Mitchel had set up a camera to protect Raegan, a feed only he could access. After Nicole's departure, he activated the surveillance footage but found himself unable to watch more than a brief segment.

This was Lauren, the one he had always thought nothing more than a kind and naive girl. He had been treating her well for years. How could she be so vicious?

Lauren was terrified, feeling as though she had plunged into a freezing dungeon, her body shaking uncontrollably.

"Lauren." Mitchel articulated each word with a chilling tone, "Do you believe you're clever enough to fool me?"

"No, it's not true... It's all fake...

" Lauren stuttered, her complexion paler than a sheet of paper.

She raised her eyes to Mitchel's flawless visage. He seemed unchanged, yet to Lauren, he appeared foreign and frightening.

“Fake?" His Lips curled into a semblance of a smile, but his grip on her jaw was unyielding.

“Are you claiming your illness is a fake, or perhaps this entire abduction as well?"

Lauren's eyes widened at Mitchel's words, and her mouth gaped open.

She was in utter disbelief.

All the while, she firmly believed that her plan was foolproof.

Whether it was her fake illness or the kidnapping scheme, she ensured there were no loopholes.

So, she thought Mitchel must be lying to her, trying to fish something out of her.

She convinced herself that it must be the case.

Lauren endured the excruciating pain and continued to play dumb.

Tears streamed down her face like a waterfall.

"Mitchel, what are you talking about? I don't understand..."

"Oh, really? Then, I will make you understand. The drug you took in was delivered to you from Swynborough. Also, in the area where your kidnappers' car crashed and exploded off the cliff, Matteo found a car passing by at that time. The dash cam footage clearly showed that the car lost control because the brakes malfunctioned. Well, several people risked their lives to demand ten million dollars, yet the car they drove away was with faulty brakes."

Mitchel paused. Then, he asked calmly, “Lauren, do you really think you can treat me like a fool and lie to me just because those men are dead?"