"Sir, please release me..."

Andrea Houston pleaded as she leaned against the man's chest, her hands weakly trying to push him away.

The luxury car was parked on a dark mountain road, and Andrea's cries could be heard faintly.

Her behavior seemed flirtatious, but it was clear that she had lost control due to the effects of the drug.

The burly man leaned in and spoke in a husky, yet menacing voice, "You got yourself into this mess."

Rip!

The sound of fabric tearing added to the already tense atmosphere in the car.

The man's forceful kiss landed on Andrea's neck, and as his hands roamed her body, his lust intensified.

She felt utterly helpless, tears streaming down her face as she thought of her fiance, John Quinn.

The pain that consumed her was excruciating, and when she let out a piercing scream, the man showed no mercy, continuing to thrust into her relentlessly. Eventually, darkness took over, and she lost consciousness.

When she woke up, she hastily grabbed her clothes and left the car.

Even though she had managed to escape from her kidnappers the night before, she couldn't shake the feeling of disgust and regret from the unwanted sex with a stranger.

She didn't dare to stay or look back at the man in the car. All she could think about was making it back home to John's warm embrace and her family.

The previous night, Andrea's stepsister, Gracie Houston, had been kidnapped alongside her.

As the older sister, Andrea felt it was her duty to protect Gracie. She urged Gracie to flee and seek help at the opportune moment, but as the night passed, Gracie didn't return.

Andrea couldn't help but fear the worst. Could it be that something bad had happened?

Feeling anxious, Andrea desperately wanted to return home to verify if something had indeed happened to Gracie.

However, she found herself in a remote location with no money.

A month later, Andrea finally returned to Jamesham City, on the brink of death after suffering a lot along the way.

As she approached her house, she saw John and Gracie in the living room.

Her eyes welled up with tears at the sight of them, relieved that Gracie was unharmed.

But as she was about to enter, she saw Gracie sitting on John's lap, looking intimate with him.

Andrea was taken aback at first, then stepped back and hid somewhere.

"My sister hasn't returned yet, John. I'm so worried about her," Gracie said with a worried expression, but a smile on her lips.

She clung to John's neck affectionately, which left Andrea feeling conflicted and hurt.

"My poor sister. Maybe she'll never know that we were the ones who hired those kidnappers."

John held her close to him. "She's no longer of any use to us. It's better if we get rid of her. The company will be mine, and you'll be the chief designer," he said in a harsh tone.

He stroked her body while she let out a groan. "John, please, stop. You might hurt the baby."

"I have some work to do at the company. I'll show you more love when I come back tonight," John said, giving Gracie a kiss on the lips.

Gracie nodded and said goodbye.

Andrea, who was eavesdropping from the other side of the door, was shocked at what she had just heard.

This was all a plot?!

Valentine Houston, her stepmother, praised Gracie, "You're amazing, Gracie. You've won John's heart."

"Of course," Gracie replied, feeling proud.

But then, she became worried and said, "But what if the kidnappers haven't found her body yet? I'm anxious..."

Valentine immediately suggested, "I told you we should have fed her to the wild animals in the mountains. We could have avoided all of this."

"That's too cruel," Andrea's father, Samuel Houston, objected.

Gracie continued, "Dad, are you afraid that she'll come back as a vengeful spirit and haunt us? That's ridiculous! In my opinion, we should find her body soon and sell her organs for money. We've taken care of her for so long, she should be grateful."

Andrea collapsed to the ground, shaking uncontrollably. Her face was blank, and her eyes were vacant.

She never thought that her own family would plot to profit off her death. She had hoped that they would worry about her safety and well-being, but their true intentions were far from that.

Valentine spoke again, "It's such a pity. She never knew the truth about her mother's death until the day she died."

"Enough. She's dead," Samuel's voice was cold and merciless. "Our priority is to cover our tracks and leave no loose ends."

Andrea bit her lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood. She wanted to burst in and confront them, but she knew that it would only lead to her defeat. She had to stay calm and think rationally.

As they spoke, Andrea realized that there was more to her mother's death than what she had been told. There was something mysterious about her own background, and she needed to uncover the truth.

She couldn't die like this.

She had to live.

Andrea suppressed her rage and ran away.

Despite her weakened state and lack of money, she paid no heed to it. As she sensed herself losing consciousness, she managed to signal a car that was passing by.

Inside the vehicle, she blacked out.

Upon regaining consciousness, she found herself in the hospital.

The doctor picked up a clipboard and walked over to her. "Miss, your injury is very serious. You need to rest."

"In addition, according to your blood test report, you are pregnant."

Pregnant?