Blurb：
Dive into the thrilling world of Vampire Academy, where Rose Hathaway, a fierce Dhampir guardian, risks everything for her Moroi princess, Lissa Dragomir. But when Rose falls for her mentor, the enigmatic Dimitri Belikov, their forbidden love ignites danger and passion. Uncover dark secrets, deadly Strigoi threats, and epic battles in this addictive young adult fantasy. Perfect for fans of Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and strong heroines!
Content：
After I become pregnant, Mason Clarke suddenly becomes incredibly attentive to me.
He cancels all his social engagements and personally cooks for me every day. Everyone envies me for finding such a devoted and caring husband.
Until one day in his study, I accidentally discover a document titled Prenatal Blood Donation and Cord Blood Donation Agreement.
My name and social security number are clearly written on it!
In the beneficiary column is Chloe Reid, his first love, whom he has been supporting abroad for seven years.
From outside the door comes his gentle, doting voice.
“Chloe, don’t worry. I’m personally monitoring her. Her nutrition and daily routine are held to the highest standards to ensure the baby is born perfectly healthy. Your life-saving treatment is absolutely guaranteed!”
So all those pregnancy meals he carefully prepares for me, the mountains of expensive supplements, none of it is ever out of love.
It’s all to fatten me into nothing more than a walking blood bank!
Chapter 1
“Chloe, don’t worry. Once the baby is born, I’ll personally take it to the operating room. She and the child should feel honored to contribute to your recovery.”
My stomach twisted into knots as I heard Mason Clarke’s voice through the door. After fighting back waves of nausea, I forced myself to open the document I’d found in his drawer—the Prenatal Blood Donation and Cord Blood Donation Agreement.
The contract laid it out in black and white. “Party B, Juliette Hartwell, agrees to provide 200cc of blood every 15 days throughout her pregnancy for Chloe Reid, who suffers from aplastic anemia.
“Party B will voluntarily donate her child’s cord blood immediately following delivery for Chloe Reid’s emergency medical treatment.”
So all those blood draws the nurses had been doing weren’t routine prenatal tests at all—they were feeding my blood directly to Chloe.
The contract was dated the day after I’d gotten my positive pregnancy test. I could still picture the moment Mason burst through the front door, sweeping me up in his arms and spinning me around excitedly.
But he hadn’t been celebrating our baby—he’d been celebrating finally finding the perfect donor to keep his precious Chloe alive.
I felt ice run through my veins as I flipped through the pages with trembling fingers. The final page contained supplementary clauses printed in bold black letters.
“Should cord blood compatibility prove insufficient, Party B Juliette Hartwell agrees that upon the child reaching appropriate medical criteria, said child will serve as bone marrow donor for Chloe Reid.
“As compensation for services rendered, upon successful completion of transplant procedures, Mason Clarke will provide Juliette Hartwell a one-time payment of ten million dollars in damages and immediately file for divorce.
“Full custody of the minor child shall remain with Mason Clarke.”
My child—the child I nearly died trying to conceive.
Before it was even born, its own father had already put a price tag on it, turning my baby into nothing more than a walking blood bag and bone marrow bank!
Seven years of what I thought was love… I thought all the kindness he’d shown me meant I’d finally found my happy ending. I never imagined it was all part of his cruel, calculated plan!
The contract slipped from my hands as I collapsed, gripping the desk to keep from hitting the floor. Suddenly, the study door swung open.
Mason walked in carrying a bowl of bone broth, his brow furrowing slightly when he saw my ghostly pale face.
“Jules, what are you doing in here? The doctor said you need more rest.”
His voice was as gentle as always, but it made my stomach lurch. I wanted to confront him about the agreement, never expecting to overhear that phone conversation instead.
Rage coursed through me. I had so many questions, so many accusations, but my body shook so violently I couldn’t force out a single word.
His gaze followed mine to the contract on the floor, and for an instant, he froze. But his expression returned to perfect calm within a heartbeat. Not even a flicker of panic crossed his features.
He walked over with practiced ease, picked up the agreement, slipped it back into the drawer, and turned the lock. The entire sequence was fluid, effortless, as if he were simply filing away some mundane paperwork.
Then he approached me, towering over my crumpled form, sounding frustrated and condescending.
“You heard everything, didn’t you? Jules, snooping through other people’s things is a bad habit. But since you already know, there’s no point hiding it anymore.
“Chloe is very sick. The doctors say this is her only chance.
“Jules, you’ve always been so compassionate. You’ll help me, won’t you?”
Chapter 2
I stared into his eyes—eyes I’d once thought were beautiful and full of love. Now I could see they were cold and empty.
So my “compassion” meant letting him use my child as spare parts to save another woman?
My throat burned like I’d swallowed fire. I couldn’t even speak. I could only stare at him in shock.
Mason grew uncomfortable under my stare, looking away as his voice turned sharp. “Stop looking at me like that.
