Alec surmised Jarrod's stubborn nature had widened the rift between him and Nicole.

As an assistant, Alec witnessed Jarrod had secretly done so much for Nicole and couldn't bear to leave her. However, what Jarrod did and told Nicole told a different story.

With a heavy heart, Alec wiped away his tears, turned around and left.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Exhibition Center, Nicole had just woken up from a comfortable sleep after a massage.

Nicole received a message from Raegan, saying Raegan had returned home to take care of Janey, who felt unwell.

Drawing the curtains, Nicole noticed the stormy, dark weather outside.

A glance at the clock told Nicole had slept for four hours. A dull ache in her stomach served as a reminder that she hadn't taken her nightly medicine.

As Nicole reached for her handbag, her handbag accidentally fell to the floor, scattering several differently colored medicine bottles.

Nicole stared at the empty handbag and the bottles on the floor, a sense of stun washing over her.

While other women's bags were filled with makeup, jewelry, and other treasured items, hers was always packed with pill bottles.

She had undergone a partial gastrectomy and was on medication. This treatment was new, and the effects of the clinical trials were uncertain. Many in her experimental group hadn't survived beyond three months.

Miraculously, Nicole was the lucky one who had surpassed the critical five-year mark. However, this didn't guarantee her recovery. For the rest of her life, she would have to continue taking these classified medicines and endure their side effects.

The side effects were not mild. They included frequent panic attacks and vomiting. Moreover, Nicole had lost her sense of taste.

Everything she ate seemed bland, yet she had to pretend it was delicious to blend in with others.

Her physical discomfort was a harsh reminder that she needed to take her medicine as soon as possible.

Nicole swallowed the pills without any water.

The dry, hard pills scratched her throat, sending a sharp pain down her esophagus. Oddly enough, this pain brought Nicole a sense of relief.

Devoid of taste and battling various physiological side effects, Nicole felt like a walking corpse. Yet, this pain was a constant reminder that she was still very much alive, a living, breathing human.

It also served as a motivation not to give up. Her enemy was still out there, and she couldn't allow herself to perish without seeing justice done. She had to not just survive, but thrive, to witness the downfall of the man who had caused her so much suffering.

After some time, Nicole made her way to the underground parking lot.