Elena Shaw is the wife of Henry Leone, the current head of the Monraven-based Mafia family in Newshire. She has been married to him for two years, but he has never once slept with her.

Late one night, she inadvertently sees Henry relieving his desires while listening to a woman's voice. The voice belonged to Irene Shaw, her adopted younger sister and Henry's ex-fiancee.

The year Elena turned 18, a DNA report changed both hers and Irene's fates.

Elena is the real heir of the Shaw family, who had been taken at a young age and discarded abroad in Etolia. Meanwhile, Irene is the one who has taken her place in the Shaw family, receiving all of the love and glory that should've belonged to Elena.

When Elena is brought back to the Shaw family, she replaces Irene as Henry's fiancee. However, Henry only marries her to take revenge against her for "ruining Irene's life". Even the fact that he had once saved her life turns out to be part of an elaborate lie.

After learning the truth, Elena doesn't hesitate to leave.

Once she disappears from Henry's world, the usually calm and collected Henry loses his mind.

On the day of Elena Shaw's second wedding anniversary, she was sorting through her old belongings when she pulled out a dusty box. Inside the box was a scented candle purported to be an adult toy as well as a set of seductive lingerie.

She'd prepared these before her wedding. They were the "secret weapons" she prepared to surprise her husband, Henry Leone, on their wedding night.

Two years had passed. Everything was still brand new and untouched.

Elena and Henry, the current head of the Monraven-based Mafia family in Newshire, had never done it before.

On her wedding night, she'd knocked on the door of Henry's study with a bottle of vintage red wine in hand. The two had chatted while sipping on the wine. After a few glasses, she mustered up the courage to take off her bathrobe, revealing the black lace lingerie she wore beneath. Then, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Darling, tonight—"

At the very next second, Elena had been shoved to the floor.

"Get away from me! Don't touch me."

Henry's gaze was icy as he declared, "If you crave the touch of a man, go find someone from the club. Don't come and disgust me."

Elena turned pale. She didn't understand why expressing her love for her husband was something disgusting.

…

That night, after being reminded of the past, the teary-eyed Elena sat on the couch, drinking wine as she recalled everything that happened throughout the last two years.

Once she was a little drunk, she decided to confront Henry about everything. Wobbling as she walked, she arrived at the study only to find that the door was slightly ajar. She vaguely heard a voice coming from inside the study.

When Elena drew nearer, what she saw through the doorway made her blood turn cold.

Henry, the man who'd avoided all intimate contact with her for the last two years, was currently pleasuring himself. Even with his eyes closed, it was clear he was lost in his desire. A recording of a woman's voice was playing beside him.

The voice belonged to Irene Shaw, Elena's "adopted" younger sister, who was once Henry's fiancee.

Dazed, Elena returned to her room and sat down on the bed before picking up the iPad by the side of the bed to draft out a divorce agreement. Upon realizing it was Henry's iPad, she was just about to turn it off when she accidentally tapped on his Facebook Messenger application.

Instantly, she saw messages from a chat group named "Commemoration of 777".

"Is Henry still saving himself? He's basically a saint at this point."

"With that body of hers, Elena can probably sell herself for 100 grand a night, but Henry belongs to Irene!"

"Irene would never have left if not for Elena. Henry needs to divorce her and have her kicked out of elite society! That's the only way to avenge Irene."

"That's vicious. But Henry, now that you're in charge of the Leone family, isn't it time for you to put an end to everything?"

The last message came from Henry's account.

"It'll be another three months, at most."

Elena felt as though someone had ripped her heart open. She was the daughter of the Shaws, a prominent family from the Upper East Side of Newshire that dabbled in both business and politics.

But when she was little, her family's enemies kidnapped her. They abandoned her abroad in Etolia, where her adoptive parents took her in. She had only returned to the Shaws five years ago.

However, her birth parents, Frank Shaw and Molly Thurman, couldn't bear to send away Irene, who'd taken Elena's place for almost two decades.

The Shaws and the Leones had set the marriage between the two families years ago. Therefore, after returning to the Shaws, Elena became Henry's fiancee.

Initially, she didn't care much for the marriage alliance, but it was Henry who made the first move and pursued her.

When Elena couldn't get used to the food in Newshire, Henry took a private jet to Solvale, a city in Etolia where she grew up in, and imported the local produce for her. While she was studying, he would accompany her after he got off work.

Once, both Elena and Irene had been abducted by the Shaw family's enemies. Frank and Molly only chose to save Irene. It was Henry who attacked the abductors and risked his life to save Elena. Thinking that she'd met the right man for her, she fell in love with him and married him.

