The Sterling family's eccentric third son loved raising snakes and teasing me. Every night, he would bring a cold snake into my room. He’d let it wrap around my ankle, and even if I cried, he refused to take it away. Aside from that, I lived a charmed life, flattered and spoiled by everyone. But later, the Sterlings took in another girl to pay off a debt. Because that girl was afraid of snakes, Vance killed his beloved pet. Looking at the snake's blood on the floor, I knew my time as his pampered canary was up. Coincidentally, the term of my debt repayment was over. So, clutching my slightly swollen, pregnant belly, I quietly fled the Sterling estate. 01 When I found out my family had gone bankrupt, I was actually thrilled. My dad had eight daughters. I was exactly the eighth. My seven older sisters had all been married off to wealthy tycoons for business alliances. They didn't get to choose their partners; they had to obey the family's arrangements. One married a divorced billionaire with kids; another married a sugar daddy thirty years her senior. Each of them was beautiful, but every single marriage was miserable. My dad had picked out a match for me too, and the guy combined all the worst traits of my brothers-in-law. Old, ugly, divorced, with kids. I only took one look from afar and almost threw up. I thought, if I had to marry him, I would waste away to nothing. Because looking at that face, I wouldn't be able to eat a single bite. When he heard I refused to marry the guy, my dad had me tied up, beaten, and grounded. After all, my sisters had never fought back. He knew exactly how to handle this kind of rebellion. Just when I was on the brink of despair, my dad's company ran into massive trouble. What made me even happier was that those wealthy brothers-in-law of mine couldn't lift a finger to help. My dad was finally bankrupt! I joyfully thanked God and my lucky stars. I thought I had dodged a bullet and wouldn't have to worry about a forced marriage ever again. But I underestimated how ruthless my dad could be. Since the marriage alliance fell through, he actually offered me up as collateral to pay off his debts. 02 When I was brought to the Sterling Estate, I felt like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. My dad said the Sterlings had three sons, and all I had to do was catch the eye of one of them. If none of them wanted me, he'd send me to another creditor's house. By then, I had zero expectations for marriage. I figured, rather than being tossed around from man to man, I might as well just go to the Sterlings. As long as the Sterling men weren't like my former fiancé—five-foot-two, two hundred pounds, and fifty-six years old—I could survive. But a prestigious family like that looked down on my dad's cheap tactics. The Sterling patriarch righteously rejected him: "We are a respectable family. Don't try to fool us with these crooked schemes." So, my dad and I were unceremoniously kicked out. Standing at their gates, he was already making calls to arrange visits to the Smiths, the Joneses, the Davis family... Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air, and a man appeared in front of me. He had a razor-sharp jawline, arched brows, and messy hair falling effortlessly over his forehead. His legs, clad in black tailored pants, looked like they went on forever. The moment our eyes met, only one thought crossed my mind. This must be my reward for enduring so many ugly men. But when I took a closer look, my pupils instantly shrank. Wrapped around his arm was a silver snake. It wasn't a toy. It was a real snake. It was as thick as a baby's arm. Its black, beady eyes locked onto me, its tongue flicking out, tasting the air. I had been terrified of cold-blooded animals since I was a kid. My scalp went numb. Just as I was about to take a step back, I heard my dad respectfully call out to the man: "Mr. Sterling." I knew about Vance Sterling, the third son. In a family with strict rules and tradition, he was the sole exception. Rebellious and wild since childhood, he had no hobbies other than raising snakes, and he never even had a woman by his side. Yet, his grandfather favored him deeply and had entrusted half of the family empire to him. Vance ignored my dad. He just tilted his chin at me and asked lazily: "Afraid of snakes?" I was terrified. Deathly afraid. But I fought the urge to step back, forcing a harmless, sweet smile. "Not at all." He smirked noncommittally, suddenly raised his arm, and thrust the snake right into my face. "Then pet it." 03 Every fiber of my being was screaming in protest. But I didn't want to disobey Vance. Compared to those ugly old men, a young, gorgeous guy like him was already the best option I had. I gritted my teeth and cautiously reached out my hand. The silver snake poked its head out, and its cold scales unexpectedly brushed against my palm. Ice-cold and smooth. Oh my god, this is terrifying. I want to cry. But I forced a bright smile, looking at Vance and lying through my teeth: "This... this feels really nice." As soon as the words left my mouth, the snake suddenly went crazy, opening its jaws at me as if it wanted to take a bite. My hand trembled in fear, and unable to hold back anymore, I stumbled three steps backward. My lie was exposed way too fast. I thought Vance would mock me, but he just looked at me with a half-smile. "What's your name?" "Harper Miller." "Want to