Blurb：
Seven years of marriage shattered when Zane Grimes’s secret son is revealed by Martha Sanford at his company’s IPO event. Witness Brittany Sanford’s cold revenge as the powerful Sanford family—including Roland Sanford and parents Camille and Bruno Grimes—unleashes fury on the cheating husband. Dive into a tale of betrayal, hidden children, and high-stakes family drama where casino fortunes clash with personal vengeance. Will Zane survive the fallout after crossing the city’s gambling tycoons? Uncover scandals, love children, and ruthless power plays in this gripping saga.
Content：
Seven years into our marriage, Zane Grimes and I remained childless.
He once held me close, his voice tender and earnest. Don’t overthink it. I’ve never cared for children. You’re all I want in this life.
But on the day his company went public, as the ceremonial bell echoed through the hall, the doors burst open.
My sister stormed in, cradling a wailing infant. “Zane, this is your son! How can you abandon us?”
Zane’s face paled as he turned to me, his eyes brimming with panic and a silent plea. Unbeknownst to him, I had long known about his betrayal and the child.
Chapter 1
…
I met Zane Grimes’s gaze with calm indifference. “Your little tadpole found its daddy. Aren’t you going to say hello?”
He faltered, glancing at my sister, Martha Sanford, who was clutching the crying baby. “I’m sorry. I need to check on the child first. We’ll talk later.”
He hurried toward them, and in front of the gathered crowd, the three stood together, looking like a perfect family. Though my heart had long grown numb, the sight stirred a bitter ache within me.
His mother, Camille Grimes, noticing my expression, rushed up to smooth things over. “You know how kind-hearted Zane is. He can’t bear to see a child suffer.”
His father, Bruno Grimes, nodded anxiously. “Yeah, Brittany, don’t take it to heart.”
My brother, Roland Sanford, scoffed, “Kind-hearted? Then why hasn’t he adopted every orphan in the city?”
Turning to me, he added sharply, “If you hadn’t insisted on marrying this nobody, would he even have set foot in our house? He’s fathered a love child. Make him leave with nothing and grovel for forgiveness.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Whispers followed.
“The Grimes family is finished. They’ve crossed the Sanfords, who own the largest casino in the city. Their wealth rivals that of a small nation. Even the nobles vie for their favor.”
“The gambling tycoon’s daughterbetrayed by her husband like this? And his love child paraded in public?”
“She turned down noble suitors for a no-name entrepreneur. This marriage is wrong from the start.”
My mind drifted to when I was ten. I’d wandered into the mountains and fallen into an abandoned hunter’s trap, my leg caught in rusted iron jaws.
A storm raged, drowning my cries. A scrawny boy, chopping wood nearby, risked everything to free me. His hands bled from the jagged metal, but he never let go.
He put me on his thin shoulders and carried me out of the pit. Fever gripped him for days, and a scar still marked his right hand.
From that moment, I vowed to protect him forever. Defying my family, I broke off an engagement with the powerful Koch family and insisted on marrying my savior.
My father, unable to sway me, poured wealth and influence into elevating Zane’s family, all to honor my gratitude.
Yet that boy, who once clung to me through the rain-soaked night, now pushed me into an abyss of his making.
Reporters, sensing a scandal, shoved microphones toward them.
“Mr. Grimes, is this child truly yours? Have you considered the Sanford family’s reaction to your affair?”
“Miss Sanford, do you know the father of your child is married? This could be bigamy.”
Zane stepped in front of Martha, shielding her. “The child is mine, and my wife knows about this. Martha is a Sanford, so our child carries both our bloodlines.”
Instantly, every camera and microphone turned to me. “Mrs. Grimes, is this true? Will you raise this child?”
Zane shot me desperate glances, urging me to nod. I let out a cold laugh and raised my voice for all to hear. “I knew nothing of this. Zane deceived me. The Sanford family will not forgive anyone who threatens our honor.”
