chapter 1

My husband Robin Brown's first love, Melanie Dolton, was a wealthy heiress who loved fishing.

To make her happy, he secretly bought one thousand pounds of fish just to bait her hooks.

At the party, Melanie suggested a fishing contest.

Robin, determined to make Melanie win, actually called me, pregnant and resting in the hotel, to the shore and shoved me into the water.

"Darling, Melanie said if I help her win this fishing contest, she'll invest in my company!" he said.

I was furious. "Robin, are you crazy? I'm pregnant! There's no oxygen in the water—the baby could suffocate!"

Hearing my words, Robin froze, then apologized repeatedly. "I'm sorry, darling, it was my mistake."

But that afternoon, while I had been resting, a sudden wave of suffocation woke me, and only then did I realize I was underwater.

Robin's cold voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Darling, you have enough oxygen for 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes, you need to hook at least 50 fish for Melanie. Otherwise, I'll have people throw our three kids into the water!"

Through the waterproof screen strapped to me, I saw my triplets sleeping peacefully. My heart ached, but I pushed through the suffocation and kept baiting hooks for Melanie.

Half an hour passed. I hadn't met Robin's demand, and he did throw our three children into the water.

Then his conversation with Melanie echoed through the walkie-talkie. "Aren't these your own children? Don't you care?"

Robin laughed loudly and said casually, "Winona's very fertile. If we lose these kids, we can always have more. We never run out of children."

I closed my eyes in pain and let my body sink.

Robin didn't know that my fertility had been destroyed six months ago. The baby I carried now was his last.

Through the walkie-talkie, Robin and Melanie's laughter pierced my ears.

The icy lake water wrapped around me, but I didn't have time to care.

I curled my body tightly and used my bound feet to hook the fishing net tangled around my ankles.

The net was full of wriggling fish, their slimy, slippery bodies thrashing against my legs, making me feel sick.

I fought back the nausea, managed to grab one fish, and pushed upward through the water with all my strength.

Then I hooked it hard onto Melanie's glittering golden hook.

Soon, Melanie's excited scream echoed from the shore. "Yes! It's biting! It's so strong!"

Through the cloudy water, I saw Robin's face—smiling with affection—as he gently helped Melanie hold the rod, his touch soft and intimate.

The rich kids around them cheered. "Melanie, you're amazing!"

"You're so lucky!"

Melanie laughed triumphantly as the fish was pulled from the water.

The crowd on the shore erupted in even louder cheers.

"Wow! It's a five-pound koi!"

Through the walkie-talkie, Melanie praised Robin. "Robin, not bad. You'd even throw your own wife in the water for me?"

Robin's voice came out soft and eager, like a loyal dog desperate to please. "As long as you're happy, Melanie, I'll do anything."

My heart grew heavy and sank at his words. My lungs felt as if they were being torn apart, burning with pain.

Then Robin's voice came through the walkie-talkie again, but this time he was speaking to me.

"Winona, did you hear that? Melanie's happy. Keep it up and hook more of those big fish for her. If she's pleased and invests in the company, we'll finally have a good life.

"When that happens, I'll buy you the biggest villa, hire a whole staff, and you won't have to lift a finger."

But right now, I couldn't bear the empty promises he was making.

I gathered all my strength and begged into the walkie-talkie against my chest. "Robin… pull me up… My stomach hurts so much… The water is too cold, I'm scared… scared the baby won't make it…"

The baby I carried was his biological child, already 26 weeks along.

Unexpectedly, Robin, who had been excited before, sneered coldly. "Winona, stop your pity act. You're very fertile, not that delicate.

"This cold water is nothing. Don't think I don't know—you're just jealous of how close Melanie and I are and are throwing a tantrum!"

Robin paused, and his voice turned icy. "I'm warning you, don't even think about slacking off. If you don't do exactly as I say, I'll call right now and have them toss our three kids into the swimming pool one by one."

He said it so casually, as if our children weren't his own flesh and blood, but just trash to be thrown away.

At that moment, a bright light suddenly flashed on my chest.

A palm-sized waterproof screen activated, sticking tightly to my diving suit.

On the screen was our nursery.

My three precious babies lay side by side in their cribs, sleeping soundly.

Jasper's chubby profile sank into the pillow, puckering his mouth.

Rowan had kicked off the blankets, showing his little round round belly.

Dexter slept the soundest, curled up like a tiny kitten.

They were so adorable, soft, and completely defenseless.

Seeing the black-clad bodyguards ready to act around them, I panicked.