Chapter One
At the charity gala, one of Lucien’s men, eager to curry favor, led in ninety-nine women. Every one of them looked a little like me—the eyes, the hair, even the figure.
“Mrs. Sterling’s health is delicate, and she can’t carry a child. These girls are all built for babies. Let them have yours, and Mrs. Sterling can raise them.”
Lucien pulled me against his side and spoke to the whole room, in a voice that left no room for argument.
“Elena is the only woman I will ever love. I won’t lay a finger on anyone else.”
For the next seven years, I poured more of the Lorenzo family’s resources into him than I could count. I got blood on my hands more than once. And I made sure his seat as CEO of Sterling Group never so much as wobbled.
Then, in the seventh year, a fair-skinned, full-figured woman knocked on my door with seven little boys in tow.
I recognized her. Out of those ninety-nine women, she was the one who looked the most like me.
Right there in front of me, she pulled up her top and nursed the youngest, looking very pleased with herself.
“Seven years, seven sons for Mr. Sterling. He says the stock price keeps climbing because my little lucky charms brought Sterling Group good fortune.
“You’re a hen that can’t even lay an egg. What makes you think you get to be Mrs. Sterling?”
I lit a menthol cigarette, looked her over from head to toe, and had her shipped off to a black-market auction.
Chapter One
By the time Lucien reached the auction house, the bidding on Lillian had already hit thirty million dollars.
Her reputation as a woman who could breed had drawn quite a few wealthy men.
“I hear women like her are wild in bed. Just look at that body.”
“Buy her, keep her pregnant. Maybe some of that lucky-charm magic rubs off on my company’s stock.”
Every word landed in Lucien’s ears, and his face darkened by degrees.
I just laughed, cold and short.
Sterling Group had gotten where it was on Lorenzo money and my methods. Lucky charms had nothing to do with it.
Lillian hung above the auction block like a frightened rabbit. The moment she saw Lucien, her slender ankles started kicking at the air.
“Baby, save me! I’m carrying your child!”
Panic flooded Lucien’s eyes.
In front of everyone, he went down on one knee at my feet, his voice shaking.
“Ellie, let her go. Please. Whatever you want to do to her, at least wait until the baby’s born.”
I looked at him as if he were a stranger.
He had knelt exactly twice in his life.
The first time was beside my father’s hospital bed, where he swore he would never fail me.
My father died smiling, and I became Mrs. Sterling.
The second time was now.
The great Lucien Sterling, untouchable to the rest of the world, on his knees at my feet with red-rimmed eyes.
“I checked. It’s a girl.
“We lost a daughter once. Just think of it as… her coming back to us through Lillian.”
I nearly lost my mind. “She doesn’t deserve that!”
That daughter had come in our first year of marriage, after more hormone injections than I could count and round after round of IVF.
I was barely three months along when Lucien’s rivals kidnapped him.
I couldn’t wait for my people to arrive. I went in alone to get him out.
But no matter how good I was in a fight, I couldn’t take on that many men with nothing left to lose.
Those three hours were hell on earth.
When they took our daughter out of me, she already looked like a tiny person.
The butterfly knife slid from my sleeve and flew, opening a bloody line across Lucien’s cheek.
He didn’t seem to feel it. He just shook his head, exasperated.
“Got it out of your system? Then stop this. You’re five years older than me, and you still act like a child.”
Seeing him bleed, Lillian forgot she was dangling in midair and started shrieking.
“Elena! You barren old hen! My man says touching you makes him sick! He says you were used up and stretched out long ago, that you’re not even half as good as—”
Lucien shot one look at his men, and they rushed the stage and gagged her.
Something coppery rose in my throat. My voice came out hoarse.
“So that’s it. You think I’m dirty.”
My hand went to my stomach without my meaning it to.
Our second child was still sleeping in there.
Lucien was desperate to explain. I only felt tired.
I waved him off.
“This circus is over.”
The gavel came down.
The man who bought Lillian, rolls of fat quivering, carried her off to a private room.
Lucien’s eyes went bloodshot. He pulled out a Browning.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three bullet holes appeared in the floor at my feet.
“I’ve said every nice thing I can, and you’re still this vicious. I’ll say it one last time. Let Lillian go, or the next one won’t hit the floor.”
I looked at him calmly. Not even my eyelashes moved. “Go ahead, Mr. Sterling.”
This was Lorenzo territory. If he fired, he’d be shot to ribbons.
He glared at me, then charged at Lillian with his men like an enraged lion.
Not long after, the rich man was thrown out, riddled with bloody holes.
Lucien walked past me with Lillian in his arms, his eyes like ice.
“Lucky for you Lillian’s daughter is all right. Otherwise I wouldn’t let this go so easily.”
I watched his back disappear and called the hospital.
“I’d like to schedule an abortion.”
A man like that had no business being anyone’s father.
