In the Hayes Mansion in Leryport, Freya Walton pushed the bedroom door open.
She was already in her pajamas.
It was her wedding night, and she was supposed to be an excited bride.
But on the contrary, her body trembled in fear. She was so scared that her chaotic mind became a little sober.
She hesitantly walked into the room.
The bedroom lights were on, but it was quiet and cold inside. A man lay quietly in the big bed in the middle.
He had an angular face, a high nose bridge, and dashing eyebrows. Although his eyes were closed, it could be seen that they were slightly sunken, looking particularly deep and mysterious.
However, his beautiful thin lips were pale, making him look fragile.
This man was Brennan Hayes. And he was her new husband.
Freya looked at him, feeling very sad.
The Hayes family was one of the most powerful families in Leryport, with assets worth more than one hundred billion dollars.
Based on the rumors she heard, Brennan was born a cold and cruel man. He was a business genius, but he lacked human emotions.
After he took over the family business, he drove his relatives out of the company, sparing no one. In just a few years, he had taken complete control of Asiope Group, the largest group owned by the Hayes family.
And as expected, this harsh approach of his had offended many people.
Not long ago, he was attacked and became a vegetable.
At this moment, he could only rely on the equipment to maintain his basic vital signs.
Everyone thought Freya was crazy to marry a vegetable.
But only she knew that she was left with no choice.
Her mother fell into a coma because of a serious illness several days ago.
Healthbridge Hospital, her mother's lifelong painstaking efforts, was suffering a financial crisis. The hospital was heavily indebted and on the verge of bankruptcy.
These crises made Freya almost out of breath.
Coincidentally, the Hayes family offered to invest three hundred million dollars in the hospital, but on the condition that she married Brennan.
She had to bow her head to this cruel fate for the sake of her mother and the hospital.
Her father signed a ridiculous contract and sent her to the Hayes Mansion in person.
According to the contract, Freya only had to marry Brennan and fulfill her duty as a wife. Then her family could get three hundred million dollars of investment from the Hayes family.
It was no different from selling herself to the Hayes family.
But she couldn't think of any feasible solution now.
Freya sighed and said in a low voice, "Everyone is saying that I married you for money, and I will live a miserable life in the future. But I know that we are just the same. Our hands are tied."
At the thought of this, she was less resistant to Brennan.
Calmed down a little, she turned off the bedside lamp. Then she lay on the bed, ready to make it through the night.
The quiet room darkened at once.
At this moment, only the sound of the medical instruments and Brennan's faint breathing could be heard.
This was Freya's first time being so close to a strange man since she grew up.
Fortunately, Brennan was in a vegetative state. So she didn't worry about what would happen.
Besides, too many things had happened during this period. She was physically and mentally exhausted.
Not long after her back touched the soft mattress, she fell into a deep slumber.
But even in her sleep, she dreamed of her father, who forced her to take out hundreds of millions of dollars to pay off the hospital's debts.
But she had no money.
She could do nothing but watch her mother dying since her father no longer paid for her treatment.
This scene was what she was most afraid of. She was so anxious that she almost couldn't breathe.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes, sweating profusely. She looked around and finally remembered where she was. Upon realizing that it was just a nightmare, she was relieved.
She lay still in the bed.
But at this moment, someone hugged her from behind.
Freya stretched out her hand in a daze.
Sure enough, she touched Brennan's warm body.
Freya was about to breathe a sigh of relief. But she suddenly thought of an idea that made her hair stand on end.
Since Brennan was before her, who was hugging her from behind?
Did someone break into the room?
"Sweetie, I'm afraid you will be lonely, so I come here to accompany you."
The man's obscene voice gave Freya goose bumps all over her body. She was so disgusted that she elbowed him without hesitation.
In the darkness, a muffled groan was heard. And the hand wandering her body withdrew immediately.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, she jumped off the bed and cried for help. "Help! Hel-"
But the man suddenly got up, approached her, and covered her mouth. "What a wild woman! You're exactly my type."
The room was dark, so Freya couldn't see the man's face.
She had no idea who this man was.
And how could he break into Brennan's room so easily?
