Chapter 21

The woman in the photo had short hair and wore simple clothes. She stood by the window, head down as she made coffee, completely unaware that someone was secretly taking her picture. Even though she looked somewhat different from the Nicole he remembered, Tristan recognized her instantly—there was no doubt she was Nicole!“Send me the address. Name your price, I’ll pay whatever you want.” "One million dollars. Are you willing to pay that much, Mr. Ford?"Without hesitation, Tristan asked for the account number and had his assistant transfer the one million dollars immediately. He was ready to fly to Sutherland at once, and not even his assistant could stop him.“Mr. Ford, don’t be foolish. This could be another scam,” the assistant said, shaking his head and sighing. “Do you know how much money the company’s transferred in the past few days? Ten million dollars! And we haven’t even found a trace of her.”“Shut up and book me a ticket. Now!” Left with no choice, the assistant reluct

Chapter 22

When Tristan saw her at the coffee shop, his heart leapt with joy. Getting up quickly, he finally laid eyes on the person who had consumed his every thought. "Nicky, it’s really you!" Though his body was stiff and freezing, he pushed through the discomfort, stepping toward Nicole. "You’re alive. You’re really alive!" Tears welled up instantly as he reached out with trembling hands, desperate to touch her, to confirm she wasn’t a figment of his imagination. Nicole raised her eyes, her gaze indifferent as she looked at him. "Sir, who are you?" Her words sent a flash of panic across Tristan’s face. "What are you saying? Nicky, don’t you remember me?" He stared at her in disbelief. She was Nicole—there was no mistaking her. How could she not recognize him? "Sorry, sir, you’ve got the wrong person," Nicole replied, her tone calm and distant. She lowered her head and focused on crafting the latte art for the cup of coffee in front of her. After finishing, she handed t

Chapter 23

"Nicky, can’t you forgive me?" Tristan held the coffee cup tightly, the warmth from it finally thawing his frozen hands a little. "If I had been with another man, sneaking around behind your back for two years, would you have forgiven me?" Nicole threw the question at him, and Tristan was struck silent, unable to respond. After a long pause, he clenched his jaw and nodded. "I would. I’d forgive you, Nicky. I love you. No matter what you did, I’d forgive you." Hearing his answer, Nicole let out a mocking laugh. "That’s where we’re different, Tristan. First, I would never do something like that. And second, I don’t forgive you." Desperation filled Tristan’s eyes as he grabbed her hand, his voice trembling. "Just one more chance. Please, give me one last chance!" Nicole calmly withdrew her hand from his grip, her face emotionless. "I told you before, Tristan—if you ever betrayed me, I’d leave you for good." "No." Tristan shook his head, his heart breaking, the pa

Chapter 24

Nicole jumped in shock. “I’m sorry, ma’am, we’re closed for the day.” She was about to turn on the lights when the woman suddenly moved closer, pressing a knife to her back. “What are you doing?” Nicole asked, panic rising as she realized something was wrong. She hadn’t expected to face a situation like this, but she quickly forced herself to stay calm. “What do you want? Money? I can give you all of it, just don’t hurt me.” A cold laugh came from behind her. “Well, well, I didn’t think you’d be afraid to die.” The voice struck Nicole as eerily familiar. Who could it be? “Lisa Evans!” It was Lisa’s voice. What was she doing here? “Good. You still remember me.” Lisa sneered. “Bet you didn’t expect me to find you.” She pulled out a small glass of liquid and thrust it toward Nicole. “Drink this.” “What is it?” Nicole asked warily, her eyes fixed on the glass. “What are you trying to do?” “I said, drink it!” Lisa’s voice rose with anger as she pressed the knife

Chapter 25

Lisa glanced at the caller ID and let out a cold laugh before leisurely answering. “What have you done to Nicole?” Tristan’s roar came through the line. “Lisa, if you touch her, I swear I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life!” “Regret? Ha! What’s there to regret when I’m as good as dead?” She took a deep breath and said, “Come to her coffee shop now. I’m waiting for you. Let’s see if you’re really willing to die for Nicole.” With a glance at the unconscious woman behind her, Lisa ended the call. Stepping outside, she grabbed a torch and threw it directly onto the gasoline-soaked floor. In an instant, flames erupted, roaring into the night sky and illuminating the darkness. By the time Tristan arrived, the fire had engulfed the coffee shop. Lisa stood in front of the inferno, laughing wildly. “Burn! Burn it all! The bigger the flames, the better!” Tristan rushed forward, grabbing her arm tightly. “Lisa, where is Nicole? What have you done to her? Whe

Chapter 26

The fire had grown too intense, and someone called the authorities. When the firefighters arrived, they caught Lisa in the act of attacking Tristan. She was quickly subdued, and one of the medics rushed to Tristan's side, helping him up. "Sir, are you alright? Sir!" Tristan couldn’t respond. His gaze shifted toward Nicole, who was still unconscious nearby. As long as she was safe, he didn’t care if he lost his life. His vision blurred, his mind slipping into darkness as he collapsed. When Nicole woke, she was lying on a hospital bed. She opened her mouth to speak but found she couldn’t utter a word. Her throat was dry, and she desperately wanted water. Struggling to sit up, she caught the attention of a passing nurse, who rushed over. "Don’t move too much; your body is still weak.”Nicole licked her cracked lips, glancing around the room. "Why am I in the hospital? Where’s Lisa?" The nurse smiled. "Do you mean the man who saved you?" Seeing Nicole’s confusion, t