come with me?" "Huh?" My eyes widened in shock. By the time I processed what was happening, my dad and Vance had already struck a deal. He handed me over to Vance for three years to wipe out a thirty-million-dollar debt. It was a terrible, uncalculated bargain. But to everyone's surprise, Vance actually agreed. He nodded playfully. "Sure. Deal." 04 That very night, I moved into Vance’s private mansion. When Vance walked in, he had just taken a shower. He wore a white silk V-neck pajama top, exposing a wide swath of his chest. Water dripped from his damp hair, trailing down his chest and disappearing into the depths of his shirt. I pursed my lips awkwardly, standing perfectly straight, pressed tightly against the wall. "Are you putting yourself in time-out?" He let out a soft scoff, casually grabbing a towel draped over his shoulder to dry his hair. "If you're not used to sharing a bed with me, you can sleep in another room. There are sixteen bedrooms in this house; take your pick." My eyes instantly lit up. I didn't expect him to be so considerate. Just as I was about to nod, a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Though, the other fifteen are snake rooms. Each room has anywhere from five to twenty snakes. You might want to think about which one you prefer." I froze in place, suddenly stuttering, "N-never mind. This... this is perfectly fine." He locked the door, leaving just the two of us in our pajamas. Even though Vance was gorgeous and I understood what the job of a "canary" entailed, I was still terrified facing the actual reality of it. After all, my knowledge of this stuff came entirely from reading romance novels. I had zero practical experience. Vance pulled back the covers and got into bed, patting the empty space next to him. "Are you coming over by yourself, or do you need me to carry you?" I hesitated for a second, then slowly shuffled to the edge of the bed. Rumor had it the eccentric billionaire only liked snakes and never let women near him. I didn't look like a snake, so he probably wouldn't be interested in me. Thinking this, I slowly crawled under the covers, leaving enough space between us to fit three other people. Vance gave me a meaningful look. I don't know if he was suddenly hot, but he suddenly lifted the hem of his shirt to fan himself. That one motion exposed eight perfectly sculpted abs. I glanced over, instantly averted my eyes, and asked carefully: "Is the AC set too high? Do you want me to turn it down?" Vance stopped talking. He stared at me, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were suddenly parched. I tried to be helpful again. "Do you want me to get you some water?" The expression on Vance's face was complicated for a moment. Suddenly he wasn't thirsty anymore. He reached over, flicked off the lamp, and turned his back to me to sleep. I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he really was just like the rumors—completely uninterested in women. Keeping me around was probably just him taking pity on a girl sold by her own father. I secretly congratulated myself for meeting a good guy who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and happily prepared to drift off. Just as I was half-asleep, a body suddenly pressed against my back. His chest was burning hot, his voice hoarse, but his words were incredibly direct. "Are we doing this?" 05 I take back everything I said. Vance was not a good guy at all. He was wicked. I was too embarrassed to refuse, and he took an inch to take a mile, pushing forward relentlessly. Until I completely fell apart, half-resisting, half-yielding. And if that wasn't enough, he was a total freak. Who brings a snake into the bedroom for that? With a twisted sense of humor, he brought the snake into the room. It flicked its tongue, its crimson tip licking my ankle, cold scales gliding across my calf. He lowered his head to bite my earlobe, his hot breath brushing against the side of my ear. The contrast of freezing cold and burning heat drove me absolutely insane. For the first year with Vance, I counted down the days, wondering how much longer until I could leave him and his creepy reptiles. By the second year, I realized that spending too much time with a freak makes you a bit of a freak too. I had actually grown addicted to the feeling. By the third year, I suddenly felt that staying with Vance was actually pretty great. He was clean. Besides me, there were no other women in his life. He gave me everything I asked for. The best of everything was delivered straight to my hands. I had massive, flawless diamonds, solid gold bars, and designer bags filling an entire walk-in closet. Everyone knew Vance valued me. They practically treated me as the future Mrs. Sterling. Even my dad bowed and scraped whenever he saw me. I was riding high, showered with praise. I also felt that Vance loved me. Every time he breathed my name, trembling, his eyes reflected nothing but me. So when the three years were up, he didn't bring up the end of the debt, and I didn't mention leaving. The day I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant, I was actually thrilled. I couldn't wait to share the good news with Vance. But as luck would have it, Vance didn't come home that night. It was the first time in three years. The next day, I found out the Sterlings had taken in a new girl to pay off a debt. 06 When I went looking for Vance, he was at the