Jacob suppressed his irritation and lifted his chin slightly, his eyes gleaming with disdain.

"I assume that you're not the type to take something that already belongs to someone else, are you? Let me be blunt. Nicole is my girlfriend, and we've been together for three years. Surely, you won't be interested in someone who has been used before, right?"

Before he could finish his berating, Aaron's expression darkened, and a menacing edge flickered in his eyes. He shot him a cold glare, and his words were as cutting as a sword.

"What relationship do you have with Nicole? You got dumped, but still cling to her like a stray puppy. Mr. Escobar, you're really something else."

Color instantly drained from Jacob's face.

His chest burned with rage. He clenched his teeth and spat, "Even if we're over, it's only because Nicole's playing a game to get my attention. You have no right to come betw

Jacob gritted his teeth, his voice cold and full of spite as he spat, "Nicole, you brought this onto yourself!"

After tipping off several major media outlets, he waited eagerly for the moment Nicole would show up, desperate and humiliated.

By dawn, a sensational news article exposing Nicole for switching Kenneth's medication at the hospital—an act that allegedly triggered his heart attack and left him in critical condition—had gone viral on social media.

The moment the news broke, Silverwood Hospital's official account crashed from the flood of traffic.

Comments poured in beneath the news article.

"Wait, Silverwood Hospital? I trusted that hospital the most! I can't believe that they hire doctors like this! How are we supposed to feel safe going there now?"

"She's only 25 years old and already turning against society? I feel sorry for any patient who's had the misfortune of being o

Monica's face paled instantly, but she couldn't show it. She could only discreetly clench her fists. Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, leaving behind trails of blood.

Heidi took the initiative to pull Nicole up from the couch. "Come with me."

Nicole was dragged upstairs, leaving Monica alone on the couch downstairs. Her eyes burned with jealousy, and her body trembled with rage.

Nicole followed Heidi up to the third floor and saw her mysteriously unlocking a door. Her chest tightened, and her breathing grew unsteady. When the door finally opened, Heidi eagerly pulled her inside and excitedly exclaimed, "Nicole, look!"

Nicole took in everything in front of her. The room was bigger than the living room in her previous rental apartment.

The decoration was high-end. The walk-in closet, bed, desk, and carpet were meticulously arranged. But what moved her the most was the picture frame on the bedside table.

It was a photo of her parents holding her when she was two.

Heidi cried again. "Nicole, I've been preparing this room for a long time. I never thought I'd finally get to use it for your return."

Nicole's heart ached, and a tear rolled down her face.

Heidi walked toward her and gently wiped it away, saying, "From today onward, I'll make it up to you, okay?"

Nicole lowered her head. "Mom, thank you for accepting me."

"You're my flesh and blood. How could I not accept you?" Heidi couldn't help but chuckle through her tears.

Unbeknownst to them, Monica was standing behind them. She bit her lip so hard that it almost bled. It turned out that this room was prepared especially for Nicole!

She had lived in the Boyd residence for 20 years and had asked Heidi numerous times what was behind that locked door, but Heidi had always brushed her off.

Nonetheless, Heidi frequently came up here and sometimes stayed for a long time. It turned out this was all in preparation for her biological daughter.

As for Monica, who shared no blood relation with her, she was treated differently. Unable to stand the overwhelming emotions, she turned and dashed downstairs.

That night, Nicole stayed on the third floor. She still needed time to adjust to the lavish environment. After showering and changing into high-quality silk pajamas, she lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Meanwhile, when Heidi returned to her room to rest, she saw Monica seated on her bed with her stuffed bunny.

Heidi couldn't help but chuckle. "Monica, you're an adult now. Why are you acting like a child? Did you come here because you want me to tuck you into bed?"

Monica grabbed Heidi's hand and flung herself into the latter's arms, murmuring softly, "Mom, now that you have Nicole, will you stop loving me? I understand that this is all my fault. I've been spoiled my entire life and have never learned how to care for myself. But I'll start now so I won't trouble you or Dad again."

