Chapter 1

At the entrance of the black market, I spotted my eighth and final godfather, Little Pops, in the distance. A rush of excitement swept over me.

I bolted forward, about to call out to him, but my father, Jack, suddenly yanked me back and tied me up tight. My mother, Emma, took the chance to pry my mouth open.

A bottle of medicine was forced down my throat. As the liquid trickled down, it left a path of fire in its wake. I gagged and spat out a mouthful of blood, then realized I couldn't make a sound anymore.

My mother wiped the blood off the hem of her dress, looking disgusted. "You wanted to find someone to help you call the cops, huh? Don't blame us for this. You're the one who wouldn't behave!"

Before I could catch my breath, an icy iron mask was strapped over my face. My parents and my adoptive sister, Sharon Stanton, also put on their own masks.

I'd forgotten about that. Little Pops had told me before that these rich people wanted to do evil but didn't want anyone to know. So, the black market had a rule—every customer had to wear a mask to go inside.

I guess that meant my parents knew as well that what they were doing wasn't exactly angelic.

"Alright, let's get going. The earlier we get the surgery over and done with, the less you'll have to suffer."

Little Pops came over to greet us. He was slim and stood with his back straight, and his signature smile was in place. He didn't look like someone who scraped by in a black market at all.

"Customer number nine? This way, please."

Both sides of the passageway were lined with rooms partitioned off by sheet metal. From inside came waves of screams, and blood slowly seeped out through the gaps under the doors.

Jack pushed me forward and deliberately lowered his voice threateningly. "Hear that? If you don't behave, you'll be locked up in there, too. The man up ahead is the boss of this place. He may look amicable, but he's known for being vicious under that smile. He rounded up everyone here, so you'd better not cause trouble!"

I almost burst out laughing. A man who looked amicable but was actually vicious? Was he talking about my Little Pops, who had once tracked a human trafficking ring for thousands of miles, rescued a truckful of kidnapped kids, and then personally sent each child back home?

In this black market, the only ones who got beaten up were the real scumbags.

I stared coldly at my parents and Sharon. I figured it wouldn't be long before it was their turn to get beaten.

While Jack wasn't paying attention, I suddenly broke free from his grip and hurled myself at the wall beside us. As long as I got the iron mask off, Little Pops would recognize me!

However, Jack quickly lunged after me and shoved my head straight into the brazier next to us.

I screamed as the flames heated the mask in an instant, making a searing pain tear across my face. The stench of scorched flesh filled the air, and the mask fused directly to my skin.

"Who said you could take off the mask on your own? If you break the black market's rules, you'll be dead before you even know it!"

"What are you doing? You'll scare our daughter!" Emma quickly dragged Jack away and kept scolding him.

Then, she turned and covered Sharon's eyes. "Don't be scared, Sharon. She was misbehaving, so your dad had to punish her. You're our sweetest, most well-behaved princess. We would never do that to you."

My heart twisted painfully.

All my life, the only family I'd had was my eight godfathers. They treated me so, so well, but I'd always heard people talking about how wonderful it was to be loved by a mother.

I'd always wondered what it felt like to have one. That was why I'd been over the moon when the Stantons had first come to claim me.

I'd carefully combed my hair and put on my prettiest dress, hoping my mother would like me. I never imagined that this was what she would be like.

My face and throat burned, and even my eyes felt like they were on fire.

I turned toward Little Pops and sobbed. If I could talk, I would tell him that I didn't want to be a part of the Stantons anymore. I wanted to go home.