The weather in New York was extraordinarily sweltering.

After class, Bella went straight home to the Chris family residence. At that moment, her father, Chris Handerson, handed her a glass of watermelon juice.

"It's so hot today. Have some watermelon juice. Aunt Rose saved it for you—we've all had some," Chris Handerson said.

Bella eyed the glass of juice with suspicion. Her father usually dismissed her, and her stepmother was even harsher. Today, they were offering her watermelon juice?

Without thinking too much—perhaps her father’s conscience had finally kicked in—and feeling parched, she took a satisfying gulp and finished the drink.

However, something felt off.

Her head began to spin. It seemed as though countless versions of Chris Handerson were swaying in front of her.

"What... what did you give me to drink?" Bella finally realized she had been deceived!

"Bella, things have come to this, so I won’t hide it from you anymore. Your dad’s company is about to land a big client. You should do your part for your father and this family," her stepmother, Rose Gale, declared.

"What... what are you going to do to me?" Bella gasped in shock.

No matter how much her father and stepmother had beaten or scolded her and her little brother, she had never retaliated. But now, they had gone too far. Fear gripped her.

"Bella, Mr. Scott said that as long as you spend one night with him, Dad will be able to secure the ET order," Chris Handerson shamelessly announced.

Bella staggered back in despair, staring at him in disbelief. This was her birth father! He was worse than a beast, selling his own daughter.

She turned to flee toward the door, unwilling to be a pawn in their cruel game, but it was too late. The drugged watermelon juice had already taken effect. Darkness swallowed her, and she collapsed onto the floor.

The night in New York.

In a luxurious presidential suite, Bella found herself tossed onto a bed. Though conscious, she discovered her legs were bound, and her wrists were tied behind her. To her horror, she was dressed in lingerie as thin as a harvest fly’s wings.

A slow-burning heat surged within her body, her cheeks flushing against her will. Though she was unwed, she was not naive. It had to be the work of her father and stepmother—they must have drugged her with something insidious.

How could they? How could her own father, Chris Handerson, be so ruthless?

The room was empty. Bella struggled into a sitting position, grateful for her flexibility. She managed to bite off the cords binding her feet. Chris Handerson had likely not anticipated her waking up so soon.

With her feet free, she rubbed her bound hands against the sharp edges of the tea table. After several frantic moments, the binds finally loosened.

Just as she was about to bolt for the door, she heard voices outside.

"President Scott, I’ve even offered up my very own daughter this time. You must seriously consider our ET order!" Chris Handerson’s voice was slick with desperation.

"All right, all right. You may leave. I’ll give it some thought," President Scott replied dismissively, his mind preoccupied with the beauty waiting for him inside.

Bella’s heart clenched painfully. Her father—her own flesh and blood—had willingly delivered her into another man’s hands for the sake of business!

Monster. He was worse than a beast.