Marcus Valentine was a man of significant status and immense wealth.
He oversaw the entire testing process personally.
From the sample collection to its delivery to the lab, he never left its side.
Even though he didn't understand the medical procedures, he ensured no one could switch the samples.
He watched every step, preventing any possibility of tampering.
The final results were uploaded to a computer.
During the test, a doctor had offhandedly remarked on the excellent viscosity of his sample.
That comment had rekindled a spark of hope in Marcus.
Maybe there was nothing wrong with him after all?
He sat in the room, waiting for the final verdict.
As the machine data streamed onto the computer screen, he immediately leaned in.
"Doctor, what's the result?"
The doctor stared at the screen, his face suddenly paling.
Marcus's fingers tightened.
The doctor double-checked the results, then looked at him.
"The test indicates... azoospermia."
Marcus's brow furrowed deeply.
A profound sense of disappointment washed over him.
If not for the doctor's earlier teasing, if not for Evelyn Ross's repeated insistence that he was fine…
He wouldn't have allowed himself to hope.
Now, even though the result was expected, it was still bitterly hard to accept.
His fists clenched, making the doctor turn pale with fear.
"M-Mr. Valentine..."
Marcus fixed him with a stare. "You know what can be said, and what must remain unsaid. Understood?"
The doctor swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly.
Marcus turned and left.
The doctor wiped cold sweat from his forehead, his face ashen.
An assistant muttered under his breath, "The result can't be right, can it? Mr. Valentine seems so... virile..."
"Silence!"
The doctor snapped sharply.
The assistant froze.
The doctor lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. "What happened today stays buried. You tell no one, no matter who asks!"
The assistant hastily agreed.
The doctor stared at the computer screen, taking a deep, shaky breath.
Marcus Valentine's information was already registered in the system of a mysterious medical organization.
No matter where he went for testing, the result would only ever be azoospermia.
What was that organization trying to achieve?
The doctor didn't dare dwell on it, merely muttering to himself, "I know nothing..."
…
The testing took several hours.
By the time Marcus left the hospital, dusk had fallen.
Sitting in his car, he let out a bitter laugh.
Another exercise in self-humiliation.
He scoffed derisively and looked out the window.
The car drove back to the Valentine estate.
Marcus went straight to his study, opened a bottle of liquor, and took a long swig.
The sound of a car came from outside the window.
Mina Sherwood was home.
She walked slowly upstairs, pausing for a moment outside the bedroom door.
She pushed it open. Not seeing Marcus, she relaxed slightly.
But before she could even catch her breath, a pair of hands grabbed her tightly from behind.
The strong smell of alcohol assaulted her.
Mina's entire body went rigid.
Marcus roughly threw her over his shoulder, dumped her on the bed, and began tearing at her clothes.
"Marcus! What are you doing? Let me go!"
Marcus buried his face in her neck, kissing her roughly, his large hands ripping the fabric.
"Marcus!"
Mina panicked. "No! You'll hurt the baby!"
The baby...
Marcus paused, a deeper scorn flashing in his eyes.
"Someone else's bastard. Better off gone!"
He continued relentlessly.
In her慌乱, Mina slapped him across the face.
Smack!
The sting brought Marcus a moment of clarity, but he still glared at her fiercely. "Mina, don't push me too far!"
Tears streamed from the corners of Mina's eyes.
"Please, don't hurt him... I can... I can do something else..."
Marcus's fist clenched and smashed into the mattress beside her ear.
Mina turned her head away.
Marcus abruptly stood up. "Mina, remember this. You owe me! For these ten months of marriage, you will always owe me!"
…
Light spilled from the master bedroom window.
The silhouettes of two entangled figures were cast upon the sheer curtains.
Ethan Valentine, kneeling in the family shrine, caught a glimpse of the scene and curled his lip.
Big brother and his wife sure had stamina.
He shifted his sore knees and let out a disgruntled snort.
The next morning.
The door to the shrine creaked open.
Ethan, who had knelt all night, turned his head and saw Third Uncle enter.
Ethan had idolized Third Uncle since childhood, but now he deliberately looked away.
"Do you understand your mistake now?"
"No."
Ethan stubbornly held his neck straight. "The family motto says we don't let our own be bullied. You're being unfair, Uncle! Picking on me for some outsider, even throwing Fiona out! I won't accept it! Fiona might be adopted, but I've always treated her like a real sister!"
Third Uncle glared. "What outsider? Do you even know who Grace Nan is?!"