My sister-in-law, Sabine Vire, deliberately swapped my prenatal medication with abortion pills.

As a result, my eight-month-old baby was gone.

As I cried until I nearly collapsed from grief, my husband, Cassian Thorne, held me tightly and murmured, "Don’t worry. You’ll have another child."

Three months later, I became pregnant again—this time with triplets.

Overwhelmed with joy, I was just about to share the wonderful news with Cassian when I overheard a conversation between him and his friends.

"All five of you didn’t use protection, right? I want to see how many brats her belly can carry. The wager is $50 million."

"I bet three."

"I bet one."

Cassian burst into laughter. "If we’re betting, then we’re going big. I bet six. Who told her to slap my precious Sabine? If she can pop out a few brats to make Sabine happy, that’s her blessing."

Sabine, the very woman who had fed me the abortion pills, was Cassian's beloved.

I was freezing from head to toe, my legs so weak I nearly collapsed, yet inside the private room, the atmosphere only grew hotter and wilder.

My sister-in-law, Sabine Vire, sat straddling Cassian Thorne’s lap, her skirt pushed up to the top of her thighs.

"Cass, if your wife finds out about this, she’ll be heartbroken. She still thinks those days on the Obsidian Isle were with you, but the truth is, it was all five of you."

Cassian bit down on her lips. "You’re too kind. Did you forget the slap she gave you? I planned all of this to get revenge for you."

Sabine covered her cheek. "It’s not entirely her fault either. I was careless. I gave her abortion pills instead of prenatal medicine."

Cassian pulled her into his arms and patted her back soothingly. "I know you meant well. You don’t have to explain. Sabine, I promised Pluto I’d take good care of you. I won’t let you suffer even the slightest grievance."

Moved, Sabine threw herself into his embrace. "What if she finds out and divorces you?"

"Heh. She’s an orphan. Where would she even go? She can only rely on me for the rest of her life. She wouldn’t dare leave me, not even if she died."

His friends whistled.

"Cassian, you’re generous. I’ve wanted your wife for a long time. And you actually let us have her."

"Yeah, it was incredible. I still can’t forget the way she cried and begged for mercy."

"If we’re getting revenge, why don’t we just tell Kaelith the truth? I’d love to see her reaction."

"No." There was not the slightest room for negotiation. Cassian’s gaze swept coldly across the other five men. "If any of you let her find out about those nights, don’t blame me for what happens.

"Tomorrow I’m taking Kaelith to the hospital. Once we know how many babies she’s carrying, the bet is over. After that, I’ll figure out a way to get rid of them. As long as Kaelith thinks it’s her own body’s problem, it’ll leave no trace."

Groans filled the room.

"Cassian, you did that on purpose—letting us taste your wife, then not allowing us another bite. You won’t even let our children live."

Cassian squeezed Sabine’s hip. "Don’t push your luck. Letting you enjoy her once was already charity. You should be thanking Sabine. This was her brilliant idea."

By the time I got home, I had crushed the ultrasound report showing triplets to pieces in my hands.

I had thought heaven was finally taking pity on me by giving me three children at once to make up for my loss. I never imagined it was all part of Cassian and Sabine’s vicious scheme.

On the day I lost my baby, Cassian had held me the entire time, soothing me, "Kaelith, you’re still so young. We’ll definitely have another child."

I couldn’t accept it. The baby was already eight months along—only one more month, and I could have held them in my arms.

I had slapped Sabine hard across the face and screamed, "Give me back my baby! Give me back my child!"

Sabine had looked even more aggrieved than I was. "I’m sorry, Kaelith. I didn’t mean to. I misread the label. I was only trying to help."

How could that possibly be misread?

Abortion pills and prenatal medicine… How could anyone confuse something so completely different?

Nevertheless, Cassian had believed her. He even blamed me.

"Sabine just lost her husband. As her sister-in-law, you should be comforting her. Instead, you’re accusing her for no reason."

"Kaelith, when did you become so cruel?"

For the next two months, Cassian had taken meticulous care of me, comforting me and promising he would give me many, many more children.

He had brought me to a private island named Obsidian Isle to clear my mind.

Strangely, his other five friends and Sabine had joined us. I had felt deeply uncomfortable at the time, but Cassian still insisted they come along.

That entire week, I fell asleep early every night, yet the next morning I was always so exhausted I could barely get out of bed. My body felt torn apart, as if it had been ripped to pieces.

Each time, Cassian admitted he couldn’t control himself while I was asleep…

Only today did I learn the ugly truth.

Compared to that, the man who kidnapped me yesterday didn’t seem so terrible after all.

I took out the business card he had given me and called the number. "Are you absolutely sure the child I’m carrying belongs to Adric Vale, the underground king?"

The secretary on the other end, Lennox Hale, was extremely certain and even sent me the fetal genetic test report.

"All three babies belong to President Vale. He has a hereditary condition that makes it nearly impossible for him to have children. For him to have heirs is truly heaven’s blessing. Miss Kaelith, you must keep them…"

My mind was in complete turmoil.

At that moment, the front door opened. Cassian had returned, and Sabine was with him.

Ever since his younger brother, Pluto Thorne, died unexpectedly, Cassian had brought Sabine into our home. He said she was family and that he would take care of her for the rest of her life.

I had looked at their hands, still clasped together, and a dull ache spread through my chest.

I should have known long ago that something was wrong between them. I had just been lying to myself.

Cassian released her hand and reached for me. "Honey, why aren’t you asleep yet? Didn’t the doctor say you need plenty of rest?"

