The pain was so intense it made her gum bleed, but a look in the mirror told her it was worth it.

Everything had to be flawless. One tiny mistake and Mitchel might see through her act.

Seeing how badly her face was beaten, Lauren was pissed. She faced the man and retaliated with a slap and a kick of her own "Did you enjoy that, you lowlife?"

The man clutched his face and hit the floor. Although he felt wronged, he dared not fight back, especially since he had not been paid yet.

Lauren settled into a rickety chair, crossed her legs, and laid down the law.

"Leave the country the instant you get the money. Understand?

I've already set up fake IDs and passports for you."

The men nodded obediently.

Ten million dollars in total for three of them! They would each walk away with more than three million. Not a bad day's work.

A manic gleam shone in Lauren's eyes as she reveled in her act. She had just called Tessa with an untraceable number. While she had not specifically mentioned Raegan, she could tell from Tessa's tone that her plan was going smoothly.

It felt so good to kill two birds with one stone.

Lauren felt she had endured enough degradation and humiliation to last a lifetime, but it would all be worth it when she saw herself walking down the aisle with Mitchel.

Ice-cold water splashed over Raegan's head.

Raegan blinked through the discomfort and struggled to focus her vision. A headache made it even harder. It took some time before she could finally make out the face in front of her.

It was Tessa. It had been quite a while since she last saw Tessa.

Panicked, Raegan tried to get up but found her limbs bound to the chair. She was not going anywhere. She glared at Tessa and snapped, "Kidnapping's a crime. Have you lost it?"

Without a word, Tessa walked over and landed a series of slaps across Raegan's face. The corner of Raegan's lips split open, and blood trickled down to her neck.

Tessa, whose eyes were brimming with madness, grinned and taunted, "Consider this your appetizer. The main course is yet to come."

Raegan's heart raced, but she forced herself to maintain her composure.

"I've never wronged you, Tessa. Is ruining your own future worth it just to get back at me?"