Nicole, eyeing the driver's seatbelt, a sinister idea forming in her mind, contemplated an evil plan. And that was to kill Jarrod.

The weight of her suffering and the Lawrence family's tragedies all traced back to this man.

Nicole believed that by eliminating the root of these woes, she could finally give her parents peace.

In her mind, avenging them meant joining them in the afterlife.

As she pulled out the seatbelt and wrapped it around Jarrod's neck, her hands shook, tears streaming down her face.

She had never squashed an ant, how could she take a human life?

Frozen, unable to complete the final act, her resolve wavered.

Then, a deep, raspy voice shattered the silence. “Why stop now?"

Jarrod's eyes opened, his gaze in the moonlight unreadable.

He reached out, pressing the back of Nicole's hand, still clutching the seatbelt. His voice was icy as he asked, “Do you need help?"

For a moment, Nicole's mind went blank.

A flood of anger, unwillingness, and hatred surged within her.

She had lost her chance, and Jarrod wouldn't grant her another.

Tears spilled over, her shoulders shaking.

Jarrod chuckled. "What? Too annoyed to cry?"

Tears filled Nicole's eyes, leaving her speechless. Her shoulders shook, and her heart was consumed with loathing. She despised her own inability to end his Life.

Jarrod's heart twisted at the sight of Nicole's tears.

How could she continually soften his hardened heart?

He had thought their relationship was purely rooted in hatred.

But now, it seemed irrelevant whether he hated Nicole or not.