The footsteps stopped beside her bed.

Nicole felt as though venomous eyes were piercing into her, sending shivers down her spine.

After a tense silence, Jarrod said, "Nicole, sometimes I wonder, if you really were to die, what would I do..."

He apparently didn't realize she was awake as he spoke these absurd words.

Then, his large hand cast a shadow over her delicate neck.

For a moment, Nicole was terrified that Jarrod had a murderous intent, that he might actually kill her.

But then, the footsteps faded away.

Nicole opened her eyes, her breathing unstable as if she had narrowly escaped an ominous threat. She couldn't remain passive. She needed to find Roscoe and attempt to reach out to the nanny responsible for Austin's care once more.

Perhaps because she was back under Jarrod's control, the anxiety within her grew. She felt as if a long-concealed secret was on the verge of being revealed.

She glanced at the door. Four bodyguards stood outside, and two nurses were switching shifts inside.

On the bedside, a thermos-held honey water a nurse had prepared for her earlier. After taking a sip, an idea began to form in her mind.

Over the next few days, Jarrod was busy and didn't visit her for three straight days.

During this time, Nicole grew quite fond of a particularly compassionate nurse named Leila Hunt.

Leila was warm-hearted and sociable.

Nicole came to get close to Leila, and while Leila was caring, she was cautious, never intruding into personal matters and always speaking with tact.

Noticing that Nicole had a good appetite today, Leila carefully peeled and sliced fruits, placing them neatly on a plate before offering them to Nicole. "Miss Lawrence, please try this. Alec brought them in just this morning. I've never seen them before. He mentioned they're imported and very good for your health.”

Nicole ate half but couldn't finish them all. "You can have the rest, Leila."

Leila hesitated, feeling unworthy to eat such a Luxury. These were delicacies she'd never even seen before. How could she casually consume them?

Only after Nicole insisted a few times, mentioning it would spoil if left uneaten, that Leila gave in and tried them.

The fruits had a rich, creamy texture like ice cream, and Leila found them incredibly tasty, though she couldn't quite place the flavor. She wanted to take these to her child. She felt a slight guilt, knowing her child had never tasted such delicious fruits while she enjoyed them.