Nina's mind went blank—the tension that had been holding everything together snapped in an instant. Panic surged through as she instinctively stepped back, widening the distance between herself and Yvan.

But it was already too late. Shane's icy gaze locked onto her, his dark face and stormy. His naturally cold features were now layered with a deadly frost.

"Nina, come here."

His voice was low and steady—just three simple words, yet they carried the weight of a thousand pounds, crashing down on Nina's heart like a hammer.

Her body trembled involuntarily, a wave of numbness creeping up her scalp.

She didn't dare hesitate for even a second. Pushing Yvan aside, she hurried toward Shane.
 
Just as she reached arm's length, Shane suddenly grabbed her and yanked her forward with force.

Nina crashed hard into his chest, her delicate nose slamming against him. A sharp pain shot through her,

Yvan feared that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to control himself.

It was all because he had once given up on Nina in despair. Drowning himself in alcohol, he had let Wendy take advantage of the situation, forcing him into the arranged marriage between the Smith and Lawson families.

If only he had been more resolute back then, would he have noticed something was off with Nina? Would things have turned out differently?

Overwhelmed with regret and self-reproach, Yvan stormed out of the hospital room and slammed his fist against the wall in frustration.

Meanwhile, inside the hospital room, Shane turned his gaze to Nina, his expression eerily calm.

But the more composed he appeared, the more anxious Nina felt. She knew he was waiting for an explanation.

Taking out the medicine Lisette had secretly slipped into her bag, she spoke in a low voice, "I came to pick up my pres

Logan drove the car, taking Nina away from the Lawson residence. Following the planned route, the car headed straight toward Shane's company.

Sitting in the backseat, Nina clutched the document tightly, wrinkling it in her grasp. She kept glancing nervously out the window.

Before going to Abigail, she had already coordinated with Lisette. If Abigail insisted that Logan take her, she would then send a message to Lisette, who would find a way to help her escape.

But whether the plan would work or not, Nina wasn't sure.

As they got closer to Lawson Group, her unease and fear grew. The road ahead felt like a monstrous beast, gaping wide to swallow her whole.

"Ms. Nina, watch out!"

Logan suddenly shouted. Nina jolted in shock.

Looking up, she saw a sedan speeding toward them. Logan couldn't react in time, and the two vehicles collided.

The airbags deployed, leaving Nina dizzy and disoriented. But she recognized the black sedan—it was Lisette's car!

Realizing this, Nina quickly opened the door and got out.

The driver of the other car stepped out as well—it was Ethan Blake, Lisette's family driver.

The two exchanged glances and pretended to argue before Ethan forcefully grabbed Nina and pulled her toward his car.

Nina feigned a brief struggle before quickly jumping into the backseat.

Since Ethan had intentionally crashed into the driver's side, Logan was injured and slow to react. By the time he tried to stop them, it was already too late. He could only watch as the black sedan sped away.

Ethan wasted no time, driving at full speed and getting Nina to the hospital just in time.

Lisette was already waiting at the entrance, pacing anxiously with a stack of medical reports in her hands.

When she saw Nina running toward her, she let out a huge sigh of relief. "Finally! You scared me to death."

"Thank you, Lise."

Nina hugged Lisette, her gratitude genuine. Right now, Lisette was the only person in the world truly looking out for her.

Lisette's eyes stung, but she masked her emotions with a hearty slap on Nina's shoulder. "Alright. No time for sappy moments. Let's get your pre-surgery tests done."

Nina let go and followed her.

They headed to the obstetrics and gynecology department.

As they walked, Nina suddenly noticed a familiar figure up ahead. She paused, staring for a moment, but when she looked again, the person was gone.

"Nina, over here." Lisette waved from a self-service kiosk. 

"Swipe your patient card here. What are you spacing out for?"

Feeling embarrassed, Nina quickly retrieved the pre-prepared patient card from her bag.

As for her earlier confusion, she brushed it off. She must've been seeing things.

What she didn't know was that the moment she had spotted that figure, he had also seen her.

Yvan had instinctively avoided Nina's gaze. He never thought that if they met again one day, he wouldn't even have the courage to face her.