Yet, after the wedding, he suddenly began treating her coldly and never once slept with her.

Elena finally knew why. He was saving himself for Irene.

As she stood out on the balcony, her tears streamed down her face. It wasn't as though she'd tried to steal Irene's place and marry Henry on purpose. What did she do to deserve this? Why had she suddenly become the target of his revenge?

Just then, Elena's phone rang with a call from Gianna Ricci, her adoptive mother back in Etolia.

"Hey, sweetheart. The gala auction we're organizing this year is happening the day after tomorrow. I specifically picked out some interesting items that I know you'll love. Do you want to come back and take a look?" Gianna asked.

The familiar tone of affection in Gianna's voice made Elena break down in tears.

"Mom, I want to go back to Etolia."

After a brief silence, Gianna's frantic, angered voice rang out.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. Are the Shaws mistreating you? Come home at once! With your dad and I here, we won't allow anyone to hurt you anymore!"

Elena's adoptive parents, Anthony Gallo and Gianna, ran the oldest Mafia family in southern Etolia. The family's influence ran deep with both the business world and the criminal underworld of the entire continent of Anarone.

Gianna's voice hardened as she continued over the phone, "Two days from now, the family jet will be there to pick you up and bring you home. You're my daughter, the Principessa of the Gallo family. You're not a pawn who can be used and discarded at will. No one has the right to humiliate the daughter I raised myself!"

The next morning, Elena got a call from Tanya Verga, Henry's grandma. Her anxious voice boomed loudly in the room.

"The Leone family needs an heir, Elena! Hurry up and do something about it. Do as I say and make the first move tonight. You must produce an heir by this year. Are we clear?"

Elena quickly tried to lower the volume, but Henry heard Tanya anyway. He stepped out of the bathroom. As he was drying his hair with a towel, he paused and questioned, "Just how desperate are you, Elena?"

She hastily tried to explain, "I'm not—"

Before she could finish speaking, Henry had approached her and pinned her down against the bed. His fingers wandered along her collarbone, then trailed downward...

"You're not? Why are you dressed like that, then? Who did you get all dressed up for?"

Only then did Elena look down and notice what she was wearing. She'd gotten drunk last night and had fallen asleep wearing the black lace lingerie she found.

She looked very tempting in the black lingerie, and from Henry's position, he could see the perfect curves. Gulping, he recalled what his friend had teased him with last night.

"She's freaking hot, Henry. How are you still holding yourself back? If I were you, I would've had my way with her ages ago."

Henry shot backward and looked away, saying, "Don't waste your time. You want a child, right? I've made the arrangements to get that over with."

Elena was stumped. He'd made the arrangements for a child? What did that mean?

Half an hour later, a black Maybach pulled up outside a private hospital.

Once Elena looked through the car window, her expression stiffened.

"Why did you take me to a hospital, Henry?"

Henry didn't bother responding.

Several dozen hospital staff were waiting to greet them. Upon seeing Elena, one of them, a doctor named Eric White, came forward and said politely, "Please change into the hospital gown in preparation for the surgery, Mrs. Leone. We'll be giving you a hormone injection shortly to stimulate ovulation and prepare for the egg retrieval. You might feel a little discomfort."

Brows slightly creased, Elena turned to Henry and asked, "Egg retrieval?"

"For the IVF procedure," Henry replied indifferently. "What? Do you think I'd actually touch you?"

Elena stood frozen. "You… Why are you insisting on having this child?"

He was also planning to divorce her, so why bother having a baby through IVF?

Frowning impatiently, Henry replied, "The child is part of the deal. Do you think I'd want one if not for that?"

His words destroyed all feelings Elena ever had for him. Her heart was stinging with pain, and her voice was icy as she declared, "I refuse."

Sneering, Henry got up and closed in on her like a predator.

"Are you rejecting the procedure because you're still holding out hope that I'll sleep with you?"

Grabbing Elena by the jaw, he said coldly, "Do you think I can't see through your little tricks? I'm not asking for your opinion right now. All that's required of you is to do as you're told."

Henry flung her mercilessly to the side and turned to Eric. He ordered, "Drag her in and begin the procedure at once."

Though Elena fought with all her might, she couldn't get away from the people who were holding her down. The moment the needle pricked her skin, her tears fell.

How could Henry be this cruel?

The sedatives took effect quickly. Her mind turned groggy, and she soon lost consciousness.

…

When Elena woke up the next morning, Eric immediately came to check on her. "You're awake, Mrs. Leone. Your body had a strong rejection response earlier, but thankfully, your condition has stabilized."