Freya struggled to break free and turned on the wall lamp. Then she took a closer look at the man. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"Hey, don't be so fierce. I'm only here to make you happy." The man stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "My sister is Brennan's stepmother, and I am not an outsider."
It was only then that Freya realized the man was Keith Miller, Brennan's uncle.
This realization sent a chill all over her body. "You broke into Brennan's room in the middle of the night. How dare you say something shameless like that! Get out of here. Now!"
"But why? Brennan is a vegetable now. Instead of living like a widow, it's better for you to sleep with me, right?"
She was so frightened when Keith approached her that she couldn't help moving back.
What a beast.
He even dared to do such shameless things in front of Brennan.
Freya trembled in anger. She pushed him away and shouted, "Get out of here!"
"Come on, how can you be harsh to me? I'm just worried you will feel lonely on your wedding night. Brennan is in a vegetative state. He can't sleep with you. If you drive me away, who else can satisfy you?" Keith showed no fear at all. Instead, he boldly breathed in Freya's ear and smiled obscenely. "Let me take Brennan's place tonight and make you happy."
As he spoke, his hands wandered around Freya's body again.
Freya tried her best to calm down and think of a way to deal with this man.
She struggled and shouted, "Stop it! Aren't you afraid that someone will hear if I shout? People may rush over here."
"Go ahead. I can tell them that you seduced me. The person in charge of here now is my sister. Who do you think they will believe between us? If they kick you out, do you think they will continue to invest in Healthbridge Hospital?"
Freya trembled in anger. "How can there be such a shameless man like you?"
Keith answered hypocritically, "Only a man like me can make you happy. Anyway, you have sold yourself to the Hayes. So stop pretending and just serve me."
He leaned over and sniffed Freya's neck.
Slap!
Frey slapped Keith without hesitation. She shouted, "Get out of here!"
Keith was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Freya would dare to hit him. His cheek twitched, and he tasted something from the corner of his mouth. It took him a while to realize that his lips were broken.
He roared, "Bitch! How dare you hit me!"
"Not only that I dare to hit you. I will also let them know what you have done to me." Freya strode to the door. "I don't believe they will all turn a blind eye to a devil like you."
Keith was so enraged that he grabbed Freya's arm and threw her back to the bed. "Bah! You have already sold yourself. Why are you still pretending to be a chaste woman? Whether you like it or not, I must have sex with you today. After I'm done, I'll see if you still dare to expose it."
Keith didn't show any mercy to Freya, who was no match for him in strength.
He was so strong that she couldn't get rid of him, no matter how much she screamed and struggled.
Keith grabbed Freya's clothes and tore them apart.
And with the ripping sound, a burst of despair surged from the bottom of her heart.
Was she going to lose her virginity in such a humiliating way?
The more she thought about it, the more scared she became. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and they fell on the bed sheet.
But Keith didn't feel any pity. Instead, the scene made him more excited. He freed one hand and unbuckled his belt. "Bitch, open your eyes and see how I fuck you!"
Freya sank into the depths of hopelessness. But she didn't give in. She struggled desperately and shouted. "I won't let you go!"
"Let's see what you can do."
Freya could only close her eyes in despair. But much to her surprise, Keith stopped moving. After a while, she opened her eyes, only to see him staring blankly behind her. It was as if he had seen a ghost.
She was stunned at first. But soon, she realized something, so she hurriedly turned her head and followed his gaze.
And what she saw was Brennan, who had been in a coma for a long time, staring at them with wide eyes.
Although he didn't make any sound, the aura around him was very suffocating.
As Freya locked eyes with Brennan, she was struck by an icy feeling coursing through her body, causing her to freeze in place.
With a squint, Brennan uttered a single command, "Leave."
Keith tumbled off the bed in terror and scrambled to his feet. "I'm so sorry. I must have mistaken the room. I'll leave!" His eyes were bulging with fear as he bolted for the door, desperate to escape the intense aura emanating from Brennan's piercing gaze.
He was so rattled that he tripped over the door frame as he made his escape, tumbling to the floor. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled away in an awkward, undignified posture.
