Chapter 1 Fateful Night

In the luxurious presidential suite, Elena Reed lay beneath a man with perfect abs and striking features, their bodies locked in passionate embrace. The unfamiliar intimacy made her dizzy, her senses dulled by whatever had been slipped into her drink earlier that evening.

Elena struggled to open her eyes, desperate to see the man's face, but each wave of pleasure pulled her deeper into a haze, like a small boat tossed about in a violent storm.

Hours later, exhausted, Elena collapsed onto the massive bed. In her semi-conscious state, she felt something cool touch her neck—a ruby ring pendant that the man carefully placed around her throat before leaving.

She wanted to speak, to ask his name, but the residual effects of the drug and her complete exhaustion left her without the strength to even lift a finger. Her blurry eyes could only make out his retreating silhouette.

Elena slept until noon the next day. When she finally awoke, she found her stepsister Mandy Reed standing beside the bed, arms crossed, contempt filling her gaze.

Elena quickly pulled the sheet to cover her body, desperately trying to hide the marks of passion on her skin. When her horrified eyes met Mandy's, the stepsister turned away, reaching for Elena's purse on the bedside table. She extracted a check and tossed it carelessly onto the bed beside Elena.

"Your job is done. Here's eight hundred thousand dollars. Take this money and leave Pinewood City today," Mandy said arrogantly.

"As for what happened last night, you'd better keep it confidential and pretend it never happened," she threatened, raising an eyebrow. "Otherwise, I have ways to make you disappear, and I'll turn everything your mother left you to ashes. Elena, you'd better behave."

Mandy gave Elena one more contemptuous glance before leaving. As she turned away, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of red bloodstains on the sheet.

The splash of red stung her eyes. She gritted her teeth, thinking that if she hadn't lost her virginity, she wouldn't have spent eight hundred thousand dollars arranging for Elena to spend the night with that man.

Fortunately, she had drugged Elena, who would never recognize the man's identity in her confused state. She would never know that the man who made love to her was Harrison Frost, the business titan who struck fear into everyone in Pinewood City.

After Mandy left, Elena sat on the bed, staring blankly at the thin check in her hand.

This was the price of her dignity and chastity—eight hundred thousand dollars. Enough for her to study medicine abroad.

Rationally, she knew this was her chance to escape this family, but emotionally, she felt a bone-deep shame and self-loathing. She had sworn never to become a pawn for her father and stepmother, and now this was her only escape route.

If her mother hadn't died young, if her father Robert Reed hadn't married Christine Hayes, how would she have ended up like this?

Elena smiled bitterly. But perhaps this was for the best—at least she no longer owed the Reed family anything. From today on, she would sever all ties with this family.

Two days later, Elena boarded a plane bound for overseas.

A month later, abroad, Elena was shocked when she received her pregnancy test results from the doctor.

She had never imagined that one night would completely change her life. Apart from the ruby ring pendant he had casually placed around her neck, her memory of him was almost completely blank—even his face remained a blur.

After nine months of pregnancy, Elena gave birth to three identical babies on the operating table. However, when she recovered from anesthesia, eagerly waiting to embrace her children, the doctor delivered devastating news: one of the babies had mysteriously disappeared.

Elena couldn't accept this reality. The pain of loss was more intense than any physical wound. She frantically searched for clues—called the police, reviewed surveillance footage, questioned medical staff—but ultimately all her efforts were in vain. The child had vanished without a trace.

Five years later, at Pinewood International Airport, Elena walked through the arrivals gate holding the hands of two almost identical twins—one boy and one girl.

Five years abroad had transformed her into a stronger, calmer, more resolute woman. She was no longer the easily manipulated young girl, but an internationally renowned surgeon and a mother who would fight the entire world for her children.

Throughout these years, she had never given up searching for her missing child, and despite the slim chances, she firmly believed they would reunite someday.

As she set foot on this familiar land again, Elena's emotions were complex. This city held her sweetest memories and deepest wounds.

Connor looked up at her with his innocent voice asking, "Mom, is this where you grew up?"

Elena gently stroked her son's hair, answering softly, "Yes, Connor, this is the city where I once lived."

"But Mom, can we really find our missing sister in this city?" Mia blinked her big eyes, curious and expectant.

Elena's gaze dimmed slightly. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady: "Your godmother recently found some clues. If we're careful enough, there's hope we'll find her."

Just then, Elena's phone rang. The screen displayed "Dr. Nathan Parker."

She answered, and Nathan's apologetic voice came through: "Elena, I'm so sorry. I planned to pick you up at the airport, but there was an emergency surgery, and I just finished. I can't make it in time."

As the Deputy Director of Westland General Hospital, Nathan's busy schedule was something Elena understood perfectly. She responded understandingly, "It's fine. The children and I can take a taxi. We'll meet at the hospital."

"Thank you for understanding." Nathan paused, his tone becoming serious. "Zander's father's surgery is extremely difficult. We're all waiting for you to take the lead."

After finishing her call with Nathan, Elena and her two children quickly left the airport by taxi.

Meanwhile, a fleet of luxury vehicles stopped at the airport entrance.

Mandy hurriedly stepped out of one car, followed by several assistants, and walked briskly toward the exit area.

Her face was filled with anxiety, but even more with calculation and caution.

For five years, she had carefully positioned herself, finally transforming from a casual lover to an indispensable part of his life, though not yet in the position she ultimately desired.

She directed her assistants to hold up welcome signs, anxiously scanning the crowd.

Suddenly, her gaze fixed on a taxi that had just driven past. Through the window, she glimpsed Elena's profile. Mandy's heart sank, and she instinctively stepped forward, trying to confirm her suspicion.