Blood trickled from the corner of Kieran's mouth, followed by a low groan before he lost consciousness.

Jarrod then turned his scornful gaze to Nicole.

"Quite the performance, coughing up blood like that. You seem to have a knack for faking sickness."

Nicole, barely catching her breath, looked at Jarrod in disbelief.

"Faking sickness?"

"You used a gastric ulcer to trick me into thinking it was cancer, didn't you? To buy time, to save your father," Jarrod accused, his voice dripping with venom.

“Eighty million. How many men did you sleep with to gather this much money? Yet, you still haven't gotten rid of that child you're carrying. Remarkable indeed."

Nicole listened intently to Jarrod's accusations.

Stomach ulcer? Bastard? Kieran's sudden involvement?

It all seemed like a well-crafted trap set to entangle her.

She wondered why she warranted such elaborate schemes from others.

Even without these accusations, Jarrod's treatment of her was harsh enough.

What was there to gain in all of this?

Keeping her composure, Nicole replied, “Jarrod, did Jamie feed you this story? Stomach ulcer, an illegitimate child, Kieran's involvement. It seemed she went to great lengths to weave such a complex story."

"Shut up!" Jarrod's eyes blazed with fury.

“You have no right to talk about Jamie that way! She's nothing like you!"

In Jarrod's mind, Jamie had flaws, but not to the extent of orchestrating such a scheme.

"Jarrod, a simple check can confirm whether I have stomach cancer. As for the child..."

Nicole paused, her heart heavy. She had wanted to give birth to the baby to ease her parents' agony when she met her demise because of the cancer one day. But if Jarrod knew, he would never let her keep it.

Jarrod's gaze was icy as he cut her off, “Lost your words? You probably don't even know who fathered the child. Since you crave such a lifestyle, I'll grant you that wish!"