Warnings Wrapped in Roses

The day Cedric Grisborne rang the opening bell on Sterling Street and returned home, the Southwells' doorstep was worn thin by visitors. Everyone said Nicole Southwell, the spoiled eldest Southwell heiress, had struck gold. She had plucked a capable live-in son-in-law straight out of the slums. But Nicole had been anything but calm these past few days. A female ghost had latched onto her. It had started the day Cedric left for Almontane. A deranged ghost had begun appearing beside her, invisible to everyone else, and claimed to be her future self. The ghost had Nicole's exact face, but scars covered it. Her voice was hoarse, her eyes unfocused, and her hair dry and tangled, with ragged patches where the fire had burned through it. She had lost her mind and could barely speak. She wept incessantly, day and night. Today was the day of Cedric's celebration party. Nicole had dressed carefully and carried a bouquet of roses. Just as she reached for the door, the ghost's scarred hand closed over hers. "Don't go in. His honor isn't yours. You aren't the star of tonight's celebration, either..." Chapter 1 For the first time in three months, the ghost had spoken a complete sentence. The words struck like an icy prophecy, and goosebumps rose across Nicole's skin. But she refused to believe it. Cedric had been in Almontane for three months. Every morning, he wished her good morning. Every night, they spoke over video calls. He had told her himself that she was his salvation. Unexpectedly, when Nicole pushed open the doors to the darkened banquet hall, she saw Cedric beneath a brilliant spotlight, his arms wrapped around a young woman in a white dress. And in that stolen moment, the young woman pressed a furtive kiss to his jaw. Nicole's world collapsed in an instant. She charged straight toward the stage. The ghost blocked her path, her voice almost tearful. "Don't do it. She's the one closest to his heart. If you slap her, he'll—" Unfortunately, it was too late. Nicole's hand had already passed through the ghost's translucent body and struck the young woman across the face. The slap rang out, sharp and clear, and brought the entire party to a standstill. "Have you no shame? Don't you know he's a married man? Don't you know he already has a wife?" she demanded. Dead silence followed. Nicole's palm burned as she stared at Cedric, desperate for an explanation. She waited for him to do what he always did: take her hand in his cool, gentle grasp and ask if it hurt. However, he did not. For the first time, Nicole saw killing intent in Cedric's eyes. His usually calm, unreadable gaze turned bloodred in an instant. He bent down, helped the young woman off the floor, and drew her protectively into his arms. "Apologize." Cedric's voice was icy. "What did you say?" Nicole could hardly believe her ears. "Cedric, I'm your wife. Up on that stage, you called her the most important person in your life. Where does that leave me? I saw her kiss you, and you want me to apologize?" Cedric neither argued nor raised his voice. "She's my sister. Harriet Jennings." Nicole's voice trembled. "That's absurd! We've been married for three years, and suddenly you have a sister? Do you take me for a child? "Your surname is Grisborne. Hers is Jennings. What kind of sister is that? What sister looks at her brother that way? What sister kisses her brother's jaw like that?" Cedric did not spare her another glance. He simply bent down, scooped the tearful, trembling Harriet into his arms, and turned to leave. Before he walked away, he paused and spoke in an icy voice. "Nicole, you can insult me all you want. But you shouldn't have touched her." The tears Nicole had held back for so long finally spilled over, and she could not stop them. Insult him? She could never bear to do such a thing. At 18, she had fallen in love with him at first sight. At 23, she had done everything in her power to marry him. She had wanted to give him the very best the world had to offer. How could he accuse her of insulting him? But Cedric did not look back. Instead, he issued a cold command to the bodyguards behind him. "Take Mrs. Grisborne home. Keep an eye on her until I return." The moment Nicole stepped out of the banquet hall, the bodyguards dragged her into a dark alley. Furious, she shouted at them, "What are you doing? Let go of me!" The lead bodyguard rolled up his sleeves, his expression blank. "Forgive us, ma'am. These are Mr. Grisborne's orders." Before Nicole could react, a brutal slap struck her across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the alley. The blow left her stunned. Her ears rang, and half her face instantly swelled, red and numb. The ghost drifted out from somewhere, her expression even more anguished than if she had been crying. "Save your strength. Don't scream. You slapped the person closest to his heart, so he'll make you pay a hundredfold..." With those words, she dissolved into a frenzy of laughter and tears