Chapter 232

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Jarrod's tarry eyes seemed to pierce Nicole's disheveled clothes.

He slowly knelt down, his icy fingertips lightly brushing against her bruised skin before suddenly pressing hard.

“Ah…” Nicole shouted, her face stained with ash.

Jarrod didn't loosen his grip. The veins in his hand stood out as he pressed harder, as if trying to erase the marks with his own strength.

He spoke in a low, tense voice.

"Are you in such a hurry that you don't even bother to close the door?"

Nicole understood Jarrod well. He knew he was barely containing his fury.

As her heart raced, preparing to explain herself, she noticed Kieran, who Jarrod had just kicked away, was charging back in front of her, protectively.

«Nicole is my wife. "I won't let you hurt him."

Jarrod raised an eyebrow, his sneer sharp.

"Your wife?"

Kieran, despite trembling under Jarrod's intimidating presence, stood his ground, buoyed by the promise of financial gain.

"Yeah! She is my wife and she is pregnant with me. "You can't touch it."

«Is she pregnant with you? "Can't I touch her?" Jarrod echoed Kieran, disbelief turning to mocking laughter.

Only Nicole knew how ominous that laugh was. He shoved Kieran away, scolding him, “Stop lying! When did I get pregnant with your child?

Kieran, who looked hurt, insisted, “Nicole, you're just upset. A child needs a complete family. You can't raise him alone! I don't care how many men you've slept with. "I am sure the child is mine."

His sincerity seemed genuine, as if he truly believed his own words.

Nicole realized it instantly, suspecting that someone had bribed her to slander her.

“Kieran, who paid you to defame me?” Nicole asked him angrily.

"Nicole, are you saying that because you're afraid?" Kieran gently stroked her back, trying to offer her comfort.

«Don't worry, darling. "I'm here for you."

Dear? The word "honey" made Nicole's skin crawl, fueling her desire to expose his deception.

Jarrod's patience broke. He stood up quickly, his fists clenched, and landed a forceful punch at Kieran.

Poof! Kieran spat out two bloody front teeth.

Jarrod, kneeling, grabbed Kieran's jaw and punched his face repeatedly, leaving Kieran bloodied and nearly unconscious.

From the looks of it, Kieran was mere inches from death.

Nicole, fearing the worst, intervened.

“Stop, Jarrod!”

He was worried about his reputation, not Kieran's well-being.

Jarrod, enraged, threw Nicole away, and she landed awkwardly on the couch.

As she approached the foot of the couch, Nicole instinctively protected her abdomen, leaning forward and curving her back.

His spine absorbed the impact and the lower part of his body did not suffer as he fell abruptly onto the sofa.

There was a crack and pain shot through her back, making Nicole wonder if she had broken it.

“Ouch…” Nicole winced and a sharp hiss escaped her lips. Luckily, her protective instincts had kept her belly safe from harm.

Jarrod's fury increased as she guarded her stomach.

"Are you so worried that your sky might die?"

He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the couch. His words were harsh and accusatory.

«Are you that reckless and horny? As? None of the men in this fucking country could satisfy your needs? You cheated on me and even carried another man's bastard inside you.

Jarrod's voice was a mixture of icy contempt and anger, his presence exuding a palpable coldness.

Overcome by the chilling tension, Nicole felt paralyzed, her body refusing to respond.

He frantically tried to free himself from her throat, gasping. With great effort, he managed to speak.

«No... It's not what you think... He broke in and tore my clothes.

He couldn't finish speaking. His face turned a worrying purple-red, his breathing was labored and ragged, and the air in the room seemed thin.

Jarrod's greatest aversion was betrayal. I would never give up anything that was marked by his touch. However, Nicole had betrayed him time and time again.

Thinking about Nicole's betrayal ignited a fierce anger in him.

He felt a burning desire to erase the evidence of his infidelity.

Nicole's vision was blurry, her chest was tight, and her neck was throbbing. She felt disconnected from her own body, overwhelmed by the thought that Jarrod might try to kill her.

Is this how your story would end? Would you share your destiny with your unborn child?

Her consciousness faded, tears spilling down her flushed cheeks, tracing paths to Jarrod's bloody hand.

Nicole had struggled to hide any signs of weakness, refusing to cry in front of this ruthless man.

However, in his last moments of consciousness, he could not hold back his tears.

It was a cruel irony that, after fighting so hard to survive, he could die with his name tarnished.

His last wish was to never cross paths with Jarrod again in another life...

Then, abruptly, the crushing pressure on his throat disappeared.

Jarrod's face, cold and unyielding, held an expression of contempt.

"Death would be too kind to you."

Nicole gasped, her sudden inspiration triggering a coughing fit.

Each cough shook her body painfully, as if tearing her apart from the inside.

Then, a mouthful of blood, dark with clots, gushed from Nicole's lips, a sign of serious internal injuries.

That single cough seemed to sap all her strength, leaving her trembling.

Jarrod's heart skipped a beat and he instinctively reached out to hold her.

But before she could touch her, Kieran, bloodied and battered, lunged at her.

«Nicole, are you okay? "Has our baby been hurt?" Kieran shouted worriedly.

A murderous glint flickered in Jarrod's eyes.

With a swift kick, he sent Kieran against the wall.

Blood spurted from the corner of Kieran's mouth, followed by a low groan before he lost consciousness.

Jarrod then turned his disdainful gaze on Nicole.

«What a performance, coughing up blood like that. "You seem to have a knack for faking illnesses."

Nicole, barely catching her breath, looked at Jarrod in disbelief.

«Feign illnesses?»

«You used a gastric ulcer to make me believe it was cancer, right? To buy time, to save your father,” Jarrod accused, his voice dripping with venom.

«Eighty million. How many men did you sleep with to raise so much money? And you still haven't gotten rid of the child inside you. Remarkable indeed.

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