I gagged instinctively. It was revolting to think that the same hand had just been under Sabine’s skirt.

"Don’t touch me."

Cassian frowned. "Honey, what’s wrong?"

Before I could answer, Sabine suddenly brightened. "Kaelith, you’re gagging. Are you pregnant again?"

"Pregnant?" Cassian sounded excited, too. "The timing would make sense. Honey, go rest. Tomorrow we’ll go to the hospital together for a checkup. I’ll tuck Sabine in first and come back to keep you company."

He led Sabine by the hand and closed the bedroom door next to mine.

A sharp pain pierced through my chest.

Ever since Pluto died, Sabine claimed she had nightmares every night and couldn’t sleep without Cassian beside her. He ended up dividing himself between two bedrooms.

He had told me, "It’s only temporary. Once Sabine gets through this difficult time, I’ll be yours and yours alone again."

An hour turned into two, until eventually he stopped returning to our room at all.

When I protested, he had said, "She’s a woman too. How can you have so little compassion?"

Now I stood outside their door, hearing Sabine’s soft moans.

"Cass, how many babies do you think Kaelith is carrying? And whose are they? I’m so curious."

Cassian panted heavily. "No matter how many, and no matter whose they are, they won’t be kept. Sabine, you know I staged all of this to avenge that slap she gave you. I did it for you."

"You’re so good to me, Cass. When will I finally get pregnant with your child? I’m so jealous of her."

"Jealous of what? When the time comes to abort those babies, I’ll have the doctor remove her uterus, too. That should put your mind at ease. Thorne babies can only come from your womb."

I stood outside the door, frozen to the bone, holding the phone that had never been hung up.

"Tell Mr. Vale I agree to keep the children."

That night, Cassian did not return to the bedroom.

At dawn, Sabine pushed open my door, her body covered in red marks. She deliberately lifted her skirt in front of me.

"Kaelith, is he that rough with you, too?"

"Look at me. My whole body hurts, especially my inner thighs. It hurts so much I don’t even want to walk."

Cassian walked in carrying two glasses of milk, handing one to me and one to Sabine. "Drink up. We’re going to the hospital together afterward."

Sabine tilted her head. "If Kaelith is getting checked, why do I have to go?"

Cassian flicked her nose. "Dummy, counting the dates, you should be about ready, too. I promised I’d give you a Thorne child as well."

They behaved shamelessly in front of me, completely uninhibited.

I rose silently without touching the milk. Cassian looked displeased and lifted the glass, trying to force it to my lips.

"What are you sulking about now? I didn’t come back last night because Sabine kept having nightmares. You know she lost Pluto. I…"

As I struggled, the entire glass of milk splashed across Cassian. His fists clenched as he fought to restrain himself.

Sabine screamed and scrambled around looking for tissues. "Kaelith, how can you be so violent? Cassian was only worried about me. If you need to vent your anger, take it out on me. He’s only doing this for my sake!"

So it was all for her.

My eyes burned as I glared at them, about to explode, then I suddenly remembered Lennox’s warning.

Adric would not return from abroad for three more days. Until then, for the children’s sake, I couldn’t afford to provoke them.

Seeing that I had fallen silent, Cassian studied me suspiciously for several moments before dragging both Sabine and me to the hospital.

At the hospital entrance, Cassian’s five friends were craning their necks. They crowded around me. "Kaelith, hurry in. I can’t wait to know the results."

"Same here, same here."

Their gazes stripped over me nakedly, as if they wanted to tear my clothes off on the spot. Rage and humiliation surged through me.

However, I couldn’t react. I had to endure.

An hour later, the results came out. As expected, Cassian’s friends hid in the stairwell, buzzing with excitement.

"Three. It really is three."

"I won, hahaha! Everyone owes me $50 million. Pay up!"

"Three babies… Kaelith really does have incredible fertility."

Cassian, however, looked disappointed. He stared at my ultrasound report, his expression dark and unreadable.

At that moment, Sabine walked over, clutching her own report.

"Cassian, I’m pregnant too. Look, I'm four weeks along. Almost the same time as Kaelith." Then she cast him a pitiful glance. "My God, how could Kaelith get pregnant with three babies at once? Her body must be incredible. Unlike useless me, who can only carry one for you. I’ll never measure up to her. Never."

Cassian pulled her into his arms. "It’s not about quantity. No matter how many there are, if they’re not mine, I won’t keep them. Sabine, I can finally face Pluto now. You must take good care of yourself and give birth to the first heir of the Thornes as soon as possible."

Cassian stepped out of the stairwell, looking at my stomach with pure disgust. "Abort them, Kaelith. Sabine is pregnant now. Let her give birth first. Pluto is already dead…"

Yes. He was dead. Pluto had been gone for a year. Everyone knew whose child she was carrying. No one had simply torn away the thin veil of pretense.

I stared straight into Cassian’s eyes. "What about these three children? You don’t want them?"

Cassian said, "Later, I’ll focus on giving you a child, all right?"

"Fine. Then schedule the abortion for me."

An abortion appointment would take at least a week.

'Adric Vale, if you truly care about these children, come at the agreed time.'

I agreed to the abortion, yet Cassian seemed unexpectedly dissatisfied.

"You actually agree to it? Don’t you love children more than anything? When the last one didn’t make it, you cried like you wanted to die. Why are you giving these three up so easily?"

His friends were reluctant, too.

"Kaelith, keep them. Triplets are so rare."