Chapter 1

After my own mother and stepfather forced half a bottle of cheap red wine down my throat, they shoved me into the backseat of a Maybach.

But when I saw the man at the wheel, I actually let out a sigh of relief.

My stepfather, thinking the alcohol had turned my brain to mush, slapped me hard on the back of my head.

"You ungrateful brat. We’ve fed you for twenty years. It's time you did something for this family!"

"Tyler still needs another hundred and fifty thousand dollars for his wedding condo down payment, and the Director of Urban Redevelopment is signing off on the zoning compensation tomorrow."

"You please him tonight, get us that extra luxury penthouse in the deal, and Tyler will remember your favor for the rest of his life."

My mother sat beside him, wiping away fake tears with her reddened eyes.

"I know this is hard on you, Clara. But Tyler is the future of this family. Just... do this for me, one last time."

My ears buzzed. Half a bottle of cheap wine would have knocked anyone else out, but my mind was sharper than ever.

I guess after all these years of their torment, my body had built up an immunity.

The car door slammed shut. The driver upfront looked back at me through the mirror, his entire body trembling.

"D-Director Vance... where are we heading next?"

My family had absolutely no idea. The powerful "Director of Urban Redevelopment" who held the keys to their three luxury penthouses...

Was me. My name was on the official appointment notice published just this morning.

And the zoning approval file that would decide if they got three luxury apartments or got kicked to the curb...

Was resting right inside my briefcase, waiting for my signature.

Arthur, my assistant, gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He didn’t even dare to look back.

Cold sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the leather seat.

My stepfather, Richard, thought Arthur’s silence was just excitement. He smugly patted the back of the driver’s seat.

"Arthur, buddy, this girl might look a bit plain, but I guarantee she's completely untouched."

"When you report to the new Director later, tell him the Millers have brought their utmost sincerity."

"As long as he signs that three-for-one zoning compensation agreement, our whole family will be at his beck and call!"

Arthur shuddered violently, almost driving the Maybach onto the sidewalk.

He stole a terrified glance at me through the rearview mirror.

I leaned back against the seat, expressionless, giving him a cold, warning look.

Arthur instantly shut his mouth, barely daring to breathe.

My mother, Helen, pinched my thigh hard.

"You stupid girl, what are you spacing out for? Fix your makeup!"

"Look at the trashy clothes you’re wearing. You don't look like a proper woman at all!"

"When you see the big boss later, drop that high-and-mighty attitude of yours."

"If you ruin Tyler's wedding, I swear I’ll kill myself right in front of you!"

I stared coldly at the woman who gave birth to me.

This was my biological mother.

When I was eight, Richard moved into our house, bringing along his son, Tyler, who was only six months younger than me.

From that day on, I became the family's unpaid maid.

In the dead of winter, when the pipes froze, I was forced to wash Tyler's heavy down jackets with freezing water, leaving my hands covered in painful chilblains.

When I finished middle school, they locked me in a room and starved me for three days, trying to force me to drop out and work in a factory.

I fought with everything I had to escape. I paid my way through college by working part-time jobs and winning full scholarships.

The day I passed the civil service exam and got hired by the city, they didn't celebrate. Instead, they stormed my office, making a massive scene.

They demanded I hand over my salary card to pay for Tyler's future wedding.

When I refused, they spread rumors everywhere, calling me an ungrateful, heartless daughter.

Over the years, they turned a blind eye to every ounce of suffering I went through.

And now, just to get Tyler his three luxury apartments, they had drugged me and were selling me off to a powerful man.

I lightly touched my black briefcase, a cold smirk playing on my lips.

Half an hour later, the Maybach pulled up in front of the Royal Club, the most luxurious lounge in Manhattan.

The moment the door opened, Richard couldn't wait. He grabbed me by my hair and dragged me out.

"Get the hell out! Don't keep the Director waiting!"

A sharp pain shot through my scalp.

I followed his pull, got out of the car, and coldly brushed his hand off.

Near the entrance, my golden-child stepbrother, Tyler, was standing there with his arm around his fiancée, Chloe. They were looking around anxiously.

Seeing me get out, Tyler spat on the ground in disgust.

"Mom, Dad, what took you so long to bring her?"

"I've already asked around. The new Director is in the Penthouse Presidential Suite!"

Chloe strutted over in her high heels, scanning me from head to toe with utter disdain.

"With her looking this pathetic, is the Director really going to like her?"

"I heard powerful men like women who are hot and revealing. She's wrapped up like a nun!"

She spun around, pulled a black plastic bag out of her purse, and threw it right at my face.

"Go to the restroom and change into this right now!"

"I spent fifty dollars at an adult store specifically to pick this out for you!"

I looked at the black plastic bag that had hit my face. Inside, I could see a few strips of cheap, semi-transparent lace.

This wasn't clothing. It barely qualified as dental floss.

Chloe crossed her arms, looking down her nose at me.

"What are you standing there for? Stop acting like a pure, innocent virgin!"

"Your brother needs to pay my family tomorrow. A hundred and fifty thousand, not a single penny less!"

"Even if you have to strip naked tonight, you better make sure that new Director is fully satisfied!"

Richard violently kicked the car door beside him.

"Get the hell in there and change, brat!"

"If you dare to ruin this for us, I’ll strip you naked right here on the street myself!"

Helen quickly rushed over, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward the public restroom.

She lowered her voice, her tone dripping with warning.

"Tyler is the only boy in our family. If he can't get married, I won't live another day!"

"I’ve done my research. Men in high positions love this kind of kinky stuff."

"Just be obedient and get him to sign the three-for-one zoning deal."

"Once you become his mistress, our whole family will live like royalty!"