Chapter 1

"How could you drug me?"

In the dimly lit room, Henry Hearst gripped Julia Kennedy's neck, his face a mix of shock and fury. His fingers tightened with his anger, as if he wanted to snap her slender neck.

Julia looked at him, her face full of sorrow, and reached out to grab his hand. "Henry, haven't you always wanted a divorce? I can agree, but I have one condition: spend one night with me!"

It was her only request, to have him completely, just once.

She had loved him for seven years and had been in a loveless marriage with him for four.

She always believed that if she loved him enough, humbled herself to the ground for him, he would one day be moved and look back at her, the one who loved him deeply.

However, on their wedding anniversary, when she had prepared a candlelit dinner with joy, she saw on the news that he was setting off fireworks across the city for his first love, Vivian Jones. That was when she finally gave up.

Henry's heart was impossible to warm.

Or rather, his heart could never be warmed by her!

But she was unwilling to let go. After seven years of effort, even if she had to let go in the end, she wanted to have him completely, just once.

Even if it meant using such a despicable method as drugging him!

Henry looked at her, his eyes cold and sharp.

"Don't even think about it! If you dare, I will..." Henry's voice trembled as the drug took effect, and he could barely hold on.

Julia took the opportunity to pull his hand away and threw herself into his arms, lifting her head to kiss him fiercely.

The instant Julia's soft, fragrant body pressed against him, Henry's last shred of self-control snapped.

Henry was consumed by rage, and his anger drove him to take Julia with an intense, furious passion.

When the storm of their lovemaking finally subsided, Julia felt as if her body had been through a wringer, every part of her aching in pain.

The man who had unleashed his fury, Henry, was already fast asleep. Julia lay there, staring up at the ceiling.

Henry had a strikingly handsome face, but his expression was perpetually cold. Whenever he looked at her, his eyes were filled with disdain and indifference.

She knew he hated her for taking advantage of his grandfather's dying wish for him to marry, for seizing the opportunity to have his grandfather force him to marry her.

She knew he didn't love her, that he wanted to marry someone else.

But she had no other choice. Her father and stepmother wanted to sell her to a fifty-year-old widower for investment, and she didn't want that. She had to seize the only opportunity she had.

Besides, at that time, her heart and mind were completely consumed by him.

She still remembered their wedding night, her heart full of anticipation and joy, only to be met with his look of disgust.

He said, "Julia, to marry into a wealthy family, you used a dying old man. You make me sick! The only person I love is Vivian, and only she is worthy of being my wife!"

With the bravery of youth, Julia believed that despite his anger and misunderstandings, revealing her true feelings would make him see her deep love.

But now...

Tears fell, soaking the pillow, as Julia raised her hand to trace the outline of Henry's face with her slender fingers.

This was the man she had loved since her youth. Letting go now felt like ripping her heart apart.

"Henry, I won't love you anymore! I'll let you go, and freeing myself too. For the rest of our lives, we will never see each other again!" Julia murmured.

She then forced herself to endure the discomfort, got out of bed, and picked up her scattered clothes from the floor, putting them on piece by piece.

She took the divorce papers she had already signed from the locked drawer of the bedside table and placed them on the cabinet.

Finally, she dragged her suitcase and left without looking back.

She thought, 'Henry, this time, I really don't want you anymore!'

When Henry woke up, his first reaction was to sit up in a rage. "Julia, you're asking for it!"

But when he turned angrily, he found the bed beside him cold and empty.

The Julia who dared to scheme against him was nowhere to be found.

Henry gritted his teeth. "Julia, let's see where you can run to!"

He got out of bed in a fury, and when he saw the red stain on the sheets, his eyes narrowed for briefly before hardening with anger.

That bitch Julia dared to scheme against him; she wouldn't get away easily.

His gaze swept over the room and landed on the documents on the bedside table; his towering anger suddenly ceased.

He thought, "So she's playing hard to get? If Julia thinks she can scheme against me and get away with it, she's in for a rude awakening."

Henry casually tossed the divorce papers back into the bedside table, not taking them seriously at all.

Julia had used every despicable means to marry him. Over the years, she had been worried he would take revenge and had been nothing but accommodating to him.

How could she possibly be willing to divorce him!

Henry went downstairs with a grim face. The servants, seeing his expression, carefully brought him breakfast.

He glanced at the bland breakfast on the table, his expression growing even darker.

His stomach wasn't good, and every time he drank, it would hurt.

Usually, Julia would get up early to make him porridge to soothe his stomach and prepare some light, stomach-friendly dishes for him.

"Where's Julia?" Henry asked.

The servant, frightened by his aura, trembled. "Mrs. Hearst left with her luggage in the middle of the night. She also said..."

"Said what?" Henry interrupted impatiently.

"She said Mr. Hearst should hurry up and sign the papers. The divorce decree doesn't need to be sent to her."

Henry was stunned. Was Julia serious?

Six years later.

At the Porter Biological Research Institute, founded by Nelson Porter in Mirathia.

After spending a week in the lab, Julia finally completed the last set of experimental data. Stretching and covered in dust, she emerged from the lab.

Just as she was about to go home and get some much-needed sleep, her assistant came running over in a panic. "Dr. Kennedy, it's bad! Your two little ones have hacked Dr. Porter's computer again!"

Julia's muddled brain instantly cleared. "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on them? How did you let them run wild again?"

The assistant looked helpless. "I did, but I couldn't keep up with them. Those two are just..."

The assistant trailed off, but Julia knew better than anyone how mischievous her two little troublemakers were. She couldn't blame the assistant and could only turn and run to Nelson's office.

She just hoped Nelson wouldn't be too angry and wouldn't scold them too harshly!

Back then, she had been blinded by love and was determined to marry Henry. She had given up on the graduate program she had been accepted into under Nelson.

Six years ago, after leaving the Hearst Mansion, she reconnected with Nelson, hoping to retake the entrance exam for his graduate program.

To her surprise, Nelson told her that his biological research lab was in need of help and asked her to join first. She could take the entrance exam later.

So she went to Mirathia alone, only to find out a month later that she was pregnant.

At first, she considered having an abortion, but at the hospital, she found out she had a congenital blockage in her fallopian tubes, making it difficult to conceive.

Moreover, she was carrying extremely rare triplets, and it would be a shame to terminate the pregnancy.

So she decided to keep the babies. When she gave birth, she had a severe hemorrhage, and her youngest child, born with congenital deficiencies, passed away.

In the end, she was left with two children, whom she named Joseph Kennedy and Stephen Kennedy, nicknamed Joe and Steve.

She worked in the lab while raising her two children, living a fulfilling life with no time to dwell on the heartache Henry had caused her.

Fortunately, with Joseph and Stephen by her side, Julia had been very happy over the years.

Five years ago, she successfully passed the entrance exam for Nelson's graduate program and became a full-fledged researcher at the institute.

As Joseph and Stephen grew older, they became increasingly intelligent and independent. However, they were so mischievous, often sneaking into the lab to cause trouble when she wasn't looking.

They would either hack Nelson's computer or destroy some experimental data.

Although no significant damage was done, it still caused headaches for both Nelson and her.

Especially Nelson, whose white hair had visibly increased.

Julia rushed to Nelson's office as quickly as possible. Before she even entered, she sternly scolded, "Joe, Steve, you little troublemakers! You ran to Dr. Porter's office to cause trouble again! Just wait until I spank you!"

As she turned the corner, two small figures shot out like cannonballs, hugging her legs on either side. "Mommy, you're finally out! We missed you so much! We thought you had forgotten about us!"

Julia looked down at their big, watery eyes and chubby faces full of disappointment, and her heart instantly softened.