once more. The punishment did not end until Nicole had endured 100 slaps. Her entire face had gone numb, and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Pain coursed through her body. She felt as though her soul were being torn apart, piece by piece. … The bodyguards took her back to the mansion. Harriet sat huddled on the imported sofa Nicole had paid a fortune to have flown in from overseas. Beside her, the usually cold and imperious Cedric knelt on one knee and gently dabbed medicine onto her swollen cheek. At the sound of the door, Cedric turned. His sharp gaze lingered on Nicole's bloodstreaked face for several seconds before he turned back to Harriet and resumed his careful attention. Tears spilled down Nicole's cheeks before she even realized she was crying. She let out a bitter laugh. "Cedric, I've seen plenty of social climbers turn cold and heartless. If you've fallen out of love with me, just say so. "If you're willing to walk away with nothing, we can get a divorce right now. But as things stand..." Her voice sharpened. "So she's the sister closest to your heart? Then she can spend the rest of her life as the other woman." Cedric acted as though he had not heard a word. He gathered Harriet into his arms and carried her straight upstairs. … That night, Nicole locked herself in her room and cried as though she had lost her mind. Even so, she refused to accept what had happened. Ten days later, she waited until Cedric left on a business trip, then arranged for several people to take Harriet away by force. The deranged ghost blocked her path once more. Her face, identical to Nicole's own, contorted with anguish as she wept without shedding a single tear. "Stop. I'm begging you, Nicole. Don't be a fool… The moment you act, you'll be whipped 99 times, until your skin splits open. "And Father... He'll die. We'll be the ones who kill him..." Nicole's hand trembled around her phone at the ghost's chilling warning. After a long moment, she spoke in a hoarse voice. "Stop. I'll still pay you. Just leave. Don't touch her." … At 5:00 a.m. the following morning, Cedric stood before Nicole anyway, his entire demeanor icy. He seized her chin in a cold, merciless grip. "I warned you not to touch her. Can't you understand simple words?" Chapter 2 Nicole was in so much pain that she felt she might die, yet her eyes held nothing but confusion. She struggled to force out the words. "I... I didn't do anything." Cedric stared down at her coldly for a long moment before he threw her to the ground. "You're still lying? Where did you hide her?" Nicole lay sprawled on the cold floor. "I didn't! It wasn't me!" The whip cracked. The first lash tore across Nicole's back. The deranged ghost rushed over and tried to shield her with her nearly transparent body. "Don't be afraid. If I hold on to you, it won't hurt. Just endure the 99 lashes, and it'll be over. Be good, Nicole. Tell him where that woman is." Nicole burst into tears. The ghost was right. Her skin split and tore, and the pain was worse than anything she had ever known. But what was she supposed to tell him? She had no idea where Harriet was. Before long, 99 lashes struck her, each accompanied by a violent crack. By the time it was over, Nicole lay in a pool of her own blood, barely able to breathe. "Cedric, I don't know... I didn't do it." "Not you? Who else in all of Portanova would dare touch her? Since you insist on lying, don't blame me for what comes next." The next moment, the mansion's front door burst open. The butler from the old Southwell estate rushed in. "Miss, something terrible has happened! Your father suffered a heart attack. He's in the ICU, but the doctors are refusing to operate..." Nicole's unfocused eyes instantly sharpened. But when the old butler saw her clearly, her body covered in blood and torn flesh, he dropped to his knees and wept. "Miss, what happened to you? What is going on? "Mr. Grisborne, how could you lay a hand on our Ms. Southwell? No one has ever even spoken harshly to her, let alone struck her..." Cedric said nothing. He merely walked toward Nicole and stood over her. "For every hour Hattie is late coming home, your father will have to wait another hour for treatment. The moment you give me an address, I'll let the doctors into the operating room." Nicole dug her nails into the marble floor so hard that three of them tore away. "Cedric..." She forced his name through clenched teeth. "I really didn't do it. I don't know where she is." Cedric acted as though he hadn't heard her. He raised his wrist and checked the time. "You still haven't decided? Five minutes have passed. At your father's age, if his heart stops for more than ten minutes, even if we save him, he'll be nothing more than a shell of his former self." Nicole struggled to pull herself up and knelt before him. "Cedric, when you had no money, my father gave you money. When you had no connections, he gave you his. He helped you every step of the way until you made