A sharp knife gleamed, catching her eye. A twisted smile touched her lips. All debts... will be settled today. Seth was having breakfast in the dining room when he saw the woman drift past the doorway like a ghost. "Hey! Not hungry?" Kaia didn't seem to hear him. Her right hand clenched tightly around the handle of the knife. The villa was remote. Walking to SummitCore Tech to find Zora was impossible. With numb movements, she stepped onto the road to hail a cab. Luckily, a taxi drove by. Two hours later, the taxi pulled to a stop across the street from the SummitCore Tech skyscraper. The driver glanced back. "Card or cash?"It dawned on Kaia that she didn't have her wallet with her. Mortified, she ducked her head, voice trailing off. "I'm sorry. I left my wallet behind." The driver's eyes bulged with anger. "Are you kidding me? You ride all that way and tell me you have no money? You looking for trouble?" He took in her appearance, remembering the upscale but remote neighborhood she'd come from. He sneered, "Out here selling yourself and still broke? Who are you trying to fool?" Kaia's eyes instantly reddened, fury rising. "I'm not! You're the one selling yourself—your whole damn family is!" "Whoa, easy!" The driver recoiled, then scoffed, "Yeah, right. Take a look at yourself. Anyone with half a brain knows what those marks are from." Kaia's world crumbled. The pain she'd tried to suppress surged back, raw and unbearable. Of course. These scars can't be hidden."Pay up, or I'm calling the cops—ah, forget it!" the driver snapped, suddenly eager to be rid of her. "Just get out! What a lousy start to the day!" Kaia slipped the knife from her pocket back into the sweatpants, licked her parched lips, and mumbled, "Thanks." Once outside, she moved toward the SummitCore building like a marionette, each step mechanical. Soon. Very soon. Just cross this street, and it will all be over. Everything ends here. She looked down, touching her stomach, a bitter smile twisting her lips. This baby is stronger than I thought. Surviving last night... I'm so sorry, little one. Mommy is so, so sorry. I made terrible mistakes. The reflective glass facade of the SummitCore building was just ten steps away, shimmering like a blinding, frozen lake.As Kaia tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a powerful force clamped down on her from behind—a large, calloused hand, its web of thumb and forefinger locking under her jaw, the palm sealing her mouth and nose. Air vanished instantly. A muffled "Mmph!" was all that escaped, like the cry of a small animal being held underwater. She tried to jab an elbow back, but her attacker was faster. A knee drove into the back of her leg, buckling it. A moment later, a sharp, chemical smell invaded her nostrils. Her world went dark, like a screen violently unplugged, a loud buzz filling her head before silence. Just before consciousness fled, she heard the heavy thud of a car door springing open, the vehicle dipping under weight. Two men, one on each side, hauled her up and tossed her into the back seat. "Got her. Let's go," one muttered in a low voice. The engine started almost immediately. The unremarkable black sedan merged seamlessly into the river of city traffic.Only when they were miles away did the man with the gravelly voice pull out his phone. "Sir, we have her. You were right, she was heading straight for Ms. Moss. Don't worry, we intercepted her before she made contact. Where do you want her now?" On the other end of the line, thin lips parted, spitting out a few cold words. "Got it." The bodyguard hung up and turned to the driver. "Address sent to your phone. A private clinic." She didn't know how much time had passed when Kaia swam back to consciousness, her body leaden and devoid of strength. She tried to lift an arm, but it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. She couldn't move it, let alone escape. She scanned the room. White ceiling overhead. A faint whiff of disinfectant pricked her nose. Everything screamed hospital. A chill ran down her spine. Just then, the door to the room swung open. Ines walked in, flanked by two bodyguards and two doctors in white coats. "Well, look who's awake," Ines said, raising an eyebrow. "Tougher than I thought. Figured you might not make it. Guess gutter trash is hard to kill." Kaia trembled uncontrollably. "Wh-what are you doing? Why am I here?" Ines let out a short, humorless laugh. "What else besides an abortion?" "No! You can't!" Panic seized her. "I'm over five months! A forced termination could kill me!" "Scared of dying? Then why the hell were you carrying a knife, headed straight for Zora? Huh? What were you planning to do?" Sobs wracked Kaia's body, snot and tears mixing. "She lied to me! Everything that's happened to me is because of her lies!" Ines' expression turned icy. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back, his lips close to her ear as he whispered words laced with cruel venom. "She lied, so you want to kill her? And what about how you lied to me? Hmm? You planned that little stunt at the hot springs resort from the start, didn't you? Get pregnant from a one-night stand, then trap Hugo into marrying you with the baby. Too bad you picked the wrong mark. You messed with the wrong man, Kaia. And now, you're going to learn exactly what happens to people who try to play me."