Chapter 1

In my previous life, I refused to take the fake heiress's place in marrying the comatose heir to help him recover and bear his child.

She then used despicable means to steal the 100 thousand I had raised for my adoptive mother's surgery.

In the end, my adoptive mother died in despair in a hospital corridor.

Not only did I lose the only person I cared about, but I was also burdened with massive debt.

The fake heiress who married the comatose heir became a widow just one month later and inherited his fortune.

Yet she still resented me. She left me disabled, and I met a miserable ending in a rented room.

When I opened my eyes again, I had traveled back to the day the Lane family found me.

The fake heiress slid the engagement ring onto my finger, smiling as she congratulated me.

"Although Alexander is nearly gone, you'll go from rags to riches after marrying him. You should thank me for giving you this opportunity."

This time, I didn't take off the ring. Instead, I smiled and replied, "Thank you, Madeline. I will cherish this chance to turn my life around."

*****

"Although he's in a coma right now, he's the CEO of Grant Group—a young and talented entrepreneur. Marrying him is a pretty sweet deal," said my mother, Helen Lane.

Her eyes skimmed over my outfit, her expression full of dislike.

Perhaps feeling guilty, she paused for a long moment before adding, "Madeline has been spoiled—she wouldn't know how to care for an invalid. But you, having grown up in a poor family, surely do. Don't worry about your adoptive mother; I'll handle everything."

Madeline Lane, my so-called sister, linked arms with Helen and cooed, "Mom, this is great for Evelyn. As long as she bears Alexander's baby, she'll be his recognized wife. Honestly, so many women would kill for an opportunity like this."

Watching their picture-perfect mother-daughter act, I smiled faintly and replied, "I know. I'm willing."

Since I was a child, I knew Lana Garcia wasn't my real mother. She took me in from outside and raised me up.

I often imagined what it would be like if my real parents found me and took me home.

But I never imagined that, after twenty years, they would locate me only to have me replace their fake daughter, marrying a guy in a coma to help him recover and bear his child.

I was revolted by their fakeness in my previous life, and I rejected them outright.

In the end, both Lana and I died tragically.

Now that I had come back, I was not the same anymore.

This was my chance to change my life and become the ultimate winner. I would never let this chance slip through my fingers this time.

Seeing my cooperative attitude, the Lanes had no more reservations and told me everything about the Grant family.

Alexander Grant, the heir to the wealthy Grant family in Kingsford, suffered a severe car accident a month ago. He was declared brain-dead and had been lying unconscious ever since.

His grandfather, Hector Grant, couldn't bear to see Alexander confined to bed at such a young age—unmarried and without an heir. So, he tried to arrange a marriage alliance with a powerful family, hoping to help Alexander recover and secure an heir for the family.

In the end, the Grant family found the Lanes.

They then decided to form a marriage alliance with the Lane family in hopes of aiding Alexander's recovery.

But the bride had to be a virgin.

There were two reasons why the Lanes turned to me.

First, Madeline was unwilling to marry a man in a coma.

Second, Madeline was no longer innocent.

She feared the Grant family might discover the truth, which would lead to serious trouble.

"So, what's the plan for Lana's treatment?" I asked.

Madeline snorted coldly. "What? You think we would fool you?"

She pulled up a photo on her phone that showed Lana in a private hospital room, where she was receiving excellent care.

"We've called in specialists for her. Tomorrow, when you get married, Lana will go straight into surgery," Madeline said.

I let out a sigh of relief and managed a timid smile. "Alright, that puts my mind at ease."

Madeline clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed by how pathetic I looked.

She scoffed, "Only poor people like you would do this—marry a guy in a coma for money, not even knowing when he's gonna die. But, well, thanks anyway.

"Otherwise, I'd be the one forced to marry him."

She pulled up a photo of Alexander, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Lucky you, really. If he weren't in a coma, you wouldn't even get a chance to marry him.

"You're nothing but a nobody from the sticks. You should count yourself lucky you even got a chance to marry up."

I glanced at Alexander's photo.

He had sharp, chiseled features and prominent cheekbones. He possessed a bold kind of handsomeness and carried himself with undeniable confidence.

I'd spotted Alexander before in financial magazines and news headlines.

He was once vibrant and full of energy. But now, he lay in a hospital bed, connected to machines, barely conscious.

"You're right. Marrying him really is my lucky break," I said with genuine appreciation.

Madeline had been ready with plenty of snark, but the words caught in her throat—after all, to her, I was just a nobody having my Cinderella moment. She didn't expect that I was genuinely happy.

Madeline sneered, "You're seriously not picky at all.

"Just wait until tomorrow—you'll be heading straight into a life where your husband dies young and no one cares about you."

I listened quietly without saying a word.

*****

By dawn the next day, the Grant family sent a group of sharply dressed men to escort me to the wedding.

The Grant family hosted a lavish wedding in a church.

I wore a floor-length bridal gown, which was stitched by hand.

The makeup artist made me look absolutely flawless from head to toe.