it onto the Forbes list. I'm begging you..." Cold tears streamed endlessly down her face. "Spare my father. I really didn't do anything." Cedric's brow furrowed, his eyes ablaze with fury. Before he could speak, his phone rang. A bright, playful voice came from the other end. "Ced, my phone died. I'm sorry I worried you..." Nicole's strength gave out, and she collapsed back onto the floor. A long silence followed. Right in front of her, Cedric made a call. "Tell the doctors they can go ahead with the operation." He offered no further explanation. He simply turned and walked away without a backward glance. Nicole felt the last of her strength drain away, and she lost consciousness. … When Nicole woke again, two days had passed. The moment she opened her eyes, she pulled the IV line from her arm, her face devoid of expression. Her back burned as though it were on fire. She braced herself against the wall and staggered toward the ICU. Through the cold glass, she and the ghost gazed at her father, who had once held her as though she were the most precious thing in the world. Now his face was ashen, and tubes protruded from nearly every part of his body. "That Harriet. What is she to Cedric?" The ghost's voice was hoarse, as though she had swallowed shards of glass. "He agreed to marry into the Southwell family as a live-in son-in-law for the 600,000 dollars he needed to buy her a new heart." Nicole let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "How... How did you die?" "Fire. A terrible fire." The ghost's voice rose into a shrill cry of anguish. "She broke my legs. She tortured me day and night. It hurt so much... Save me. I can't take it anymore! "Don't take off my clothes! Don't touch me! Stay away..." Nicole trembled uncontrollably as her strength deserted her. She collapsed into a chair and squeezed her eyes shut as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. 'Enough…' She surrendered. … Nicole sat outside the ICU for an entire day and night. The next morning, she summoned the old butler, Peter Swan, and instructed, "Peter, pledge every share of the Southwell Group on the black market for cash. Don't let Cedric find out. Don't worry about the interest. Get as much money as you can. "Quietly liquidate everything under my name. Sell anything that can be converted into cash. "There's a signed divorce agreement back at the old estate. Everything must be done within seven days. "In seven days, we're leaving Portanova. For good." Chapter 3 The next day, Cedric sent his driver to bring Nicole back, by force if necessary. The moment she walked in, Harriet, who had been curled up on the carpet watching television, scrambled to her feet and ducked behind Cedric. Her eyes widened timidly, like those of a startled fawn, and she spoke in a small, cautious voice. "Nico, I'm sorry. Ced told me this was your favorite rug. I shouldn't have eaten chips on it." But Nicole clearly caught the flicker of satisfaction Harriet had failed to hide. She couldn't help but laugh. So this was the kind of woman Cedric had kept hidden and cherished for 10 years. The laugh tugged at the wound on her back, and she doubled over slightly in pain. "It doesn't matter." Nicole looked straight at Cedric. "You can have everything in this house. When we divorce, just pay me the cash value." Cedric's eyes darkened. "Nicole, what are you trying to say?" "Nothing in particular." Nicole's voice remained flat and even. "I'm just done." An eerie, deathly silence settled over the living room. Even the ghost, who had followed Nicole in constant grief, suddenly fell still. A flicker of clarity appeared in her clouded eyes. The centipede-like scars that twisted across her face slowly began to fade, and her skin grew smooth and unblemished once more. As Nicole watched, bitterness welled up in her chest. 'So that's it.' In her previous life, her father had died at this exact point, and she had been dragged back there by force. The confrontation had ended in a fight that neither of them had escaped unscathed. There was no telling how much suffering had left such terrible scars on the ghost's face. What if she made a different choice this time? What if she continued to make different choices, every single time, from now until the end? Could she and the ghost both have a second chance? Could that ruined, broken body become whole again? The next moment, Cedric dragged her back into the bedroom and threw her to the floor. "Nicole, are you putting on a show again? You love me so much it drives you mad, and now you expect me to believe you can just walk away with a divorce? Are you trying to hurt Hattie again? I'm warning you..." "It's not a show." Pain tore through her back, and tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. She let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. "I'm just scared. Mr. Grisborne, 100 slaps, 99 lashes, and then what happened to my father on top of it all. "I've thought it over, and I don't love you enough