"Where's Henry?"

"He left after his part was done," Eric replied with a stiff smile.

Elena's heart sank. She closed her eyes, reining in the wave of nausea that hit her. Did Henry do it while listening to Irene's voice again?

Eric continued, "I have some good news. The embryo matching was a success."

He opened up a refrigerated case to reveal six test tubes.

"Once you've recovered, we will choose one of the embryos for implantation."

Staring dazedly at the test tubes, Elena clutched the blanket so hard her nails nearly tore through it.

Just as Eric was about to inform Elena about the upcoming procedure, she abruptly sat up.

"Mrs. Leone! Please put it down!" Eric cried out in alarm.

Elena grabbed the test tubes and threw them onto the floor, instantly covering it in glass shards.

"I don't want the child!" she yelled, her gaze sharp. "The Leones own this hospital. You'll get into a ton of trouble if Henry finds out about this, so you'd better keep this a secret."

Terrified, Eric started sweating. "But… what if Mr. Leone asks…"

"I'm the sole heir of the Shaw family. If he asks you about this, I'll protect you."

Since Elena had decided to leave, she wasn't going to do anything that would keep her attached in any way. Looking down at the broken test tubes, she teared up. She had once dreamed of having a child with Henry, but not like this.

Wiping her tears dry, she got up to leave. She desperately wanted to go somewhere to get her mind off things.

After packing some of her things, Elena drove to a private off-road park up north. Back when she was growing up in Etolia, she loved off-road biking and target shooting in the wild the most.

When she moved to Newshire, she wasn't allowed to use the private park the Shaws owned, and she couldn't find a place where she could hunt freely either. Gianna was the one who stepped in and bought a patch of forest land in the northern part of the state, complete with a mountain. She had even spent a great deal of money turning it into a private training ground.

The massive estate was done up rather lavishly. Once it was open for business, it became a secluded haven for the elites of Newshire. Even among the mafia families, it was known for being the place to have a luxurious retreat while remaining discreet.

As soon as Elena arrived, she saw a familiar black Maybach parked at the entrance. The door opened, and Henry carried Irene out of the car. After setting her down, he turned and saw Elena standing at the entrance in form-fitting gear.

Henry frowned. He thought Elena was still recuperating at the hospital. After all, according to Eric, the administration of the hormonal injection had elicited a strong rejection response from her body. How could she be here now?

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm testing out a gun," Elena replied coldly.

Meanwhile, Henry's friends had gotten out from the car behind him. After hearing Elena's response, they all started cackling.

"A gun? What gun is she talking about? Probably one of those pink plastic toy ones, huh?"

"Oh, right. She came back from Etolia, didn't she? The only mode of transport out there in the rural countryside where she's from is buses. She probably has never even seen an ATV before."

Anthony and Gianna, Elena's adoptive parents, ran a Mafia family back in Etolia. However, Elena kept a low profile and never revealed details about her adoptive family, so everyone thought she'd been taken in by an ordinary family out in the Etolian countryside.

"Shall we teach you how to shoot a gun? I promise we'll be super hands-on. We'll even hold the gun for you if it's too heavy for you."

The men snickered while staring pointedly at Elena.

Uninterested in dealing with them, Elena picked out a narrow path and went up the mountain. Soon after that, it started raining. The rain kept getting heavier, making the mountain paths incredibly slippery. She immediately turned around and headed back.

When she got back to the main building, she saw the men from earlier standing around looking distressed.

Frowning, she walked up to them and asked, "Where's Henry?"

"Elena! Help! Henry's stuck up on the mountain!" Irene cried out in a panic.

She tearfully explained that she saw a pretty snow leopard up on the mountain, so Henry went after it in spite of the rain. However, he was caught in a landslide and was now missing.

"Did he get kicked in the head?"

Elena's expression darkened at once as she snapped, "The mountain terrain becomes incredibly dangerous when it rains, and there are even more predators roaming about after dark. Has he lost his mind?"

One of Henry's friends retorted sarcastically, "Why are you yapping away, huh? Don't tell me you can fly over to him right away. The bodyguards have already gone out in search of him, and the nearby search-and-rescue teams will be here in four hours. It's not like you can be of any help."

He was still talking when everyone saw Elena jumping onto a modified tactical ATV with ease.

Turning around, she said, "I'll save him."

Then, she rode off on the ATV, kicking up a cloud of gravel and mist.

Everyone was stunned.

"What the hell? She knows how to ride that thing?"