?<strong>Chapter 1072:</strong>


    But Nichol, his body hardened by years of regr exercise, was frighteningly strong.


    Nichol pped her across the face, the force ringing in her ears as he gripped her neck and mmed her into the vanity. His voice was venomous,ced with the nastiest words. “Even pregnant, you can’t behave. Once you bring this baby into this world, I’ll kill you!”


    Drunk and out of control, Nichol unleashed a brutal beating. By the time he came to his senses, Talia’s limp body had already copsed into unconsciousness. Unbothered, Nichol shrugged it off. He tossed her into his car with no more care than a piece of luggage and drove to a nearby clinic to pick up some medication.


    The doctor at the small, dimly lit clinic was an old friend of Nichol’s. The moment his eyes fell on Talia’s battered form, his expression darkened with disgust. He didn’t need to ask what had happened. “How could you hit her again? Such a beautiful woman! And you stillid your hands on her?”


    Nichol lit a cigarette, his face cold and unmoved as smoke curled around him. “She deserves it. She’s ungrateful.”


    The doctor let out a frustrated sigh as he examined her, shaking his head. “This is bad. I can’t treat her here. Her injuries are serious—there might be fractures. She needs a hospital.”


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    Nichol scowled, irritation ring in his voice. “If I take her to the hospital, they’ll report it. Domestic violence… Even if I don’t go to jail, they’ll investigate me. Too much trouble.”


    The doctor chuckled dryly. “Worried, huh? Let me give you some advice—you should calm down a bit. Even in marriage, domestic violence can escte into a bigger issue. If she’s seriously injured, she could use it to ckmail you.”


    Nichol sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “ckmail me? Really? If we divorce, she’ll owe me everything I’ve given her. The house, the gifts—and let’s not forget the money I spent on her father’s kidney transnt. Can she afford to pay me back?”


    The doctor nodded, a thin smile tugging at his lips. “You’re right. After all, they owe you a lot. When they take your money, they should expect to pay the price, sooner orter. So, what was it this time? What made you hit her?”


    Nichol’s jaw tightened as the memory of that overheard conversation resurfaced, the words reying in his mind like poison. Frustration burned through him. The guy’s name was Pierre, wasn’t it? He would make sure this Pierre guy regretted ever having contacted Talia.


    Over the next few days, Pierre asionally sent Talia messages to check in, asking how she was doing. Talia always replied that she was fine and, more than once, invited him to her wedding. Pierre politely declined each time.


    Valentine’s Day arrived as nned.


    Early that morning, Gemma was woken by the shrill ring of her phone.


    “It’s me, Caden,” a familiar voice on the other end said. Gemma sat up instantly, her voice bright with excitement. “Caden!”


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