to throw my life away for it. So… let's get divorced. I'll let you go, and I'll let myself go, too." His grip on her chin tightened without warning as his anger flared. "Nicole, do you think you can still order me around like you used to? Whether we get divorced is my decision, not yours. "And don't think you can threaten me with divorce, either. Hattie is someone I intend to take care of for the rest of my life. She's kind by nature. As long as you don't provoke her, nothing will happen to you." The ghost flew into a frenzy once more. She screamed through her tears, "Nothing will happen to her? Cedric, you're dreaming! My father built his entire company into a ladder for you to climb, and you let him die for it! "I'll never let this go, not even in hell! I'll drag you down there with me! Both of you are filthy and shameless, and you'll both come to a terrible end!" Nicole wanted to comfort the ghost, to tell her not to cry and not to be afraid. Only six days remained. Peter had already arranged everything. Her father was still alive. They could both walk away from this without further harm. But her tears fell anyway, beyond her control. Her chin throbbed as though it might shatter, but she didn't so much as furrow her brow. When she spoke, her voice was obedient. "Fine. If you say we're not getting divorced, then we won't. "Since Miss Jennings is so kind by nature, I'll treat her like my own sister from now on. Whatever room she wants, whatever clothes she wants, even if she wants me to serve her beverages or kneel and apologize to her, I'll do it. I'll go along with whatever she wants. "Just stay away from my father. Can you do that?" Nicole couldn't remember what Cedric said in the end that night. But the next morning, the moment she opened her eyes, she found Harriet in her bedroom. Harriet was crouched in front of Nicole's jewelry case, rummaging through it as she pleased. She tossed anything she didn't like straight onto the floor. The ghost clawed at her helplessly with her transparent hands, desperate to snatch the pieces back. "Put that down! Don't you dare touch my things! Get out of my room! That belonged to my mother! It's the only one of its kind in the entire world! Put it back right now!" Nicole slowly sat up in bed. Harriet smiled. "Nico, you're awake. The jewelry in here is so pretty. Can I have some?" Chapter 4 Nicole surveyed the wreckage scattered across the floor and said in a calm, flat voice, "Fine." "You're so generous." Harriet's smile widened, and she grew even bolder as she rummaged through the jewelry. A strand of deep-sea pearls snapped in her grip. The peanut-sized golden pearls scattered across the floor, one by one. Nicole's expression remained blank. She got out of bed and began to dress. Harriet let out a small cry of dismay. "Ced said tonight's charity gala is important. I actually liked that strand. Such a shame it's ruined. I heard it belonged to your late mother. I'm so sorry." Nicole's sharp nails dug into her palm, sending a sharp sting through her skin. "It's fine. It's just an object." Her voice was low. "Things don't matter more than people. If there's anything in this house you like, take your pick." Harriet froze for a moment. Then something vicious flickered in her eyes. She stepped closer and seized Nicole's wrist. "Nico, this bracelet is beautiful." Harriet smiled at her. "Three years ago, Ced said he'd bought me one just like it. Unfortunately, he lost it. It was identical to yours." Nicole lowered her gaze to the flash of green around her wrist, and something inside her trembled. Cedric had bought the bracelet at an auction after he made his first fortune in Brookton. She had spotted it in his office and, delighted by its beauty, slipped it onto her wrist without a second thought. Three years had passed, and she had never once taken it off. Nicole had always believed it was his wedding gift to her. Now she realized how wrong she had been. Harriet gave the bracelet a rough, forceful yank in an attempt to wrench it off her wrist. Nicole flinched at the pain and stepped back. Harriet used the movement as an excuse to fall to the floor. She clutched her chest and began to gasp for breath. Cedric appeared before Nicole even realized he had arrived. He helped Harriet to her feet, his brow furrowed. "What happened?" Harriet bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see the bracelet on Nico's wrist. "But I was clumsy. I think I hurt her, so she pushed me... It's fine, though. Don't be angry with her, Ced." "You don't need to apologize. It was always meant for you." Cedric's voice softened as he comforted her, but his eyes turned cold when they settled on Nicole. Before he could speak, Nicole interrupted in a hoarse voice, "If Miss Jennings likes it, I'll take it off." Her tone remained completely flat. The ghost, who had wept and grieved without pause until now, fell silent. She stared at Nicole's calm face in stunned disbelief. Her hands, twisted at