Under the watchful eyes of family and friends, I slowly walked down the aisle from the entrance and reached the altar.

Even though Alexander wasn't present, I still completed the vows and the rest of the ceremony by myself.

Once the ceremony was over and the guests were gone, Alexander's stepmother, Grace, called me over. Her voice dripped with displeasure as she turned to Helen. "Are you sure this is your daughter?"

Helen nervously explained, trying to ease the tension, "Evelyn is definitely my daughter—I just raised her elsewhere before. Here, take a look at the DNA test results. It proves without a doubt she's mine."

Grace skimmed the document, her face unreadable. "She has never been with a man, right?"

Helen plastered on a smile. "Absolutely."

Hearing this, Grace spoke with an unusually warm tone, "I know this is a big ask for you.

"Alexander isn't my son, but I truly care for him. I hope he can leave behind an heir. If you can accomplish this, we will make sure you're well taken care of.

"But in families like ours, it's important to be respectful, thoughtful, and know when to keep quiet."

I answered sweetly, "Yes, ma'am."

Grace didn't say anything more.

The butler, Stephen Burns, led me into Alexander's room. The room was very dark, and all I could hear was the steady sound of the ventilator.

Stephen said, "Mrs. Grant, I'll leave you and Mr. Grant alone.

"It's your wedding night, so you should know what's expected. I'll have someone come by in the morning to do an inspection.

"We'll have a private doctor check you to confirm if you and Mr. Grant consummated the marriage. The check will be thorough.

"The fact that Mr. Grant has no heir is his father's greatest worry. Don't even try to play tricks or fake anything—cross that line, and you'll be the one facing the consequences."

He never spelled out exactly what would happen, but the cold threat in his tone was unmistakable.

I knew this clearly.

Even the Lane family could have finished me off if they wanted.

The Grant family was leagues ahead of the Lane family. If they wanted to get rid of me, I would disappear without a trace in no time.

I clenched my hand and said, "I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Stephen."

Stephen turned around and closed the door.

Only when the room fell completely silent did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The room was dimly lit, with only the faint glow of medical equipment shining through the darkness.

In the dim light, I mustered my courage and looked toward the bed where my husband, Alexander, lay completely still.

He was my husband, the man I was meant to be with tonight.

I had never been married in my whole life, and I had never even been with a man before, so I was feeling pretty nervous.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Ruby Lynn, my best friend, who was taking care of Lana in the hospital.

Ruby: [Lana's surgery went really well.]

Ruby: [She's still groggy from the anesthesia. The doctor says she needs to stay in the hospital for a while, but she is out of danger now.]

Relief and excitement flooded me.

I had asked Ruby to keep an eye on Lana's condition before the wedding.

Finally, the good news I had been waiting for arrived.

At least this time, Lana wouldn't be left in the hospital hallway, suffering and despairing as she waited for death.

Next, it was my turn to change my own life.

Now that I had married into the Grant family, I was going to do whatever they asked of me.

I took a deep breath, swallowing my nerves, and walked straight to Alexander's bedside.

Rose petals were scattered on the white sheets; pink bouquets and heart-shaped balloons adorned the area around the bed.

The whole scene was strangely eerie.

Alexander lay there, pale as a sheet and painfully thin. The red and pink surrounding him only emphasized his ghostly pallor. Yet, in that eerie stillness, he possessed a fragile beauty.

I glanced down between Alexander's legs. Honestly, how was this even possible with a man in a coma?

I wouldn't even know what to do with a regular guy. With a coma patient, though, it was totally up to me to handle things.

I kept trying to psych myself up, to build up the courage for this.

When Alexander was gone, his fortune would be mine. He was ridiculously handsome and had been groomed from a young age to take over a billion-dollar company. The guy had seriously good genes.

If I had his baby, that kid would be a total jackpot. Honestly, I wasn't losing out at all. In fact, I was straight-up winning.

Yet my cheeks flushed inexplicably. It was so embarrassing.

Gathering my courage, I almost instinctively reached out and touched his face. It felt smooth and firm. If it weren't for all the machines around him and his pale, lifeless complexion, I would swear he was just asleep.

I whispered, "Don't blame me. I'm not really in control here. If I don't make a move tonight, someone else will come after me tomorrow.

"If I've crossed any lines, please forgive me. Just let me get through this life in peace. If you really want payback, take it out on me in the afterlife."

Then I lifted the covers off him.

I took a deep breath and gently began to undress him.

I slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

To my surprise, he was surprisingly fit, with defined abs.

I couldn't help but run my hand over him. His skin was soft and springy, and his abs were rock hard.

He had been unconscious for a month. Honestly, I thought that his muscles would have wasted away, and that he would be nothing but a skeleton.

But I didn't expect that he was still in crazy good shape.

My fingers slid tentatively along the edge of his waistband, barely grazing his lower abdomen.

Just then, I yanked my hand back.

Outside, the wind howled eerily. I stared at Alexander's body in stunned disbelief.