main estate. The butler told me the new girl's name was Chloe Bennett. She was incredibly beautiful, the picture of a pure, innocent sweetheart. She was originally meant to pay off a debt to the Sterlings, but a young heir from the Hayes family had also set his sights on her. The two men ended up fighting over it, agreeing that Chloe would belong to the winner. Vance won. But as he walked toward Chloe, the snake he brought that day was feeling restless and suddenly lunged onto her. It wrapped itself around her neck, flicking its tongue, slowly slithering against her cheek. A young girl like her had never seen anything so terrifying. She burst into tears on the spot. By the time I rushed over, the snake was already dead. Its head was severed from its body, a large pool of blood spreading across the floor. I froze. Vance loved his snakes. He practically raised them like children, giving each one a name. He treasured them. He rarely let anyone touch them, and once refused a two-million-dollar offer for just one of his reptiles. After spending so much time with those cold-blooded little creatures, even I had developed a strange affection for them. I never imagined there would come a day when Vance would kill a snake. And all just to comfort a crying girl. I pursed my lips, looking up toward the estate's grand living room. Vance was inside, leaning lazily against the window with his arms crossed, a casual smirk on his lips as he chatted idly with Chloe. Chloe looked up at him, her delicate frame fragile, her long hair blowing in the breeze. At a glance, she looked a lot like I did three years ago. I was standing right at the door. If Vance just turned his head, he would see me. But he was too focused. His gaze didn't shift an inch. I suddenly remembered how cold Vance had been toward me over the last two months. He was incredibly fit and usually never tired of tossing me around. Three or four hours a night used to be the norm. But lately, he had become perfunctory, wrapping things up hastily after just one round. So, his boredom with me had warning signs all along. But come to think of it, with a background and status like his, how could he tie his heart to just one woman? Keeping him interested for three years was already a massive achievement. I looked down at my still-flat stomach. I had wanted to tell him we were having a baby, but now, it seemed entirely unnecessary. I didn't stick around to watch. I hurried back to the mansion. I could break up with Vance, but the gifts he gave me were mine, and I was taking them all. I immediately contacted buyers, liquidating the gold, selling off the designer bags and jewelry. It would take about a week for my bank balance to turn into a glorious, cold, multi-million-dollar safety net. Thinking about this, I lay on the bed, feeling relieved, just wanting the week to be over. The bedroom door clicked open, and the mattress dipped. Vance familiarly pulled me into his arms. I stiffened. "Why are you back?" Shouldn't he be with Chloe tonight? Vance propped himself up over me with one hand, unbuttoning his shirt with the other. "This is my house. Where else would I go?" Saying that, he cupped the back of my head and crashed his lips onto mine, greedily stealing the air from my lungs. Thinking about what happened at the estate, I reluctantly turned my head away, blurting out a random excuse. "No, you're sweaty today. You're dirty." "Spoiled." Vance reached out, tapped my nose, and pulled off his shirt, revealing a lean, muscular torso. "I'll go shower." He took two steps, then, as if remembering something, turned back and scooped me up into his arms. "Let's shower together." Excuse me? The bathroom was steaming hot, the sound of water echoing against the tiles. Vance's gaze landed on me, his eyes growing dark. His kisses fell like a storm, leaving me breathless and forced to lean against him just to stay standing. But surprisingly, at the crucial moment, Vance let me go. "Be a good girl and go out first. I'll come find you when I'm done." I froze for a second, then realization hit me. A man's energy is finite. Now that he had a new toy, he obviously wouldn't waste his stamina on his old one. New is always better than the old, after all. I don't know if it was because I was too exhausted today, but my lower abdomen suddenly started aching slightly. I pulled out my phone to check out local clinics, planning to book an appointment to get rid of the baby the moment I left town. I browsed for a long time. Vance was still in the bathroom, god knows what he was doing in there. I was dead tired and dozed off, my phone still clutched tightly in my hand, the screen unlocked. I was shaken awake by Vance. Half-asleep, I was pulled into his arms. He was staring at me with a half-smile, making me feel inexplicably guilty. "W-what are you doing?" He tilted his head, studying me. "Babe, do you have anything you want to tell me?" I was entirely lost. "No." "Really?" His fingertips suddenly trailed down, landing on my lower stomach, slowly tracing circles. I glanced at my phone, which was now sitting on the nightstand. A terrible premonition gripped my heart. Did he see my browsing history? Did he notice something? I looked at him hesitantly. His expression was impossible to read. In that split second, my brain was already working in overdrive, trying to come up with an excuse to hide the pregnancy. "I... I just..." "Are