Chapter 14

At Maple Hotel, Audrey stood right outside the door of Nicholas' suite. After taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. Moments later, the door swung open, revealing Nicholas, who was drunk. He looked at her, and without saying a word, he grabbed her hand and yanked her into the room. Immediately after, he hugged her forcefully and attempted to kiss her. However, she resisted fiercely and struggled desperately until she finally managed to kick him and make him let go of her. Nicholas glared at Audrey, who was in a panic, as his expression intensified. "Bitch! We're about to be engaged. You're going to get married to me in the future. Yet, you still won't let me touch you. Do you have a death wish? Stop pretending to be innocent. Do you think I don't know what you've done or who you like? "I've ignored you long enough, haven't I? Don't push it. You can either satisfy me today, or I'll beat you up so badly that you won't be able to leave this room!" With that, Nicholas lunged at Audrey again and wanted to force himself on her. On the other hand, she continued to resist as tears streamed down her face. "Mr. Thompson, what are you doing? What do you want from me? I'm begging you. Please leave me with some dignity." Audrey pushed Nicholas away and crouched in the corner, sobbing. Upon noticing the scratches she had left on his face, he became even more enraged. "Bitch, you refuse to let me touch you, but you go around sleeping with another man behind my back! How dare you cheat on me? Do you want you and your family to die?" Then, Nicholas marched forward and grabbed Audrey by her hair. He yanked her up so violently that she cried out in pain. A few strands of hair had been pulled off as well. "Tell me who your lover is. Don't think that I can't find out who he is. When I do find out, I'll break his arms and legs in front of you. By then, let's see if he'll still like you. "You're such a dirty woman. Why won't you let me touch you? Don't I love you enough? Haven't I been good to you? How dare you hurt me like this? I'll show you who I am and how you should behave in front of me today." After saying that, Nicholas slapped Audrey hard across the face, leaving a vivid handprint on her pale skin. But he wasn't done. He hadn't vented all his anger. He grabbed her hair and slapped her, back and forth. Soon, her entire face was swollen. Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth as well. She looked extremely pitiful. "Tell me you'll cut off ties with your lover. Tell me who he is. Get on your knees and apologize to me. If you tell me who he is, I'll let you off the hook this time. Otherwise, I'll beat you to death today!" Despite being beaten until her nose and mouth bled and her face bruised and swollen, Audrey kept her lips tightly shut. She knew that if she talked, Nicholas would immediately gather his men and go after Nolan. By then, Nolan would be in grave danger. Thus, Audrey wouldn't tell Nicholas about Nolan. She didn't want something to happen to Nolan, especially because of her. "You should just beat me to death if you dare. I've already told you that I don't have an affair with anyone else. You're imagining things. "Besides, the engagement is in two days. If you want to beat me up, go ahead. If you beat me up until I can't show up for the engagement, do you think it'll make you and your family look good? I'm sure the Thompson family's reputation will take a hit, too." Not only did Audrey not remain silent, but she even talked back at Nicholas, angering him. He immediately grabbed her hair and slammed her to the ground. Then, he kicked her continuously. The sight of such brutality would chill anyone to the bone. It was the kind of beating that could kill a grown man, let alone a delicate woman like Audrey. But Nicholas didn't care. He kept kicking her until she passed out. Her entire body was battered and bruised. It was only then he felt satisfied. "Get up! Don't you dare play dead with me! If you dare to play dead with me, I'll really kill you." Nicholas kicked Audrey's lifeless body again. When she didn't respond, he crouched nervously and checked if she was still breathing. Upon noticing that she was still breathing, he let out a sigh of relief. If he had actually beaten her to death, putting aside the fact that he didn't want her to die, the consequences would have been severe. No matter what, the Weiss family still had some power. While beating up Audrey was one thing, killing her would turn them into sworn enemies. By then, Nicholas might not be able to handle it. Glaring at Audrey, Nicholas gritted his teeth and said, "Bitch, don't think that you can protect your lover by keeping silent! Dream on! I'll let you off the hook today, but when you're recovered, I'll make sure I beat him up to death in front of you." After that, Nicholas called the hospital and had his men rush to the hotel to take Audrey to the emergency. Then, he crawled into bed and fell asleep, not even bothering to accompany her to the hospital. … At the same time, in a VIP ward of Bellington Hospital, Charles Baxter, Archie's father, was suddenly rushed in due to a worsening condition. Archie, the head of the Baxter family, was extremely worried. Meanwhile, the entire Baxter family filled the corridor. As the chatter grew louder, Archie couldn't help but rage. "Quiet! All of you, go home and stop causing a ruckus!" In the Baxter family, Archie's word was law, especially when it came to matters concerning the health of Charles. No one dared to go against Archie, and everyone treated him cautiously. It was because Archie valued filial piety. He would do anything—even sacrifice his life—for Charles. At the very least, in Bellington and even throughout Eastern State, everyone who knew Archie had something to say about him, such as being ruthless or heartless. However, no one could ever accuse him of being unfilial. His devotion to Charles was well-known and respected by all. After everyone had left, leaving only the important people in the corridor, Archie turned to Lincoln and broke down. "Lincoln, we must give Dr. Greene a call now. We can't wait three days. Mr. Baxter Senior can't wait any longer."