Bang! Jarrod held Nicole as they both fell to the ground.

Jarrod's already severe injury worsened, bleeding profusely.

The door burst open with a kick.

Alec, upon seeing the blood-soaked floor, went pale with horror. “Mr. Schultz!"

A flurry of medical staff surged in, swiftly transferring Jarrod onto a stretcher for emergency treatment.

As they attached the heart monitor, Jarrod's heartbeat faltered, dropping perilously low.

The doctors took his temperature and said, “High fever! There are signs of decreasing heart rate and pulse, prepare for defibrillation..."

Nicole rose to her feet slowly, blood staining her clothes.

Lying on the hospital bed, Jarrod looked so fragile with a ghostly pale face, casting an unreal aura around him.

At that moment, the only thought crossing Nicole's mind was Jarrod was not indestructible. When it came down to life or death, they were all on the same playing field.

Alec seized Nicole by her collar, glaring at her, drenched in blood, with fury in his eyes. “If Mr. Schultz doesn't make it, I'll ensure you follow him to the grave!"

Fear gripped Nicole. She grabbed Alec's arm, shaking, and said, “Alec, it wasn't my fault. I didn't do it. It was his own..."

Alec's face showed no mercy, a stark contrast to the pity he felt for Nicole five years ago. To him, Jarrod was beyond compare. Ever since Nicole came back, their confrontations had proved one thing.

Nicole bore no affection for Jarrod. All she harbored were plans to end Jarrod's life. Yet, Jarrod had explicitly ordered that she be left unharmed at all times.

Nicole clung to Alec, her body quivering, on the verge of falling onto him. Her fear was real.

Alec's disdain grew, remembering he once thought she had some backbone. Now, he saw her as a woman without any merits. With a forceful shove, he commanded, “Take her away."

Two men in black stepped up and took Nicole with them.

Nicole found herself confined in a secret room, a space purposefully designed for detaining individuals within the villa.

The room was gloomy, chilly, and haunting. A tiny window, no bigger than a hand, allowed a sliver of light to penetrate the darkness.

Sitting on the ground, Nicole slowly took out a key. It was the key Alec always kept around his neck.