His Fiancée Wanted My Eyes, But I Will Steal His Heir

“Mr. Wagner, Fiona’s mother is here to see you,” Brodie Wagner’s assistant, Ray Lawrence, announced.

Brodie picked up the phone. “Which hospitals are we working with?” he asked.

“We’ve reached out to every institution we can,” Ray replied. “But our pull in the medical world is nothing compared to the Reeds’. And Ariel’s grandfather is working closely with the Chases. Unless Mr. Reed changes his mind, our hands are tied.”

“Understood.” Brodie took off his glasses and rubbed his temples, frustration coiling tight in his chest. “Show her to the meeting room. I’ll be right there.”

Brodie had already guessed why Fiona’s mother had come. But her request still caught him off guard. “If possible... consider marrying Ariel Reed.” The words lit a fire of indignation in him. He felt manipulated, cornered.

“I know this isn’t fair to you. But please, hear me out.” Maria’s voice wavered, but her eyes stayed fixed on him. “My husband and I have lost all our authority. Fiona’s treatment has been stopped. Mr. Reed dotes on Ariel’s aunt, Jenny Reed—the child he had late in life. Ariel offered to marry you in exchange for saving Jenny’s life, and he didn’t object. Because of that, he won’t back down. Not even if it costs Fiona her sight forever.”

Over the past few days, Brodie had seen exactly how callous Mr. Reed could be.

“If Fiona loses her sight again, it’ll be permanent...” Maria Reed’s face crumpled with despair.

“I can take care of—” Brodie started, then stopped cold. His first instinct was to protect Fiona, not to give in to Ariel’s demands. The realization grated on him.

Maria knew Brodie didn’t love Fiona. He only felt guilty—responsible for the accident that damaged Fiona’s vision when she saved him from the fire. She also knew her daughter would rather go blind than watch Brodie marry another woman. But as a mother, she couldn’t just stand by while her daughter wasted away over a love that would never be returned.

“Brodie, we’re business people. When there’s a choice, why not minimize the risk? You could marry now and divorce later. But blindness is forever.” She paused, letting the words sink in. “Could you live with that? Would you ever forgive yourself?”

Brodie was silent for a beat. “How is Fiona?” he asked.

“Not good,” Maria said. “Her treatment’s been stalled for days. Her eyes are inflamed. They could get worse at any moment...”

“I’ll make sure she gets treated by tomorrow. No matter what,” Brodie promised.

Maria left, a little reassured.

Brodie slumped onto the sofa in the meeting room. His helplessness curdled into bitter resentment—aimed straight at Ariel.

The resentment boiled over when Ariel showed up unannounced. He knew better, but his anger got the best of him. “Do you ever think your daughter’s illness is karma for the things you’ve done?” he snapped.

Ariel froze, tears springing to her eyes.

Fiona had said similar things before—worse, even—when Ariel went to her grandfather. Fiona had confronted her, cursing her out about karma and dying alone. Ariel had fired back, enraged that Fiona would put that kind of hex on her child.

But hearing it from Brodie felt like a knife to the heart.

“Choose your next words carefully if you want to resolve this,” she warned, wiping away her tears. Her voice turned icy. “You’ve tried every avenue to get Fiona treatment. But it’s clear nothing will work without my grandfather’s approval.”

Brodie’s irritation spiked. She kept going. “I know you don’t want to marry me. I won’t force you. I came with two other proposals.”

Ignoring the way his expression darkened, she pressed on. “One: a bone marrow transplant to save my daughter.”

Brodie let out a bitter laugh. “You wish.”

Ariel didn’t flinch. “Two: give me a child.”

Brodie’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “What did you just say?”

“I’m asking you to give me a child,” she repeated, her gaze unwavering.

“What? Your mother’s clients aren’t enough for you? Miss Reed, if you’re that desperate, I can call up a dozen men for you.”

Ariel ignored the insult. “Your child. From you.”

The words had barely left her mouth when a glass flew past her ear and shattered against the wall behind her.

“Are you trying to make me hate you even more?” His voice dripped with disdain.

“I’m offering one last option—marriage.” She pushed on, unfazed by his hostility. She pulled a document from her bag and set it in front of him. “And then, give me a child.”

Brodie didn’t even glance at it. “You think you have leverage?”

“I don’t have leverage. I saved Mr. Reed’s precious daughter at great personal cost. Now he’s generously supporting me.”

“I figured you’d need an undeniable reason to help my daughter. So I gave you one.”

“Read the agreement. Marry me, and Fiona stays safe. If you choose the transplant or let me conceive, we can divorce anytime, and I’ll disappear from your life. You don’t have to marry me. Just agree to my terms, and Fiona still gets treatment.”

She pointed to a clause. “I know you despise me. You don’t have to touch me. Just provide...”

“If I agree to marry you, Fiona’s treatment resumes. Correct?” Brodie cut in.

Ariel nodded on instinct, caught off guard. “Yes. But we have to register first.”

Brodie made a call. “Get my documents to the registry office in twenty minutes.”

He hung up and met Ariel’s stunned expression with a smirk. “As you wish.”

“Ray!” he called.

“What do you need, Mr. Wagner?”

Ray’s voice came from just outside the office.

“Prepare the car. We’re going to the registry office.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Brodie rose to leave, Ariel was still reeling. She hadn’t expected this.

“What’s holding you back?” Brodie reminded her as they passed each other. “If you delay Fiona’s treatment, I’ll make sure you feel her pain.”

His harsh words snapped Ariel back to reality.

“You really don’t have to force yourself to marry me. Just—”

Brodie didn’t even glance her way. He strode out, and Ariel hurried to grab the agreement and follow.

The process was efficient. When the marriage certificate with the official stamp was in her hands, her thoughts drifted.

She never thought Brodie would actually marry her. Her plea to her grandfather had been an attempt to save her daughter through a transplant. She’d assumed no one—not even her grandfather—could directly force Brodie’s hand.

But now...

“The marriage is complete. Now fulfill your promise.”

As they left the registry office, Brodie called Mr. Reed and handed the phone to Ariel.

“You talk to him.”

“Grandpa... Yes, it’s done...”

She confirmed it, and Brodie swiftly took the phone back. “We need your help with Fiona’s case.”

He listened, then glanced at Ariel. “Now that we’re married, I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”

His gaze sent a chill down Ariel’s spine.

“I understand what you want,” he said after ending the call, staring her down. “You want another child to save yours with cord blood.”

Ariel wasn’t surprised he knew. Information on thalassemia treatment was easy enough to find.

“You think marriage will pressure me into saving your daughter? Or that marrying me will let you find a way to have a child with me?” He suddenly leaned in, gripping Ariel’s chin. “If your brains matched your schemes, you wouldn’t be entertaining such foolish thoughts.”

His closeness radiated danger. Ariel trembled with fear.

“What are you—”

Brodie’s phone rang, cutting her off.

It was Maria—probably about Fiona’s treatment resuming.

Brodie didn’t answer right away. He leaned into Ariel’s ear, voice dripping with venom. “Do you really think I’d ever want someone as tainted as you?”

He took the call, his sadistic smirk vanishing the moment he heard the first words.

“Fiona tried to take her own life?”

Ariel’s head snapped up in shock.

“Which hospital?”

Brodie headed for the parking garage at a dead run, then turned to Ariel a few steps ahead. “If anything happens to Fiona, you’ll never see your daughter again.”

Ariel clutched the glaring red certificate, watching Brodie’s determined figure retreat. Tears streamed down her face.

All she wanted was to save her daughter—to stay close to the one person who might be able to help.

But how had everything spiraled so devastatingly out of control?