Heidi's heart ached with remorse. After all, she had looked after Monica for 20 years, so they were already like mother and daughter.

Monica would inevitably suffer because of her desire to make amends with Nicole.

Heidi patted her back to calm her. "Don't overthink this. You and Nicole are my daughters, each wonderful in your own way. I will not treat either of you differently. You're already so understanding. What else could I ask from you?"

Only then did Monica grin happily, and her eyes sparkled like stars. "I knew you loved me the most!"

But in the depths of her eyes, a cold malice flashed. There was no way she would let Nicole take everything that belonged to her.

Even though Nicole had been found, Monica would maintain her position as the heiress of the Boyd family. She would ensure that she was the only one to get her parents' affection.

Jacob dropped his "poor man" act after breaking up with Nicole. He spent every day partying with his friends and enjoying himself to the fullest.

That night, already tipsy after leaving the second club, he was dragged to The Inferno to keep the party going. He was laughing happily when a young woman approached and grabbed his arm.

His body froze. He quickly turned to face the young woman, narrowed his eyes, and gripped her chin.

"Nicole, I knew you'd come crawling back like a dog to beg for my forgiveness! If you had done this sooner, I could've given you another opportunity. After all, we were together for three years. How could I be so heartless?"

As he talked, he bent down and tried to kiss her.

Although the woman who had been mistaken for Nicole was a little upset, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat when she saw Jacob leaning in to kiss her. She tiptoed and leaned in closer.

As their lips almost touched, Jacob suddenly halted.

He instantly became alert. When he saw that the woman before him wasn't Nicole, he shoved her off in disgust.

The young woman was caught off guard and fell hard to the floor, yelping in pain.

"Who told you to pretend to be Nicole?" His eyes were clouded with fury.

The woman blinked innocently and said, "Jacob, she's just a block of wood, yet she dared dump you! I'm outraged for you. Who does she think she is?"

Jacob felt a little better after hearing her words. He snorted. "She won't hold on much longer and will eventually come back to apologize."

He knew Nicole had lost her job at the hospital and had nowhere else to go. Since she was poor, it would be impossible for her to survive without a job. Moreover, she hadn't saved a single cent throughout those three years.

The woman stood up, patted her butt, and leaned back against him.

"Exactly. We're all looking forward to watching her come and beg you. She'll definitely look pathetic!"

But before she could approach him again, Jacob spotted a familiar figure. It was Aaron.

Jacob grew uneasy when he remembered seeing Aaron and Nicole together last time. He wouldn't tolerate it if she had broken up with him only to latch onto Aaron.

With that thought, Jacob approached Aaron. He said, "I didn't expect to see you here at The Inferno. Are you into this kind of scene, too? I know this place well. Let me introduce you to some high-quality—"

However, Aaron's cold glare cut his words short. The look in Aaron's eyes made Jacob freeze on the spot.

Aaron sneered coldly. "Mr. Escobar, do you think everyone would choose worthless people over good ones like you?"

Upon hearing this, Jacob's eyes narrowed, and he wondered if Aaron was referring to Nicole. It turned out that something was going on between them!

Jacob suppressed his irritation and lifted his chin slightly, his eyes gleaming with disdain.

"I assume that you're not the type to take something that already belongs to someone else, are you? Let me be blunt. Nicole is my girlfriend, and we've been together for three years. Surely, you won't be interested in someone who has been used before, right?"

Before he could finish his berating, Aaron's expression darkened, and a menacing edge flickered in his eyes. He shot him a cold glare, and his words were as cutting as a sword.

"What relationship do you have with Nicole? You got dumped, but still cling to her like a stray puppy. Mr. Escobar, you're really something else."

Color instantly drained from Jacob's face.

His chest burned with rage. He clenched his teeth and spat, "Even if we're over, it's only because Nicole's playing a game to get my attention. You have no right to come between us, Mr. Compton. Do you understand?"

Compared to his rage, Aaron merely scoffed. "What if I wan

Chapter 13