“Don't take him away. He's always cold in the winter..." Nicole whispered hoarsely.

Wesson's blood, diluted by the rain, spread across the ground.

Nicole's heart felt as if it had been carved out, leaving her in unbearable grief.

"Dad..." She would never again hear him call her by her affectionate nickname. Her world had shattered...

By the time Jarrod arrived, Wesson had already been placed in an ambulance.

The bloodstained ground was the silent testament to the tragedy.

Jarrod, shocked, stumbled backward.

He saw Nicole crawling on the ground. Their eyes met in a moment of shared pain.

It was not until this moment that Jarrod saw Nicole's face clearly.

Nicole's eyes were streaked with blood.

At that moment, Jarrod's heart clenched as if gripped by an unseen force. He wanted to turn away, to hide.

But when Nicole saw him, her eyes blazed with hatred.

"My father is dead, Jarrod. I've lost my father. Are you happy now, Jarrod?" Nicole's words were laced with scorn and void of emotion.

Jarrod was stunned by Nicole's words.

Did he revel in the Lawrence family's tragedy? Not at all. In fact, it was the opposite.

Jarrod had never wished for Wesson's death because it meant losing leverage over Nicole.

Jarrod's mind was in turmoil, struggling to process the events.

He found it hard to believe Wesson would commit suicide. For what reason? Was it merely over debts? He would be willing to settle those debts if Nicole agreed to have his child.

"You said you'd destroy that contract, yet you used it to coerce my father. Jarrod, you're nothing but snake! A fucking asshole!"

Nicole's voice was raw with emotion.