Chapter 1

For twenty years, Nicole Spencer had loved Travis Graham—from the moment she was six until she turned twenty-six. Loving him had become as natural as breathing.

Until the day several thugs pinned her to the marble floor and struck her repeatedly.

Until the moment she collapsed, blood trickling from her ears.

Until her world plunged into silence, and every sound faded into nothingness.

That was the day her heart died.

...

A muscled man with sleeve tattoos lounged in a leather armchair, one leg crossed over the other, a cigarette hanging from his lips. He glanced at Nicole's unconscious form on the floor, then pulled out his phone.

"Mr. Graham, she's passed out," he reported.

"She's faking it. Keep dousing her with cold water until she confesses," came an ice-cold voice through the speaker.

"Yes, sir."

The tattooed man nodded to one of his men, who quickly returned with a bucket of ice water. Without hesitation, he threw the freezing liquid directly at Nicole's face.

The brutal cold shocked her awake. Her head exploded with pain, as if a thousand frozen needles were piercing her skull. She curled into herself instinctively, clutching her head as the bitter chill seeped into her bones. The ringing in her ears grew deafening.

Rising from his chair, the tattooed man walked over to her trembling body and crouched down. He blew a stream of smoke into her ashen face, his lips curling into a sneer.

"Miss Spencer, let's be smart about this. Just admit what you did, and I can report back to Mr. Graham."

Nicole looked at his cruel face and closed her eyes briefly. Though weak, her voice carried unwavering conviction.

"I've done nothing wrong. Why should I confess to something I didn't do?"

The man let out a harsh laugh. "Stubborn little thing, aren't you?"

He took the cigarette from his mouth and pressed the burning end against Nicole's pale arm without hesitation.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

His expression remained cold as he enunciated each word. "Ready to confess now?"

Sweat beaded on Nicole's forehead as the searing pain threatened to pull her under. The ringing in her ears grew louder, almost unbearable in its intensity.

She could barely hear what the tattooed man was saying anymore.

But from somewhere deep inside, she still managed to force out the words, "I'm innocent. I won't confess!"

"Hmph, stubborn bitch! Boys, teach her a lesson!"

"Yes, boss!"

The tattooed man had lost his last shred of patience. He stood up and let his men loose on the defiant woman.

The thugs surrounded Nicole and began their assault. One grabbed her hair, slamming her head against the floor. Another kicked her stomach repeatedly. Someone else struck her face with vicious slaps.

...

"You're three months pregnant. Didn't you know?" The doctor looked up from the ultrasound with surprise.

Nicole touched her belly gently, whispering in her heart, "Travis, we're having a baby, we're having a baby..."

She was overjoyed, desperate to tell him right away.

"Your nutrition levels are low. Go home and have your husband take good care of you, alright?"

"Yes, thank you, doctor!"

She had only learned about her pregnancy that morning, hadn't even had the chance to tell Travis, when these men had dragged her here.

And the mastermind behind it all was the father of her unborn child.

Maternal instinct made her shield her stomach desperately, trying to protect it from the brutal kicks.

But the thugs' strength was more terrifying than she'd imagined.

Violent blows kept landing on her abdomen.

Nicole begged through her tears, "Please don't kick my stomach, please stop!"

The tattooed man, sensing her vulnerability, ordered his men to pin down her arms. Then he himself delivered a savage kick.

Nicole let out an agonized scream.

She felt warmth flowing between her legs.

Looking down, Nicole saw blood - so much blood.

Her tears, finally unleashed, poured down like a broken dam.

"Boss... boss... we might have killed her!" one of the thugs panicked, seeing Nicole lying barely conscious in the pool of blood.

The tattooed man's face changed. A death would be more trouble than they'd bargained for. Terrified, he quickly gathered his men and fled.

When Nicole regained consciousness, she found herself in the hospital, surrounded by the sharp scent of antiseptic and bleach.

The doctor clutched his medical chart, his voice gentle with sympathy as he explained that they couldn't save the baby, and that Nicole would likely struggle to conceive again for the rest of her life.

Nicole lay motionless in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the fluorescent lights above, completely silent.

Taking in the dark bruises that mottled Nicole's face, the doctor asked if she wanted to press charges, explaining that the hospital could provide a detailed report of her injuries for the authorities.

Nicole didn't respond.

With a heavy sigh, the doctor left the sterile room.

For three days after waking, Nicole refused all food and water, surviving solely on IV fluids.

During each round, the doctor would check her vitals and leave with a concerned shake of his head.

If her condition didn't improve soon, they'd need to bring in psychiatric support.

On the fourth day, during the morning rounds, Nicole finally broke her silence.

"Doctor, who brought me here?"

Her doctor brightened at hearing her speak.

"A tall, muscular man. He disappeared right after dropping you off - didn't leave any information. Though I remember he had this intimidating skull tattoo on his arm.”

Nicole's trembling hand pressed against her hearing aid, carefully committing every detail to memory.

So he had been the one to save her.

After a quiet thank you, she retreated back into silence.

Meanwhile, in the executive office of Kingston Tower...

Travis Graham had heard nothing from Nicole for days.

Four days had passed without any word of whether she was dead or alive.

A knot of unease tightened in Travis's stomach.

He tried to reassure himself that this manipulative woman was just playing one of her games.

They'd known each other for over twenty years - hadn't she always come back to him, crying and desperate?

The thought settled his nerves, but only slightly.

A knock interrupted the silence of his office.

His assistant entered, finally bringing news about Nicole.

"Mr. Graham, Nicole is in Metropolitan Medical University Hospital."

"Hmph, this trick again."

Travis scoffed. This woman always pulled the same stunts - checking into hospitals or disappearing - just to get his attention. How pathetic.

He grabbed his coat and drove straight to the hospital.

In the Neurology Ward, Nicole sat motionless in her bed, neither crying nor smiling - like a living ghost.

When Travis stormed into the room, she didn't even lift her gaze.

His pupils constricted slightly at the sight of her - thick bandages wrapped around her head, dark bruises marking her face.

She looked seriously injured.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Travis cursed himself for being soft-hearted.

At the thought of her despicable actions, his unease gradually faded, replaced by cold indifference.

"Nicole, are you ready to admit your mistakes? Given our history, I'll let this go if you just apologize to Lucy. Make her happy, and we'll forget about this."

Nicole remained silent, her eyes empty.

Her attitude infuriated Travis.

Usually, whenever he appeared, Nicole would eagerly try to talk to him, doing anything to please him.

But now, she sat there like a corpse, completely indifferent to his presence.