you short on cash?" he asked suddenly. My excuse died in my throat. I stared at him blankly. "The guy who buys secondhand designer bags just called. He said you're trying to sell off all the bags I gave you. Care to explain why you're liquidating everything?" Oh, so it was about that. I breathed a massive sigh of relief and quickly spun a lie. "Those bags are out of season. They're just taking up space, so I figured I might as well sell them." Vance was very good at grasping the core issue. He immediately zeroed in on the key information: "The old bags are out of season, so you need new ones." "I'll have my assistant buy every new arrival this season tomorrow. You can wear whatever you like." Just as I was about to relax, Vance casually dropped another question: "Babe, why were you glancing at your phone while talking to me? Is there some dark secret hiding in there?" "Want to show it to me?" I was terrified. I immediately looked away, wrapped my arms around his neck, nuzzled against the small mole on his nose, and made my voice as soft and sweet as possible. "What could I possibly hide from you?" The silver snake coiled around his shoulder took the opportunity to wrap its tail around my waist, pulling me tight against Vance's abs. He hummed, satisfied. "Relax, I won't check your phone. I have that much trust in you." "Besides, I doubt you'd dare do anything out of line." I nodded vigorously. Honestly, running away in secret wasn't that out of line, was it? Just one more week, and I'd be saying goodbye to Vance forever. But I never expected the Sterling family's intuition to be so sharp. 07 For Grandpa Sterling's birthday, Vance had to return to the estate. Usually, these were strictly family affairs, and he never brought me along. But this year was the patriarch's 80th, a massive banquet, and Vance wanted me to attend as his plus-one. Since it was a banquet, I needed a gown. Vance had given me plenty of dresses, but running away with a closet full of evening wear was impractical, so I had already sold them off at a discount. I only had one burgundy dress left. The waist was tiny, bought when I was at my absolute thinnest. Zipping it up was a struggle, and it made my slightly rounded stomach noticeable. I sucked in my gut, praying Vance wouldn't notice. Everything was going fine until it was time for toasts. A group of kids ran over, playing tag, and one nearly crashed right into my stomach. I jumped back in panic, forgetting to hold my breath. Vance's little niece ran up to me, pressed her hand against my stomach, and asked in her sweet, baby voice: "Harper, your tummy used to be flat. Why is it all round now?" Vance froze, his gaze immediately dropping to my abdomen. Sucking it back in now would be too obvious. I bent down slightly and explained to the little girl: "Because the food at the party is so yummy, I ate way too much and got stuffed." But the kid shook her head, telling me with absolute certainty: "Nuh-uh." "There's a baby in your tummy." As soon as the words fell, the surrounding area went dead silent. Everyone turned to look at us. As if afraid people wouldn't believe her, she raised her voice: "It's true! I'm not lying!" "The baby in her tummy is moving! It just kicked my hand!" I was panicking internally but kept a beaming smile on my face as I explained, "There's no baby in my tummy, sweetheart." "When you eat too much, your stomach has to digest it. Of course my tummy is moving." The kid wanted to argue, but thankfully her mother grabbed her and pulled her away. The excuse was incredibly flimsy, but I thought I had managed to scrape by. When I turned around, I found Vance staring at me, deep in thought. "Babe, if I remember correctly, you've missed your period for three months now, haven't you?" My money was ready. I was leaving tomorrow. I couldn't let things go wrong now. I forced myself to stay calm and nodded naturally. "Yeah." "You know my cycle has never been regular." Afraid Vance would press further and blow my cover, I faked a burp. "Ugh, I ate way too much. I need to go for a walk and digest." Vance couldn't come with me; there was a line of people waiting to toast him. He had to socialize. I wandered the estate gardens alone. As I walked, I noticed a light on. It was a room on the third floor that had always been empty. Tonight, it was brightly lit. Two maids walked by carrying trays of food, gossiping. "Mr. Sterling really cares about that new Miss Bennett. He's so worried she'll go hungry, he had the chef make all her favorites." "A busy man like him actually remembered she's allergic to seafood. He specifically ordered the kitchen to leave it out." "With a new girl in the house, does that mean Miss Miller is out of favor?" "Probably. The Bennett girl is only nineteen, a blank slate, the perfect age to mold. Miss Miller is twenty-two. Mr. Sterling has been sleeping with her for years; he's bound to be bored by now." I stood behind a sycamore tree. They didn't see me as they chatted and headed toward the third floor. I sniffled, suddenly feeling incredibly hollow. Vance wasn't even trying to hide his affection. Even the staff could see he had someone else in his heart. A voice suddenly broke the silence from behind me. "Miss Miller, since Vance has a new favorite, why don't you come with me?"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "407063", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel