He Married Her to Bear Her Sister's Child

On their fifth wedding anniversary, after ninety-nine rounds of IVF, Cordelia was finally pregnant.

But the doctor said her uterine lining was too thin; she needed to be hospitalized to keep the baby safe.

She went home, ready to talk to Hendrix McQuillen about it, when she heard teasing voices drifting out of his study.

“Bro, you really can’t get enough of sleeping around, huh? Planning to reward Cordelia with a baby?”

“Yeah, seriously, bro, didn’t you fake her infertility test results and make her go through all those IVF cycles for nothing?”

“Now that she’s carrying your child, don’t tell me you’re actually falling for her?”

Hendrix’s side profile looked sharp and intense, and he twisted his lips in a mocking smile.

“Of course not. I’m doing it for the inheritance. Grandpa said as long as Cordelia gets pregnant, I’ll be named heir of the family.

“I’ve only ever loved Maya. If I hadn’t slipped up that night and slept with Cordelia when I drugged her, Grandpa never would’ve forced me to marry her.

“Besides, Maya’s afraid of pain. So I’m just borrowing Cordelia’s body. I’ll let her bear a child for me and Maya.”

Every word stabbed straight into Cordelia’s ears, drenching her like a bucket of ice water.

She felt herself plummet into a frozen pit, her lungs twisting with every breath.

Five years ago, at her own birthday party, she had been drugged and ended up in a blurry, accidental night with him.

The next morning, Maya, the illegitimate daughter of Cordelia’s father, had burst into the room with a crowd of guests, accusing her of seducing him.

Everyone knew Cordelia had loved Hendrix for years, but she couldn’t defend herself.

Sebastian, his grandfather, then used the pre-arranged engagement between the two families as an excuse, forcing Hendrix to marry Cordelia.

At the time, the McQuillens had just brought home another illegitimate child—Angus.

Desperate for power, Hendrix didn’t dare defy his grandfather.

And Cordelia, who had loved him for so long, agreed to this arrangement.

After the wedding, he changed completely, caring for her meticulously.

She loved pink diamonds; he bought countless pink diamonds for her at auctions.

When she caught a simple fever, he mobilized a private jet to bring top specialists from Switzerland.

She hated rainy days; whenever it rained, he canceled everything and took her out of the city to escape the rain.

He even hired foreign experts to treat her mother, who had fallen into a coma.

Over the years, just the medical bills had cost tens of millions…

When Cordelia asked for the stars, Hendrix practically handed her the moon.

She truly believed he loved her, too. So when she found out she was infertile, she followed his advice and began IVF.

After going through ninety-nine cycles, countless injections, and hundreds of pills, she finally conceived…

What she could never expect was that not only did Hendrix never love her. He didn’t even see her as human.

He used IVF to torture her… and wanted her to have a child for him and Maya!

All color drained from Cordelia’s face as her entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Suddenly, someone inside reminded him. “Bro, you better never let Cordelia know that the baby she’s carrying is actually yours and Maya’s. Or that Maya is the one who made Cordelia’s mom fall into a coma. She will definitely lose it.”

Hendrix let out a soft, dismissive laugh. “Cordelia is obsessed with me. Even if she learns the truth, she’ll still willingly give birth to this child for me.

“Besides, Maya only pushed Helene a little. Helene lost her balance and fell down the stairs herself…

“All these years, I’ve spent tens of millions on her medical bills. Even if Maya was at fault, the debt’s already been paid a long time ago.”

…

Cordelia’s pupils trembled, and her whole body felt as if her blood was boiling.

It turned out, her mom didn’t end up in a coma because of an accident. Maya did it!

And Hendrix had known everything the whole time!

Inside the study, laughter and cheerful voices filled the room.

In contrast, Cordelia felt as if her heart were being cut with knives, pain making it hard to breathe, tears falling like broken strings of pearls from the corners of her eyes.

The laughter inside the study kept going.

Cordelia couldn’t think. She didn’t even remember walking back to her room.

She had liked Hendrix since she was seventeen, and it had already been ten full years.

On their wedding day, she was certain she’d chosen the right man.

And after they married, he treated her so tenderly.

She had thought they would be together for life.

But now, she knew the truth—all of it had been lies.

Memories crashed over her, one after another, until she broke down completely. She buried her face in the blankets and sobbed like a child.

She did not know how much time had passed before her tears finally dried, and her heart had become numb from the pain.

This grand and splendid dream she had lived for five years… Now, it was time to wake up.

She wiped her face roughly, grabbed her phone, and decisively booked an abortion.

That night, she was already lying on the operating table.

She touched her still-flat belly, her eyes quickly reddening, her heart filled with conflicting emotions.

‘Baby… I’m sorry.’

To her, a baby was supposed to come from love.

She didn’t want to abort it, but she could not be a surrogate for Hendrix and Maya.

The doctor was about to give her anesthesia when the door of the operating room flew open.

A group of bodyguards walked in. The one in front said, “Ma’am, our boss wants to see you. Please come with us.”

Before she could refuse, they escorted her out.

Thirty minutes later, she was pushed into the presidential suite of the Peninsula Hotel.

A tall, upright man stood sideways by the floor-to-ceiling window, smoking.

Hearing the noise, he immediately stubbed out his cigarette but did not turn around. In a hoarse and deep voice, he began, “You’re here.”

The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

She asked directly. “Who are you? And why did you have these men drag me here?”

He let out a quiet, almost amused breath at her question. “Who I am isn’t the point. What matters is that the baby you’re carrying is mine. And I’m not letting you abort it.”

Cordelia sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes full of disbelief. “I’m pregnant with Hendrix and Maya’s kid. How the hell would it be yours?”

He did not explain, only speaking bluntl, “If you give birth to that child, I will cover your mother’s medical expenses and even hire foreign neurospecialists to operate on her.”

Cordelia refused without hesitation. “No. I’m not having this baby!”

“You sure?” he taunted. “Once Hendrix finds out you got rid of that child, he’ll pull your mom out of the hospital that same day. I bet he’ll use her to force you into carrying another kid for him and Maya.”

Cordelia stiffened all over, unable to speak another word of refusal.

That man was right. If Hendrix knew she had aborted the child, he certainly would not let it go.

But…

She bit her lip, watching the mysterious man in front of her warily. “You won’t even tell me who you are. Why should I trust you?”