“This won’t hurt our child. The doctors checked everything. It’s perfectly safe.
“Besides, ten million dollars is enough to keep you comfortable for the rest of your life.”
He paused, probably realizing how cold he sounded, then tried a gentler approach. “Jules, Chloe’s life matters too. We can’t just stand by and watch her die.
“You have the baby, take the money, and we go our separate ways. It works out for everyone.”
Did he say it’d work out for everyone? Using my child and risking my life to save Chloe—how would that work out for everyone?
If he really thought this was fair, why had he been trying so hard to butter me up all these months?
Everything came crashing down at once. All those nights cuddled together, the home-cooked meals, every sweet gesture that had made me feel so loved and cherished. Suddenly, it was all just part of his scheme.
It made me want to throw up.
“Is that so?” I looked straight into his eyes, my voice barely a rasp. “And what if I refuse?”
The caring mask Mason had worn for several months finally cracked and fell away completely. He straightened up, looming over me with ice-cold eyes.
“Juliette, you don’t have a choice in this. My wife and child are supposed to support me. That’s how marriage works.”
He turned and headed for the door, pausing at the threshold without looking back.
“Tomorrow, the driver will take you to the hospital at 9:00 am. You’d better not fight me on this.”
I felt completely hollow inside. My body went limp as I slid down the cold desk to the floor, unable to even cry.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out with shaking hands and saw a bank notification.
Five million dollars from Mason. A down payment, of course. He was always so methodical.
I stared at those numbers and started laughing bitterly. This was the marriage I’d spent seven years trying to save. I’d loved him for seven years and been a fool for just as long.
But I was done being his fool. From now on, I was going to take care of myself.
Chapter 3
The next morning, I didn’t wait for the driver. I put on a full face of makeup for the first time in a while and slipped into the white dress that had always been Mason’s favorite.
When I came downstairs, Mason glanced up at me, his eyes sharp with suspicion and warning. I gave him my most innocent smile and sat down across from him like the obedient wife I’d always been.
“Mason, I’ve been thinking about everything you said.” My voice was perfectly calm. “You’re right. Helping Chloe won’t really cost me anything. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
Mason clearly hadn’t expected me to cave so quickly. “Good. I’m glad you’re being reasonable. I’ll have my lawyer redraft the agreement. If you cooperate fully, I can add another five million to your compensation.”
He was always so sure of himself when it came to me. I lowered my eyes, hiding the bitter smile that threatened to surface.
“The money doesn’t matter. But I do have one condition.”
“What is it?”
I looked up and met his gaze directly. “I want to meet Ms. Reid. After all, I’m this child’s mother. I have the right to know who my baby is saving. And I want to see for myself what kind of woman is worth all this trouble.”
Mason’s brow furrowed as he weighed his options. I pressed my advantage, letting my voice waver with just the right amount of vulnerability.
“Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble. I just need to see her so I can finally let go. If I meet her face to face, I’ll be able to put all my foolish dreams about you to rest and focus on what this really is—a business transaction.”
Maybe it was the word “transaction” that pleased him, or maybe it was how pathetic and broken I looked in that moment. He stayed quiet for a long moment before finally nodding.
“Fine. I’ll arrange it this afternoon,” he said.
The knot in my chest loosened. Phase one of my plan was complete.
…
That afternoon, Mason drove me to the exclusive private hospital himself.
The contrast was stark. While I’d been getting my prenatal checkups in a basic single room, Chloe’s suite was on the top floor. It was spacious, sunlit, and decorated like something out of a fairy tale.
Apparently, favoritism showed in every single detail.
I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and looked up. Chloe was wearing soft pink hospital pajamas, her face as pale as porcelain as she reclined weakly against her pillows.
The moment she saw Mason walk in, her whole face lit up. Her voice was sweet as honey as she said, “Mace, you came.”
When her gaze fell on me, particularly on my belly, I caught a flash of something calculating and smug beneath her fragile act. Mason walked over and tenderly tucked the blanket around her, every gesture radiating tenderness.
“Chloe, I brought Juliette to meet you.”
Only then did Chloe turn her full attention to me, giving me an apologetic smile that was perfectly rehearsed.
“Mrs. Clarke, hello. I’m so sorry my illness has caused you so much trouble.”
She added a few delicate coughs for effect, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I never would have agreed to let Mason do this if there was any other way. Please don’t blame him. He’s just so worried about me.”
What a perfect little victim she was. In just a few sentences, she’d managed to paint herself as an innocent bystander while highlighting just how deeply Mason cared for her.
I stood there in silence, studying her performance. Then, I smiled.
I walked over to her bedside and leaned down, speaking in a voice so soft only she could hear. “Ms. Reid, you’re quite the actress. But you’d better hope you can keep fooling Mason forever. And you’d better pray I never decide to tell him the truth.”
Chloe’s face went white as a sheet.
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