But as the blood began to flow, fear took over. She didn't actually want to die. She realized that death would bring only endless loneliness. Without Jarrod, she didn't want to face the void.

So she called the servants, creating a scene to get medical attention and bandaging, prompting her father to summon Jarrod in anger.

Jarrod stood unaffected, his athletic figure visible beneath his suit, clearly someone with significant influence in the game of love. He gently pushed her hand away, looked down at her, and asked, “Have you come to your senses?"

“IT have, Jarrod." Vicki refrained from saying anything that might upset him.

She understood the balance of gains and losses. With the wedding approaching, repeating the suicide attempt for sympathy could lead to disgust rather than compassion. Once was already pushing it. She wouldn't dare try it again.

"I'll do whatever you say. Just don't leave me. I'll listen to you in everything," Vicki pleaded, her voice breathless from crying, her face wet with tears, initiating pity in anyone who saw her.

A wealthy young woman was brought down to such a condition. There wasn't a man who wouldn't feel a thing.

And Vicki, with her clean history and tendency to avoid conflicts, appeared even more sympathetic.

Jarrod was quite pleased. He patted her head and said calmly, "Good."

It was late at night.

Nicole lay in her hospital bed, the room lights turned off long ago.

In the darkness, she gazed up at the ceiling, her eyes wide open.

Outwardly, she seemed perfectly calm, but internally, she was in chaos. The sense of confusion and helplessness overwhelmed her when alone.

She had to maintain a composed exterior in front of others, while internally she was tormented about how to escape her situation.

She had already attempted to break free twice, with little success.

Whether it was faking her death or trying to flee, she always found herself back where she started.

Jarrod had her on a string like a kite. With just a gentle pull, he could bring her right back. And all her attempts to fight back seemed, in retrospect, merely laughable.

Nicole bitterly thought that even fate seemed to favor him. Why? Why did life treat her so unfairly?

The door creaked open.

The sound of familiar footsteps caused Nicole's body to tense instinctively. She quickly closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.