unnatural angles, seemed to be slowly straightening back into shape. Nicole walked slowly toward Cedric. Then, without warning, she wrenched at the bracelet with all her strength. A sharp crack split the air, like the sound of a bone breaking. Nicole's delicate hand instantly swelled and turned red and purple. She did not so much as flinch. Instead, she pressed the bracelet directly into Harriet's hand. "Here." Harriet was unprepared. The bracelet slipped from her grasp and rolled across the floor. An emotion Cedric could not name burned in his chest. The heat seemed to spread to his face, and his expression darkened. "Nicole!" Before he could say another word, Nicole bent down, retrieved the bracelet from the floor, and pressed it back into Harriet's hand. "Don't worry, Mr. Grisborne. It isn't damaged. If there's nothing else, would you both mind leaving?" Cedric's anger lodged in his throat, with nowhere to go. After a long, strained silence, he dragged Harriet out of the room and slammed the door behind him. "I hope you really mean all this generosity." Silence settled over the room once more. Nicole reached through the empty air and gently stroked the ghost's hand, now restored to its proper shape, to comfort her. "In my previous life, did you refuse to give it up? Is that why they broke your hands? "Don't be afraid. Not this time. We're going to get better, little by little. It won't hurt much longer. "Five more days, and we can get Father onto a medical flight. Can we just hold on a little longer?" … As night fell, the city's elite mingled at the Portanova charity gala. At Cedric's instruction, Nicole stood beside Harriet before the press cameras. When reporters asked about the slap at the celebration banquet, Nicole answered in a calm, even voice, "That was all a misunderstanding. Mr. Grisborne was right. I was the one being unreasonable." Once the questioning was over, Harriet followed Nicole like a shadow she could not shake. Even when a group of Nicole's childhood friends gathered around to ask how she was doing, Harriet forced her way into their circle. "Nico just tries too hard to put on a brave face. But thank you all for caring about her." Chapter 5 Harriet even reached out as if to link arms with Nancy Morvath, the eldest daughter of the Morvath family. "I'll be coming out more often from now on, so let me introduce myself properly. I'm Harriet Jennings. Cedric's most beloved... sister." Nancy stepped back, avoiding Harriet's hand as though it were something unclean. She did not spare Harriet so much as a glance and simply continued her conversation with Nicole. "Nico, if you're uncomfortable at home, my hillside villa is sitting empty. You can move in whenever you want." The blatant dismissal froze Harriet's smile in place, and for a moment, the venom in her eyes was unmistakable. Then, without warning, she seized Nicole's arm with brutal force. She dragged Nicole straight into the champagne tower beside them, which stood taller than either of them. Countless crystal glasses shattered against the floor with a deafening crash. Wine and shards of glass showered them both in an instant. Harriet collapsed amid the broken glass, her face drained of color. She clutched her chest and gasped for air as though she might stop breathing at any moment. "Nico… I only wanted to be friends with everyone. Why… would you force me to drink?" That was the scene Cedric encountered when he rushed in. He shoved Nicole aside as she struggled to her feet, his expression dark with fury as he gathered Harriet into his arms. Harriet's face was as pale as paper. She curled against Cedric's chest, her body trembling. When she tilted her face up, her expression was timid and pitiful. "I know I don't belong here with all of you. I only wanted to try to fit in... Nico, why would you push me?" Cedric fixed his bloodshot eyes on Nicole. "She has a congenital heart condition. She can't touch a drop of alcohol. Were you trying to kill her?" Nancy and the others stood frozen in shock. Nancy stepped forward and helped Nicole to her feet. Blood from the shattered glass streaked Nicole's body. "Have you lost your mind, Cedric?" Nancy demanded. "How is this Nico's fault? That woman did this to herself—" "Get out of my way!" Cedric cut her off with a furious shout, refusing to hear another word. "Nicole, I should have known. All that generosity was just an act. Is this how you treat Hattie when I'm not around to see it?" He handed Harriet over to an assistant behind him, then wrenched Nicole from Nancy's grasp. "The Southwell Group is already an empty shell. Whether your father lives or dies depends on a single word from me. How dare you!" He turned toward the bottles scattered across the floor and issued an order to the bodyguards beside him. "My wife seems to enjoy forcing people to drink. Let her have her fill, then. Pour every last drop on this floor down her throat." Nicole looked at him quietly. The words "I didn't do it" caught in her