Jardine winced as Adira's words hit her heart like a ton of bricks. She felt her head spin, wishing she hadn't heard correctly. kneel before her? For what reason? What sort of humiliation was that? Her gaze waned as she looked at Adira who had a smug smile on her face. She felt her heart clench in her chest. Kneeling before her was going to be more than an humiliation. How could she even suggest such a thing? "I'm sorry, but..." she stared downward and scoffed. "Why would you even want me to do that?" Adira gave a subdued eye roll. "Why else? You want my forgiveness, right? So, you should be willing to do anything to get it. Now, kneel before me, and I might give it some consideration." Jardine fisted her hands beside her. Never did she expect life to take such a turn on her. Nineteen months ago, who was Adira to even stand in her presence and talk back at her? She was a nobody! How could she have the nerve to sit there and make such a ridiculous request? She was tempted to leave—just pick up her bag and leave. But her grandfather's threats were imprinted in her mind. 'I promise you, Jardine, if I go down, I'm taking you with me!' She remembered how angry he had been, as well as the others in her family. This gave her too much of a fright. What if he learns Adira had given her an option to kneel and get forgiven, but she walked away from it because of her pride? Wouldn't that make him pretty mad at her? Her grandfather was capable of doing too much to her, and she was so scared. She looked up at Adira again and found her piercing gaze still on her. When did Adira become so extra cold? She bit her lower lip as she got to her feet, her heart pounding heavily against her ribcage. She wondered if Adira could actually hear it.The weight of her humiliation felt like a boulder on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She could feel Adira's probing gaze on her, and it only made her feel smaller and more insignificant. With a deep breath, her knees buckled as she dropped to the floor, feeling every inch of her pride crumble to dust. The cold floor beneath her felt like an icy reminder of her own failures, and she could hardly bring herself to look up at Adira's commanding presence. Adira's face was a mask of satisfaction, and her eyes gleamed with a hint of cruelty as she looked down at Jardine. Jardine suddenly appeared small and pitiful on the ground, like a wounded animal, and Adira relished in the power she held over her. Slowly, she stood up, her movements calm and deliberate as she walked towards Jardine. Her lips stretched into a smile as she crossed her arms and stood in front of her, staring at her lowered head. "You know, a few years ago," she began. "I was just a simple girl who wanted to have a family with my beloved husband. When I got pregnant, it was the biggest news of my life. I thought of what it would be like, having my own family and all. But you came along, Jard. You came along and took everything from me. You took my husband, took my home, and even took my child." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Do you know that, that very day, on the day of your wedding, I had decided to end my life? I mean, I ran to the church to see if I could do anything to stop the wedding, but I couldn't even go past the gate. I'm sure you saw it," she paused and chuckled. "Your mother berated me; even your sister raised her hand on me. And right there, I concluded there was no point in living. I went to the bar to have my last drink. Jardine, I was this close to taking my life. But luckily, that was when Nikolai stepped in." She moved closer and caressed her index finger on Jardine's cheek. "That very day Nikolai saved me, I got another purpose to live. Not to live lavishly or have another family, but to watch you and your family suffer. Day and night, I prayed for the day I'd set my eyes on you. When I heard Lancelot had been involved in an accident and was in a coma, I prayed for his quick recovery. Trust me, I did. That was how badly I needed you back. And here you are, right in front of me." Jardine's knees were beginning to hurt. But she was more concerned about Adira's words. For a second there, Adira sounded like a lunatic who was ready to do something drastic. She glanced up at her face and found her leering at her. And with a smile, she walked away from her. "You should get on your feet. I think I've had enough of the show," Adira brusquely said as she returned to her seat. With a pained expression, Jardine rose to her feet, trying to ignore the pain in her knees. Her whole life, she's never had to kneel for anyone. She gulped heavily as she returned to her seat as well. "So, um, about the proposal...""I still reject it," Adira cut her off, her gaze focused on her system. Horror crept into Jardine's eyes as she listened to her words. What the hell did she just say? "I don't understand," she scoffed. "You promised to let everything go if I kneeled... "I never promised, Jardine," Adira interrupted coldly, lifting her gaze at her. "Moreover, I only talked about forgiving you. I never made mention of accepting your proposal." Rage shimmered in Jardine's eyes immediately as her gaze flickered. "No." She shook her head. "This cannot be. You can't do this, Adira. You need to keep your word and accept the proposal!" She was almost yelling. Adira stopped typing on her keyboard and reclined in her seat. It was obvious she felt so much pleasure seeing the frustration on Jardine's face. Suddenly, she hooted with laughter, her voice echoing off the walls. Jardine creased her brows as she watched her, and for a moment there, fear crept into her heart. "This is just the beginning, Jardine," Adira said when she stopped laughing. "I'll make you suffer, you'll regret crossing paths with me. The very thing you took from me, I'm here to make sure you lose it." Jardine's eyes glinted. Her hands turned into fists as she sprang to her feet. "That will never happen," she gritted. "You can try all you want, Adira, but I'll never let you get Lancelot. It's obvious you still haven't healed after all this time. Well, guess what? You'll never heal because Lancelot will always be mine." There was a stunned silence after her words. Although her eyes were teary, she looked very angry. Picking up her bag, she turned towards the door. "I have no intentions of taking him back," Adira's voice hit her back, making her freeze in her tracks. "He's already a used property, so I have no intentions of doing that. But I'll make you lose him. That was what I said." Jardine cocked her head to spare her a glance. Saying nothing, she opened the door and stormed out of the office.