The Breeding Deal: Brother-in-law's Forbidden Offer

At eight o'clock sharp, Christine and Rebecca sat outside the operating room.

Today marked the official start of Ethan's chemotherapy, beginning with a minor surgical procedure. The doctors needed to insert a PICC line - a long-term IV catheter - into Ethan's arm.

Although the procedure itself wasn't risky, it signaled the beginning of Ethan's chemotherapy journey. Despite hoping for the best, Christine felt incredibly anxious about the uncertainties ahead.

This morning, Christine stood before the bathroom mirror, the steam from her hot shower still lingering in the air. As she examined her reflection, her fingers traced the dark purple bruises that wrapped around her wrists like twisted bracelets. Similar marks marred the delicate skin of her neck, painful reminders of that intense night. She pulled on a high-necked sweater and long pants, carefully adjusting each piece to ensure complete coverage. Her movements were deliberate and cautious, every stretch sending dull aches through her body. After securing her long dark hair to cover her neck, she added a silk scarf as an extra precaution against the autumn breeze.

Rebecca, consumed by worry over her son's upcoming treatment, barely glanced at Christine during breakfast. She didn't notice how her daughter-in-law winced slightly while sitting down, or how she took tiny bites of her toast, swallowing with visible discomfort. Christine's usually bright voice had diminished to barely above a whisper, and she kept her eyes down, responding only when directly addressed. Her usual morning chatter was replaced by a telling silence that went completely unnoticed by her distracted mother-in-law.

Even after two days of rest, Christine's throat still hurt terribly. Sophie had tried everything this morning, from throat lozenges to lemon water, which finally helped ease the burning sensation. Still, she could only speak in a near whisper. On their way to the hospital, she had only called Rebecca's name once when they left, and hadn't said much since.

After five minutes of waiting outside the surgery room, Rebecca couldn't settle her nerves. Unable to sit still, she called Adrian to ask when he'd be free to check on his brother.

Christine thought about moving away but realized that might seem more suspicious, so she remained seated quietly. As Rebecca asked question after question, Adrian's cool voice came vaguely through the speaker, characteristically brief: "In a meeting."

Rebecca stood up and began rambling about her concerns for Ethan and future plans. No longer able to hear Adrian's responses, Christine tilted her head back, focusing intently on the "Surgery in Progress" sign.

It seemed clear that Adrian wouldn't come, regardless of what Rebecca said. Secretly, Christine hoped he wouldn't. During her two days of rest, nightmares had plagued her sleep - each one featuring Adrian taking her in different ways, his powerful hands leaving marks on her skin, his dominance overwhelming her completely.

Since that night of raw, primal sex, Adrian hadn't returned home. Christine sensed his anger but couldn't understand why, or if it was directed at her. The memories came in blurry flashes - his iron grip around her throat, his deep voice demanding who he was, his muscular body pinning her down. He had been merciless, each thrust deeper and harder than the last, claiming her body with a savage intensity like a beast.

The feeling of being completely at his mercy, filled and stretched by his burning heat, still made her shiver. Her skin remembered every bite, every bruising grip, every moment he had marked her as his.

That day, she'd lost all sense of time and reality. Hours blended together in a haze of pleasure and pain until her consciousness finally slipped away. Even now, her body ached in places she never knew could hurt, tender reminders of his unrestrained desire.

As her body finally recovered from those overwhelming sensations, Christine sat there, shaking her head desperately to clear the intrusive thoughts of Adrian from her mind.

The surgery procedure was quick, taking only 40 minutes total, with the actual insertion requiring just about 10 minutes.

Acute leukemia comes in two types: myeloid and lymphoid. Ethan was diagnosed with myeloid, which typically affects adults and carries higher risks of infection, bleeding, and neutropenia. After discussion, considering Ethan's youth and potential for recovery, the medical team decided on a gentler approach with minimal steroid use.

However, myeloid leukemia treatment had one major drawback - a longer recovery period. It would take at least 6 months for the immune system to recover, and 2 years for complete rehabilitation and return to work. Christine worried whether Ethan could endure such a lengthy treatment in his current condition.

When the surgery light went off, Rebecca rushed forward to see her son. The catheter was in place, and Ethan lay on the gurney, just waking from anesthesia. Despite his pale complexion, his eyes were wide open as he looked at Rebecca and Christine.

The doctors had warned them that the first two weeks of chemotherapy - the induction phase - would be the most dangerous. Side effects like fever, internal bleeding, severe fatigue, and breathing difficulties could be life-threatening. Ethan would need to stay in a sterile room during this period.

In other words, if the side effects proved too severe, Ethan might not survive these two crucial weeks.

Christine held Ethan's hand, her fingers intertwining with his fragile ones. His skin felt thinner now, almost translucent under the harsh hospital lights. The thought that this could be their last touch for two weeks - or perhaps forever - made her heart constrict painfully in her chest.

With tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, inhaling his familiar scent one last time. Ethan squeezed her hand gently, his tired eyes meeting hers with a look that spoke volumes - a mix of love, determination, and quiet strength.

She knew deep in her heart that he would fight with everything he had to survive.

Christine turned away quickly, her hair falling forward like a curtain to hide the tears that finally escaped down her cheeks.

As she turned, she found Adrian standing right behind her.