throat. There was no point in saying them. He would never believe her. "There's no need to force me." Nicole's voice came out hoarse, as though she were on the verge of tears. "I apologize. This was my fault. I'll drink it myself." With that, she picked up a bottle amid her friends' horrified gasps, tipped it back, and poured the contents down her throat. With every mouthful, her throat burned like fire. After two bottles, Nicole's hands shook uncontrollably, and everything before her began to blur. Nancy held her, her heart aching with worry. The ghost's expression had also turned sorrowful. She pressed close to Nicole as though she were holding her in an embrace. "Be good, Nicole. Go to sleep now, and everything will be all right." Nicole stared in a daze at the ghost only she could see. The ghost's voice no longer had that harsh rasp, as though her throat were full of broken glass. It was clear and soft now. Even the horrible purple-black bruises around her neck had vanished completely. A faint smile tugged at Nicole's lips. 'Look. The ghost's wounds are healing. If I just endure these five days, I will change what is coming.' She and her father would both survive, and they would live well. Nicole fought through the dizziness and the pain that churned in her stomach. She looked at Cedric with a calm she did not feel. "Is this enough now..." With those words, her body went completely limp, and she collapsed to the floor. … When Nicole finally woke, three days had passed. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Cedric. "Nicole, I hope you've learned your lesson and will give up whatever ideas you have about tormenting Hattie. "She doesn't have a scheming bone in her body. I only keep her close because I'm afraid someone might hurt her. If you keep this up, I can't promise what I'll do to you. "And that goes for your friends, too. Every last one of them stood by that night while Hattie was mistreated. I won't let a single one of them off." Nicole stared at him for a long moment, still dazed. His features were sharp and striking, his thin lips unreadable. Yet as she looked at him now, she felt almost nothing. How had she ever allowed herself to walk straight into ruin and destroy her family, all for a man like this? Her silence only fueled his anger. "Are you even listening to me?" Nicole blinked and returned her attention to him. "Sorry. Say that again." Cedric drew a slow breath as though he were struggling to restrain himself. "I said I'm not divorcing you. I don't have those feelings for Hattie. Stop making things difficult for her. "The Southwell Group was absorbed into the Grisborne Group a long time ago. You and I are staying together for the rest of our lives." Chapter 6 No divorce. Together for life. Once, that had been a dream Nicole had clung to alone for longer than she cared to admit. But now, as she watched him look at her as though he had just granted her the greatest mercy in the world, all she wanted to do was laugh. After tomorrow, all of this would be over. All she had to do now was wait for her father to board the medical flight. "All right." Nicole slipped her hand free of his grip and tucked it beneath the blanket. The warmth she had once craved now felt cold and serpentine against her skin. It clung to her like a disease deep in her bones, and it made her sick. "I won't do it again. Miss Jennings is innocent and kindhearted. I won't do anything to upset her again." Cedric's hand closed on empty air. His brow furrowed slightly as a restless irritation stirred in his chest. "Good. I'm glad you've finally come to your senses." Cedric stood. "From now on, remember to drop that high-and-mighty act of yours in front of Hattie." Not long after Cedric left the hospital room, Nicole received a text from Peter. Peter: [Miss, the divorce arrangements are complete. All funds have been transferred to the Zervaland account. The medical flight is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. We can depart as planned.] Nicole's eyes grew damp. … Unexpectedly, the next morning, Nicole received a call from her father's caretaker. A clamor of voices filled the background. The caretaker spoke in a frightened rush. "Miss, you need to get to the hospital right now! I couldn't stop them. There's a Miss Jennings here who claims she's your husband's sister. She's taking your father outside to get some sun. No matter what I say, they won't listen to me..." Nicole went cold with shock. Her father was in a deep coma, and only a ventilator kept him alive. Harriet was doing this deliberately. She wanted to kill him. Nicole wasted no time. She hailed a taxi and rushed to the hospital where her father lay. Outside the ICU, Harriet stood behind a wheelchair. Nicole's father slumped sideways in the seat, his face drained of color. He was so still that he looked as though he had already stopped breathing. Nicole's legs nearly gave way beneath her. She rushed forward and slapped Harriet across the