"I'm not that delicate, and knitting isn't strenuous," Nicole responded with a chuckle. She took a bite of the plum blossom cake, whose flavor and sweetness were distinctive to this town and delightfully unique.

“Remember, don't overwork yourself. You're only allowed forty minutes of knitting each day," Roscoe said softly.

“Forty minutes is hardly enough. My hands are still adjusting. I can't finish well in that short time," Nicole replied.

“It doesn't matter if it isn't perfect. There's no rush. Even if you finish it by summer, I'll wear it," Roscoe assured her.

Nicole chuckled. “Wouldn't you get a heat rash wearing it in the summer?"

"That would be a joyful rash," Roscoe quipped and stood up to prepare dinner.

Watching him walk away, Nicole set aside the plum blossom cake and picked up the scarf again, knitting with renewed vigor.

For some reason, she felt a pressing need to finish it more quickly.

She felt an unsettling fear, dreading that Roscoe might never get to wear this scarf.

On Vicki's father's birthday, Jarrod and Vicki attended together.

When Jarrod's scandal first surfaced, Vicki's father, Wayne, firmly insisted that Vicki and Jarrod end their relationship.

In high society, a little flirtation and some quirky habits were nothing unusual. Many men viewed their mistresses merely as a means to alleviate stress. But they wouldn't treat their wives in such a manner.

Truth be told, Wayne had been wilder than Jarrod in his younger days, but Vicki was his most cherished daughter, born to the woman he loved dearly. Thus, he had always spoiled Vicki.

As Jarrod's scandal broke, Wayne immediately ordered an investigation.

He was stunned by the findings. The woman involved with Jarrod was Nicole, the heiress of the Lawrence family who had been missing since then. Back then, the dramatic downfall of the Lawrence family had once been a major topic of conversation in society.

While everyone feared Jarrod's ruthless nature, Wayne admired Jarrod's uncompromising approach. He saw a lot of his younger self in Jarrod, a man with guts. But with the Lawrence family's downfall, it wasn't fair to simply say Jarrod bore a grudge against them by keeping Nicole by his side and torturing her.

Hatred could take many forms, but it wouldn't manifest in this way.

Having experienced life's ups and downs, Wayne knew Jarrod must care deeply for Nicole. When a man became overly fixated on a woman, it could introduce tons of potential dangers.

Wayne was okay with Jarrod's flings with other women, but not with emotional entanglements. Otherwise, Vicki wouldn't lead a cheerful life, should she marry Jarrod.

Having seen through this, Wayne strongly disapproved of Vicki's relationship with Jarrod, but he was helpless against Vicki's self- destructive threats. She was seriously harming herself, cutting her wrists deeply. The fear was so great that he finally agreed to assist Jarrod.