On the edge of total collapse, Lauren played her final card.

“Mitchel, if you walk out that door, I won't have the surgery. I swear to God!

I'd rather die than go through with it."

Arrogant as she ever was, she firmly supposed Mitchel would give in when she threatened him with her life. After all, he still thought she was the one who had saved him years ago.

Mitchel wouldn't just stand there and watch if she refused to have the surgery, right?

But the next second, she knew she was wrong.

Mitchel stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.

"You only live once, Lauren. I won't force you to do what you don't want. But just so you know, with this surgery, my responsibility of taking care of you ends."

In other words, whether she had the surgery or not, his decision would not change.

“What?” Lauren uttered in shock, her face ghastly pale.

She gazed up at him and stared at the man bathed in moonlight. His good looks were the same, but the warmth she had come to expect was gone.

He was a stranger to her now.

Without another word, Mitchel turned and strode away.

“No... No!" Lauren cried hysterically.

Unhinged and bordering on madness, she muttered to herself, "This can't be. Mitchel won't do this to me. He loves me. It's all because of that wretched Raegan and the baby in her belly!"

With this thought in mind, her eyes darkened with malice, and she clenched her fingers so tightly they drew blood.

It must be that Raegan and her baby! How Lauren wished she could skin them all!

Beep. Suddenly, her phone on the table buzzed to life.

Lauren crawled over and picked it up. She did not even wait for the person on the other end to speak and went straight to the point.

“Change of plan. Show no mercy."