face. "Have you lost your mind? Who gave you permission to touch my father?" The slap caught Harriet off guard and snapped her head to the side. Nicole seized the wheelchair from her hands. Harriet clutched her cheek. "Nico, I was only trying to help. I heard you were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, so I came to look after your father for you. If you're not going to thank me, fine, but why did you have to hit me?" Nicole trembled with fury. "You expect me to believe you did this out of kindness? My father is in a deep coma, and you wanted to take him outside for some sun? Were you trying to kill him?" Harriet let out a few sobs. Then she slowly straightened and leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're exactly right. I was trying to kill him. And what are you going to do about it?" Her voice turned dark and venomous. "I just wanted to see whether you could keep up that act of not caring if your father died. "Before I met you, I thought you'd be some fiery little heiress with a real bite. Turns out you're nothing but a stray dog who can't even fight back. Frankly, I find it boring." Harriet blocked Nicole's path and refused to let her wheel her father back into the room. "So I decided to add some fuel to the fire. And that fuel is your father's life. "If the first attempt doesn't kill him, I'll try a second time. If that doesn't work, there's always a third. I just want to see whether you can still stand there and look so calm once your father is dead." Fury consumed Nicole, and her entire body shook. She raised her leg and kicked Harriet hard enough to knock her backward. "Get out of my way." Harriet cried out and fell to the floor, but a look of satisfaction spread across her face. She shouted at the bodyguards behind her. "Are you all dead? Are you just going to stand there and watch her treat me like this? "Ced told you to protect me. Anyone who lays a hand on me gets it back tenfold. Kick her ten times. If you don't, I'll tell Ced you took her side and let her hurt me." The bodyguards hesitated at first, but then one of them delivered the first kick. Nicole slammed into the cold wall, and pain sent a wave of cold sweat across her back. Then came a second kick, followed by a third. By the tenth kick, Nicole felt as though every bone in her body was about to snap. Yet she crawled back in front of her father and shielded him with everything she had. "What is going on here?" Cedric's icy voice came from behind her. Harriet threw herself into his arms and burst into tears, as pitiful as a flower drenched in rain. "Ced, I only wanted to help Nico by taking her father outside for some fresh air. Nico attacked me without even asking what happened. The guards only hit her because they were trying to protect me..." Cedric turned toward Nicole, his eyes cold as frost. "Nicole, I warned you just yesterday. Did my words mean nothing to you?" "Cedric, are you blind?" Nicole's voice was ragged. "My father is only alive because of a ventilator. She pulled out his tubes, and you call that fresh air?" Cedric's brow furrowed. "Hattie meant well. Couldn't you have talked things out with her instead of hitting her?" He glanced at Harriet's swollen cheek, then issued a cold order to the bodyguards. "Hold my wife back. Do as Hattie says. Take Mr. Southwell outside for some sun. Bring him back to his room in five minutes." Nicole's mind went blank with shock. "Cedric, have you lost your mind? This will kill him!" "It's not that serious. Five minutes won't kill anyone. Consider it a small lesson for you." Cedric spoke without a trace of warmth, then walked away with Harriet in his arms. He never once looked back. The bodyguards restrained Nicole by force, and she could only watch as they wheeled her unconscious father onto a terrace beneath the blazing sun. Nicole wept the entire time. She clawed and struck at the bodyguards with everything she had, but her efforts were futile. Five minutes stretched into an eternity. Nicole endured the pain until her body could take no more. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, Peter's voice finally reached her. "Miss, your father has just been taken up to the rooftop and transferred onto the medical flight. Hold on. The doctor will be here any moment." "No need." Nicole forced herself upright and gripped Peter's arm. She answered her phone, which had been buzzing incessantly. Cedric's calm, distant voice came through. "I've already brought in a specialist from abroad to treat your father's condition. He'll arrive at the hospital for a consultation tomorrow. As long as you behave yourself, your father will recover soon enough." A faint smile tugged at the corner of Nicole's mouth. "Fine. Whatever you say." Her voice was quiet. With that, she let the phone drop. She gripped Peter's arm and struggled to her feet. The metallic taste of blood flooded her throat. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and quietly wiped it away. "Let's go."