Zane’s face twisted in shock. Before he could speak, I added, “If you want children so badly, I’ll give you more than you can handle.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed my assistant. “Time to deliver Zane’s grand surprise.”
Chapter 2
On the drive home, Roland thrust his phone at me, barely containing his excitement.
The screen blazed with headlines like [Zane Cheated on Gambling Tycoon’s Daughter], [Sanfords Vow Retribution], [Grimes Group Stocks Crash].
While the internet erupted, Zane scrambled to suppress the story. It was futile because I had already warned the media: aiding him meant crossing the Sanfords.
Realizing I meant business, the Grimes family arrived at my doorstep with lavish gifts and forced smiles.
“Brittany,” Bruno pleaded, his voice dripping with false humility, “this must be Martha seducing Zane. We’ll deal with him. Please, forgive him just this once.”
Camille chimed in smoothly, “The child exists now. It’s a life and part of your bloodline. Why not register him under your name? We’ll send Martha away and make sure she never troubles you again.”
I laughed, sharp and humorless. “Don’t bother. Martha and Zane are a perfect match. Why not let them marry? It would be a charming union.”
“Brittany is untouchable, too good for your disgraceful son,” Roland scoffed. “A love child wants a place in our family? Keep dreaming.”
I tapped his arm to calm him, then fixed my gaze on the old couple. “I don’t need apologies, and I don’t want that child.”
Zane burst in with Martha and the baby, his face flushed with urgency. Seeing his parents grovel, he exploded, “My parents are apologizing. What else do you want?”
I ignored him and tossed the divorce agreement at their feet. “From today on, anyone who works with the Grimes family is an enemy of the Sanford family. Let’s see how long your ship stays afloat without us.”
The words landed like a grenade. Bruno and Camille were dumbfounded.
Camille lunged at the baby in Martha’s arms, snarling, “It’s all because of this cursed child!”
Her fingers dug into the infant’s arm, threatening to choke him. “You hate this child, right? Don’t worry, Brittany. I’ll kill him to make this right.”
“Stop! Give me my baby!” Martha screamed, throwing herself forward.
Zane yanked the child from Camille’s grip and pulled Martha behind him, glaring at me. “How can you be so vicious? You can’t bear children, so you’d kill mine? You can’t tolerate his existence?”
Her words cut deep, stirring a memory I rarely touched.
Years ago, I’d taken a blow meant for Zane, a wound so severe it left me infertile. As the Sanford heiress, I was expected to continue our bloodlinea duty he knew well. Yet he never suspected Martha’s origins. She was not my father’s biological daughter.
“Are you so certain this child carries Sanford blood?” I asked.
Martha clutched the baby, tears streaming down her face. “Zane, believe me. The child is yours.”
Zane wrapped an arm around her, his gaze sharp. “Enough with your lies! You’re jealous of her because you can’t have children.”
I gave a slow, measured smile. “Is that so? Then why doesn’t this baby look like you?”
“Don’t listen to her,” Martha said anxiously, grabbing his arm. “Look at his features. He looks exactly like you when you were a kid.”
Zane stroked the infant’s cheek, the moment sickeningly tender.
Done with their act, I looked him in the eye. “I never said the child isn’t yours. I said he isn’t Sanford blood. You wanted a child with both our bloodlines, didn’t you? Well, you’re going to be disappointed.”
I slapped a DNA report into his face. “Martha has no relation to my family.”
Chapter 3
“Still claim this child is Sanford blood?” I snorted.
Zane snatched the report, his eyes scanning it with disbelief that quickly morphed into stunned outrage.
“Pathetic!” Roland laughed. “Thought you’d secure a foothold in our family with a love child? Turns out, he is not related to us. Oh, and you might want to check if that kid is even yours. Raising someone else’s child like your own would make you the biggest joke.”
“Shut up!” Zane shot back. “Don’t even think about driving a wedge between us. Martha is faithful, and the child is mine. Your lies won’t break us.”
