Chapter 1
Three years into her whirlwind romance with Ryan Carter, Emily Summers stumbled upon something she never expected: a divorce certificate tucked in the study drawer.
Ryan, her fiancé, was listed as the husband. Emily's gaze flicked to the wife's name, and her heart skipped because it was not her name.
Instead, it was Olivia Grant, Ryan's aunt, who'd been lying in a coma for three years.
Emily stared at the certificate over and over, her hands trembling. Shock and disbelief gripped her mind.
For three years, Emily had looked after Olivia with more care than any nurse ever could, making sure she was clean, comfortable, and well cared for every single day.
All because Ryan had told her Olivia was the only family he had left in this world.
There had to be some mix-up.
With the divorce certificate clutched tightly in her hand, she jumped into her car and raced straight to Ryan's company.
When she arrived at Ryan's office, the door was slightly ajar.
As Emily was about to push it open, she caught snippets of a conversation between Ryan and his buddy drifting out.
"What did the hospital say? Is there no hope for Olivia to wake up?" his buddy asked.
Ryan tapped his finger on the desk, his face grim. "It's been three years. If she were going to wake up, she would have by now," he replied.
"Seriously? Don't tell me you've caught feelings for Emily? Have you forgotten why you went after her to begin with?" his buddy pressed.
Emily heard that and her heart dropped.
Ryan's lips curled into a cold, emotionless line as he said, "I remember, but the tech isn't there yet. I checked with Michael, and he can't promise it'll work out. Let's wait a little longer."
He paused for a second and added, "Besides, you're talking like I'd ever fall for someone else.
"If I hadn't gotten into that fight with Olivia and divorced her on a whim, none of this would've happened.
"No matter how life changes her, she'll always be the love of my life."
Tears spilled down Emily's cheeks before she realized she was crying.
So Olivia was never his aunt. Had he planned our meeting three years ago as well?
Three years ago, when she was mugged overseas, Ryan put his life on the line for her. That was when Emily fell for him, hard.
After they returned from abroad, they couldn't keep their hands off each other, and their love was intense and passionate.
But now, Emily gripped the divorce certificate, her hand trembling. She refused to believe Ryan would lie to her, but the truth scared her more.
What kind of technology was Ryan talking about?
Emily gripped the divorce certificate in her pocket, gritting her teeth hard. After hesitating for a few moments, she spun around and headed straight home.
She needed to get to the bottom of what Ryan was hiding from her.
She rushed home, went straight to the study, and turned on Ryan's computer.
Emily stared at the password box, her heart pounding. She tried Ryan's birthday, but the password was wrong.
Her heart pounded harder. After nervously hesitating, she typed in Olivia's birthday and hit Enter.
Just like that, she was staring at the desktop.
Right then, Emily couldn't help but laugh at herself for being so naive and for never seeing any of it coming all these years.
On Ryan's computer, Emily came across a chat history between him and a doctor named Michael Bennett.
She had only read a few lines when her scalp went numb and her whole body felt as if she'd been struck by lightning.
Three years ago, after Olivia's car crash left her in a coma, Ryan had been desperate, running all over the world trying to save her.
On the other side of the globe, Dr. Bennett was researching on experimental gene therapy, but he needed someone whose genes were a perfect match for Olivia.
Obviously, the target was Emily. She was the unlucky guinea pig they'd picked.