Darcy let out a cold, brittle laugh. "Who the hell do you think you are? Why the hell should I meet your expectations?!" He dared to say he was disappointed? What a sick joke. He had drugged her, kidnapped her, without a shred of consent! She was the one disappointed! Zane was momentarily speechless with rage. He took a deep, shuddering breath and stretched out his hand. "Darcy, it's dangerous. Give me your hand. I'll take you down." "Follow you down and get locked up again?" Darcy scoffed. Her gaze flickered to the metal box under his arm, and a fresh wave of hatred surged. Her voice dropped to an icy whisper. "Or are you planning to inject me with something? "Let me guess. What's in store for me this time? A hallucinogen? Or perhaps... a memory-erasing drug?"Zane's eyes widened in shock. "How did you—" "How did I know?" she cut him off, her voice dripping with scorn. "I heard your entire conversation with Dr. Kincaid." Zane fell silent. He had brought the safe with the intention of injecting the drug right here, right now. With his plan exposed, he dropped the pretense. His deep eyes locked onto hers with unnerving intensity. "Darcy, don't be afraid. This drug won't hurt you." He opened the safe, pulled out the vial, and filled a syringe. He took a step forward, holding up the slender needle, his voice unnervingly gentle. "One small injection, and all the pain ends. Only happiness from then on. We won't go back. We'll settle abroad. I'll take care of you. We'll have a home. We'll even have a cute child someday." Darcy shook her head wildly, her eyes red-rimmed. "Don't come any closer! I'll jump, I swear!" Zane acted as if he hadn't heard her. He took another step, a faint, chilling smile on his lips. "Darcy, you won't jump. Have you forgotten your mother? Her health is fragile. She needs regular medication and check-ups. If you jump, what will become of her?" At the mention of her mother, a flicker of agony crossed Darcy's face. She squeezed her eyes shut. It felt like a wound had been torn open in her chest, bleeding freely. If there was anyone in this world she couldn't bear to leave, it was her mother, Ione. And the second... A gentle and handsome face rose in her mind. Jethro. I'm sorry. If there's a next life, I want to meet you first. "Darcy," Zane coaxed, his smile widening. He knew her weakness perfectly. Seeing her hesitation now confirmed it. He had struck a nerve."Come to me. Let me end all of this. Let's go back to how we were." But then, Darcy's eyes flew open. Her expression was one of utter desolation. "A life like that... is worse than death." Without another moment's hesitation, she turned and threw herself backwards off the cliff edge. A few seconds later, a distant, muffled thud echoed up from below. The guards stood frozen. Peering over the edge, they saw nothing but churning water. No sign of her. The cliff wasn't a sheer drop into a bottomless abyss, but it was high enough. And the sea below was wild. If she hit submerged rocks... They exchanged nervous glances, then turned as one to Zane. One of them managed to croak, "Mr. Vance, what now?" Zane stood rigid, the cold wind whipping around him as if he were made of stone. He felt numb, disconnected.Darcychose death over being with me? Does she truly hate me that much? "Mr. Vance, I'm sor—" a guard began, but Zane cut him off, his face a mask of fury. "Shut up! She's fine! She has to be fine!" He tore off his jacket and lunged towards the edge, only to be grabbed and hauled back by two of the burly guards. "Mr. Vance, it's too dangerous! You can't jump! We'll find a boat!" The main reason, unspoken, was that the promised payment hadn't cleared yet. Their employer couldn't die now. Two guards held Zane back while the other two scrambled down the hill to look for a vessel. Suddenly, a deep, rhythmic thrumming filled the air, growing rapidly louder. Everyone looked up. Two helicopters were circling overhead. Zane frowned. Did Dr. Kincaid change his mind after all?No. If it were Jason, it would be one helicopter, not two. A sickening sense of dread slammed into him. His eyes widened. "Move! We're leaving, now!" Zane yelled, already sprinting back down the path. Before disappearing into the trees, he cast one last frantic look at the cliff's edge. Darcy, don't be afraid. Wait for me. I'll find yousoon. They piled into the vehicles and sped back to the villa. Zane barked orders for the remaining men to guard the entrance, allowing no one in, then rushed inside alone to pack. There wasn't much to pack, just essentials. Mainly, cash. The island was backward; mobile payments and credit cards were rarely accepted. This place wasn't safe. He had to hide somewhere else and wait it out.Bag in hand, he didn't hesitate. He yanked the front door open. The cold, circular muzzle of a gun pressed instantly against his forehead. Zane froze, his hands flying up in surrender. He raised his eyes and met a gaze that was usually cool and elegant, but now colder than ice. Jethro looked at him as if he were examining a piece of garbage. "Where is she?"