But why was Nina at the obstetrics and gynecology department?

After hesitating for a while, Yvan followed his gut and walked toward where Nina had been.

Meanwhile, Nina and Lisette arrived at the pre-surgery examination counter. The tests were numerous and complicated, with long queues at every station.

Even with Lisette's help in expediting the process, Nina still had to wait for the results before proceeding with the surgery.

The two found a quiet corner to sit.

"The embryo is developing quite well." Lisette, having nothing else to do, skimmed through the ultrasound report.

She couldn't help but comment, "Considering you had bleeding earlier, it's incredible that the baby is still growing so healthily."

Nina pressed her lips together and averted her gaze.

From the start, she had forced herself not to look or think about any of this. Her voice was chillingly detached as she said, "It's just an embryo. It doesn't count as a person."

Seeing Nina's stubborn profile, Lisette hesitated before asking, "Nina, are you really sure you want to go through with this?"

Nina remained silent. 

There were no other choices.

"But—"

Lisette could see her resistance, but she had to say it. "If you abort this child, you will never be able to have another."

It wasn't just a possibility—it was a certainty.

Her expression turned serious. "When you were hospitalized before, the bleeding caused significant harm to your body. Even with the best medication, it was only a temporary fix.

"You've always had difficulty conceiving. This child will be the only one you'll ever have."

Nina's lips parted, but no sound came out.

She wasn't as strong or indifferent as she appeared. She had once longed for a child.

She and Yvan had both loved children. Back when they were engaged, they had even visited orphanages together. But now, she had lost Yvan.

And soon, she would lose the only child she could ever have.

"Lise, I can't keep him. Maybe I was never meant to be a mother."

Lisette studied her, then hesitated before asking, "Nina, I've never asked you this before, but… is Shane the father? If he is, you could have the baby and leave it with him. Then, you can leave…"

"Yes, it's his. But no!"

Before she could even finish, Nina shook her head, tears spilling down her face.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice hoarse, "The night Yvan and I tried to run away, Shane forced himself on me. That night destroyed everything between Yvan and me.

"After that, he kept me by his side as his mistress. I tried to escape again and again, but his control over me only grew stronger…"

She had thought she would never be able to say these words out loud. But now that she had, she realized it wasn't as hard as she had imagined.

But neither she nor Lisette noticed the tall, imposing figure standing outside the door. The man had heard every word—clear as day. His fists clenched tightly before he suddenly shoved the door open.

"Who's there?"

Nina and Lisette both jumped in shock, instinctively turning toward the doorway. When they saw who it was, they froze in shock.

"Yvan?"

Nina's eyes widened, and she instinctively clutched the examination report.

Had he heard everything?

Yvan rushed to her, grabbing her frail shoulders, his trembling hand caressing her face, his eyes red with emotion. "Why didn't you tell me? If I had known, I would never have let go. We could've—"

"Mr. Smith!" Nina raised her voice, cutting off his frantic words.

Just as she tried to pull away, Lisette gasped in alarm. "Mr. Lawson!"

Nina's heart dropped as she looked toward the doorway in horror.

Shane had arrived, his gaze locked onto Yvan's hand cradling her face. His expression was dark and murderous, like a storm about to break.

Nina's mind went blank—the tension that had been holding everything together snapped in an instant. Panic surged through as she instinctively stepped back, widening the distance between herself and Yvan.

But it was already too late. Shane's icy gaze locked onto her, his dark face and stormy. His naturally cold features were now layered with a deadly frost.

"Nina, come here."

His voice was low and steady—just three simple words, yet they carried the weight of a thousand pounds, crashing down on Nina's heart like a hammer.

Her body trembled involuntarily, a wave of numbness creeping up her scalp.

She didn't dare hesitate for even a second. Pushing Yvan aside, she hurried toward Shane.
 
Just as she reached arm's length, Shane suddenly grabbed her and yanked her forward with force.

Nina crashed hard into his chest, her delicate nose slamming against him. A sharp pain shot through her, and stars burst before her eyes. Dizzy and disoriented, she was left speechless for a moment.

Shan

Chapter 12