Leon, I'd had no energy left to keep track of Kai's business affairs.
None of that mattered right now. There was only one thing I needed to know. "Where's Leon now?"
Clayton's gaze softened slightly. "Don't worry, Mrs. Richards. He's safe. We placed him in a daycare near the police station under full protection. He's completely unharmed."
A broken laugh burst from my throat, half-sob, half-disbelieving relief. My legs nearly gave out under me. "Really? You're not lying?"
"I wouldn't dare lie about this, Ma'am." His voice was steady, the weight of his sincerity grounding me even as I trembled. "When I discovered Kai's plan to harvest Leon's kidney, I coordinated with the police to switch Leon out in secret. The surgery Kai watched on the live feed? That wasn't Leon. It was a 3D-printed human model."
The ground swayed beneath my feet. "Then... whose kidney did Rae receive?"
Clayton's expression didn't change, his tone perfectly neutral. "A pig's kidney."
My mind blanked for a moment. "What?"
"This year, Arlington University's research team developed experimental technology allowing pig kidneys to be transplanted into humans. It hasn't been fully approved for clinical use yet, but Rae... well, she's a perfect test subject."
My mouth opened, then closed. I could hardly process what I was hearing.
Clayton's calm voice carried on. "The technology is still unstable, though. It's unclear how long the kidney will function in her body. At best, she'll need a second transplant soon."
第8章
I bet Rae still didn't know the truth. She was probably still believing the kidney inside her came from a healthy, innocent four-year-old boy. Believing that this stolen organ would guarantee her a long, healthy life.
Realizing this, some of my hatred toward her ebbed—just a little.
"Damn it! Room 8868! Call the police now!" My voice rang out sharply as I sprinted down the hall toward the room.
But I was too late. The door swung open just as I arrived and the group of men staggered out—sweaty, disheveled and fully satisfied. They were pulling up their pants, grinning to themselves, their eyes dull and empty like used-up husks.
Clayton moved swiftly, his expression cold and professional as he subdued each of them in turn. Within seconds, they were handcuffed and lined up against the wall, ready to be handed over to the authorities.
The air in the room was thick with the stench of sweat, alcohol and something darker. I stood at the threshold, hesitating, bile rising in my throat.
Rae lay sprawled across the bed, completely naked, tangled in sweat-dampened sheets. Her face was flushed, her lips curled into a lazy, intoxicated smile.
"Kai... that was amazing..." she murmured dreamily. "I want more..."
The words made my stomach churn, but I forced myself to approach her. Covering my mouth and nose with one hand, I shook her shoulder roughly. "Wake up, Rae! Wake up now! We need to get you to a hospital!"
She stirred lazily, rolling onto her side with a soft sigh. "Kai, this was my first time... you have to take responsibility for me, okay..."
I froze. Her first time?
The thought flickered through my mind for only a second—Rae and Kai had never slept together before?
But there was no time to dwell on it. Right now, the priority was getting her to the hospital. She was still my sister and I couldn't stand by and watch her die—no matter how much I despised her.
I dragged her into the car and sped toward the hospital, my fingers white-knuckled around the steering wheel. Halfway through the drive, Rae finally stirred awake. Stretching her arms above her head, she yawned lazily, her voice dripping with that sickly-sweet tone she always used when she thought she was the center of the universe.
"What's the rush, Sis? I just slept with Kai. Are you trying to crash the car and kill us both?"
Her shamelessness stripped away any lingering sympathy I might have had. Gritting my teeth, I tried to explain what really happened—that it wasn't Kai she'd been with, but a group of HIV-infected men.
But Rae only laughed, cutting me off before I could finish.
"Wow, Sis. You're really grasping at straws now, huh?" She leaned back in the passenger seat, smirking. "You're the one who slept with HIV-positive guys, but now you're saying it's me? Please. I was totally sober. I know exactly who I slept with—it was Kai. Don't believe me? Look."
She unlocked her phone and waved it triumphantly in my face, scrolling through a series of messages from Kai.
[Baby, you were amazing tonight.]
[You know exactly what I like—we're so in sync.]
[We went a little too rough tonight. My neck still hurts. Next time, let's make it even kinkier.]
I stared at the screen, speechless. The cruel irony left me breathless.
Kai had taken the aphrodisiac too and in his drugged state, he had mistaken me for Rae. Even now, he still thought the beating I gave him was some kind of twisted sex game.
Rae grinned, completely oblivious to how close she'd come to death. "See that? Kai and I are meant to be. You should really hurry up and divorce him—there's no place for you anymore."
Her eyes sparkled with malice, but her voice took on a syrupy sweetness as she leaned in closer. "Otherwise..." She paused, her grin widening. "I'll spread the word that you have AIDS. Let's see how long you can hold your head up after that."
I turned to look at her, any last traces of pity or sisterly affection dissolving into nothing. There was only cold detachment left.
But Rae, drunk on her own arrogance, only grew bolder under my silence. "What are you staring at?! Think you're better than me just because you're smarter? You've always looked down on me, haven't you?" Her voice climbed higher, shriller with each word. "But look at you now—a pathetic loser!"
She leaned back, her smile vicious. "Dad didn't love you, Mom didn't care about you, your precious Leon is dead and your husband can't stand you. Face it—you're nothing. Nothing but a miserable, worthless loser."
She threw her head back and laughed, the sound grating like nails on glass. "Me? I'm at the top of my game! I'm healthy, I'm beautiful and I'm about to marry rich. Kai will worship me—he'll treat me like a queen!"
I watched her spin her delusions like a spider weaving silk, her glee so blinding she couldn't see the web tightening around her own neck.
I couldn't help it—I laughed too. Cold, quiet and full of pity she didn't deserve.
"Alright then," I said softly. "I'll be waiting to see how that turns out."