Roland snorted, and I signaled for them to be escorted out.
Days later, I was handling family affairs in my office when my assistant entered, holding a box. “Ma’am, this was sent by Mr. Grimes’s people. Said it’s a gift.”
Inside the box was the urn that held my mother’s ashes. My phone rang, shattering my shock. The caretaker of our ancestral graveyard reported that my mother’s grave had been desecrated.
Rage and grief consumed me, a fire that burned through my veins. Zane had gone out of his way, defiling my mother’s memory like this.
I shot to my feet, my chest heaving. “Gather our people! We’re going to the Grimes Mansion!”
Thirty minutes later, a fleet of black cars blockaded the mansion’s gates. I stormed in with a dozen bodyguards, my anger a living thing.
Zane greeted me with a taunting smirk. “Enjoy my gift?”
I crossed the room in three strides and slapped him hard. The sound echoed through the hall, and a handprint bloomed on his cheek.
Martha screamed, “How could you hit him? If you’re angry, take it out on me! He hasn’t done anything wrong!”
She lunged at me, but I sidestepped, letting her crash to the floor. Zane helped her up, growling, “You venomous snake!”
I ignored his outburst and signaled my guards, who swiftly placed a dozen boxes in the center of the room.
“You enjoy digging graves?” I said, my voice cold as steel. “These are from your family’s ancestral plot. Feast your eyes.”
I turned around and left without another word.
My mother had doted on Zane when she was alive, shielding him from the world’s cruelties. And this was how he repaid her kindness, with betrayal that cut deeper than any blade.
The next day, I began dismantling their businesses, ready to bankrupt them. Zane burst in, wild-eyed. “You viper! Where are you hiding Martha and the child?”
Chapter 4
I stared at him, incredulous. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Get out!”
“Still lying?” Zane spat. “Martha took the baby for a checkup. They left the hospital and vanished. You can’t have children, so you stole mine?”
His accusations were laughable. Without a word, I signaled my guards to remove him.
But Zane came prepared. As my men advanced, a group of burly thugs poured in from behind him. They overwhelmed my guards, pinning my arms behind my back before I could react.
Zane loomed over me, his face twisted with malice. “Give me my child, or I’ll make you pay!”
“Absurd!” I spat. “Why would I kidnap your child?”
He slapped me, the sting sharp. “Tell me where they are!”
My arms were restrained, but my eyes burned into his. “I told you, I have nothing to do with this!”
“Fine! If you don’t talk, I’ll beat it out of you,” he sneered, gesturing to his men, who advanced with batons raised.
“I dare you to touch me!” I warned. “My family will bury you all!”
Unfazed, Zane waved them forward.
The blows came fast, blood soaking my clothes, the taste of iron in my mouth. I refused to speak, and his frustration grew. “Still not talking? Guess this is too lenient.”
His goons dragged me up. I fought them, half-conscious, a cold dread creeping up my spine.
“In that case, I’ll rip out your womb so you’ll never be a mother,” he hissed.
They dragged me into a car and drove to Mercy Medical Center, a private clinic I’d gifted Zane for his birthday. His loyalists staffed it now; the doctors and guards ignored me, bowing to him.
They hauled me into an operating room and strapped me to a cold surgical table. The overhead lights blinded me, and masked figures in scrubs surrounded me.
I struggled, blood trickling from my lips. “If I don’t walk out of here, the Grimes family will pay with everything!”
“Still making threats?” Zane scoffed.
A doctor stepped forward, his scalpel gleaming. The blade sliced through my clothes with a sharp snip, its cold edge grazing my skin.
Zane’s face was a mask of ice as the scalpel was poised to cut. Suddenly, the door flew open with a deafening crash.
Zane’s expression shifted from smugness to terror. I met his gaze, my voice a blade of ice. “The Grimes family will vanish from earth today!”
Download the GoodNovel app, Search 【 464564 】reads the whole book.