The commotion had not gone unnoticed. The servants in the mansion were alerted by the noise and rushed to the scene.
As they entered the room, they were astonished to see Brennan awake and alert. "Mr. Brennan Hayes woke up!"
The news spread like wildfire, and the entire mansion was filled with joy. The servants eagerly spread the news to the other Hayes.
Brennan's stepmother, Sylvie Hayes, was the first to hear the good news.
She couldn't believe that Brennan, who had been diagnosed as a vegetable, could miraculously wake up one day.
Her emotions were complicated as she made her way to Brennan's bedroom.
However, as she pushed open the door, her congratulations turned into shock.
The room was a complete mess, with the bed in disarray and Freya's hair in a mess.
Brennan was sitting on the bed, looking like a lion ready to pounce. He pointed an accusing finger at Freya and barked at the butler, "Who allowed this reckless woman to be in my room?"
His voice was deep and commanding, sending shivers down the butler's spine.
The butler stood there, trembling with fear, unable to speak a word.
"Brennan, she's your wife, the one your grandfather chose for you while you were in a coma." Sylvie rushed to Brennan's side, trying to calm him down. "She's a good girl. Please try to get along with her."
Wife?
His eyes turned icy cold as he glared at Freya. "I don't need a wife. Get her out of here," he commanded in a steely voice.
The order left everyone flabbergasted, but Freya was in a state of utter anxiety.
Being dismissed would be a mere trifle compared to the Hayes family cutting off support to the financially-strapped Healthbridge Hospital, which was in debt to the tune of hundreds of millions, and her ailing mother left to languish without treatment.
Resolutely, Freya steeled herself and faced Brennan's penetrating gaze, declaring, "I am your legally-wedded wife. I have every right to stay here."
Brennan's intense, brooding stare bore down on her.
"Legal wife? How dare you!" The very thought of this audacious woman messing around with someone else in his room filled him with seething fury.
The palpable hostility emanating from Brennan was enough to make even the bravest person quake in fear.
Freya's heart quivered with fear, for she dreaded that Brennan might misconstrue her connection with Keith. So, she hastened to explain, "I have no idea why your uncle burst into your room and even attempted to force me."
Brennan remained silent.
On the side, Sylvie felt secretly flustered for this whole scheme was her doing. She had arranged for her brother to break into Freya's room and then used the incident as leverage to control her.
Freya assumed a composed facade and pressed on, "I implore you to uncover the truth and prove my innocence."
Brennan didn't reply but signaled to a servant at his side with a glare.
The servant comprehended his message and departed the room.
Moments later, Keith's tormented scream emanated from downstairs.
Sylvie could not endure watching her younger brother's agony and interjected, "Brennan, I beg you to release Keith. He is, after all, your uncle."
With a frigid gaze, Brennan snarled, "Given that he is my uncle, I will spare his life."
Sylvie's voice died in her throat, intimidated by the sheer presence of Brennan.
Then, Brennan turned to Freya, taking a step forward and grasping her chin in a tight grip that made her to look up at him.
Freya tried to steady her nerves and met his penetrating gaze. However, his eyes were devoid of any warmth, leaving her feeling uneasy.
As she took a step back, Brennan's grasp on her only grew tighter.
The tall, imposing figure of Brennan loomed over Freya, who felt trapped under his shadow.
Despite this, Freya's eyes were clear and innocent, devoid of any trace of guilt.
Brennan couldn't help but admire her ability to conceal her true feelings.
With Brennan remaining silent, Freya attempted to persuade him once more. "As a doctor, I know that you require assistance with your rehabilitation since you have only recently regained consciousness. I can be of service in that capacity."
"You're right," Brennan said.
Freya thought she had succeeded in convincing him, so she followed up by saying, "I hope you'll consider allowing me to help you."
It appeared as though Brennan was swayed by her words. "It's alright if you want to stay."
Freya let out a sigh of relief, only to be caught off guard when Brennan sneered and whispered into her ear in a low and husky tone, "But I can only accept a dead wife. So, would you like to be my dead wife, or should we get a divorce? The decision is yours."