“Keep drawing! Even if her heart stops, the blood still has to reach Sophia!” Joseph’s cold words cut through Isabella. She had congenital heart disease, and when 800cc of blood was drained, her heart stopped. Once, Joseph had defied family traditions to marry her. Now, for Sophia, he nearly took her life. Heartbroken, Isabella erased her identity, faked her death, and had an artificial heart implanted. She disappeared into the territory of Joseph’s sworn enemy, Ethan, ready to rebuild. But Joseph couldn’t let her go. He found her, desperate. “Since you disappeared, my life has been a nightmare. Please, just give me a chance. I can’t live without you.” Before she could speak, Ethan pulled her into his arms. “Isabella is my wife. Who the h*ll are you?”

Chapter 1

For six years, Isabella Garcia loved her husband, Joseph Ashford. But out of the blue, he was struck by a strange illness—and the cure? He had to sleep with another woman ninety-nine times.

The Ashford family has a century-old family creed: the head of the family must not marry a woman of humble birth.

But Joseph defied tradition. He burned the ancestral tablets to marry Isabella, a pearl diver, adding her to the family tree overnight and rushing into their wedding the very next day.

For five years, he spoiled her, making her the most envied woman in Coastal Harbor.

But in the sixth year, Joseph was struck by a strange illness and fell into a coma.

A mysterious master claimed it was an ancestral punishment. The only way to lift it was through a ritual marriage—where Joseph had to sleep with a ritual bride, Sophia Miller, ninety-nine times or fall into a coma again.

From then on, Joseph slept with Sophia every night, telling Isabella to wait.

Isabella could only kneel