Avery took several steps back because of the surprise. She hit the door frame and felt grave pain on her back.

He knew! How could he possibly know?

Avery placed her hands on her chest. She was too surprised to say anything. Her hands were so cold, and she couldn't breathe. Did Mr. Howel poison her?

While Avery completely lost herself, Mr. Howel was as cool as a cucumber.

"You're almost six months pregnant. If you choose abortion, it's the same as giving birth. You could die."

"What if I give birth when the time comes?" Avery held her breath.

"You're very smart. You should know the ending is the same. But if you give birth when it's due time, you could live for another four months."

Avery lost her strength and had to lean against the door. She could barely remain to stand. She knew she must look terrible. But horror and fear kept growing and burst out of her chest. She couldn't help it.

"Did you poison me? Avery's voice was low. Every time she said something, she had to use all the remaining strength.

"I don't have to. Not to you, at least," Mr. Howel said as if he encountered these things every day, "but you don't want to know who did."

Mr. Howel had every means to force her to leave Evan after she gave birth to her child. He didn't need to poison her. Who could it be? Who hated her so much that they wanted her dead?

Avery shook her head in surprise. Seeing Evan choose Diana over her was like slapping her across the face. Getting the answers to the questions that bothered her for a long time was like stabbing her in the chest fiercely. She was left with the wound that didn't stop bleeding.

She was too weak. But she still wanted to leave here with the remaining strength. She looked up.

"If so, could you fulfill the dream of a dying person for the sake of her child?"

"Do you want to leave?"

"Yes."

"Where do you want to go? I'll ask the driver to give you a lift." Mr. Howel took another sip of tea.

Avery didn't say no. She knew Mr. Howel could watch her every move. Why bother fighting?

"I want my phone back."

Mr. Howel got the bodyguard to take her handbag, which contained her personal stuff, including her phone. Then he phoned the driver to give her a lift.

B country was big. But where could she go?

Evan chose Diana. Maybe it was the same reason he chose to marry Rebecca.

Or why did he agree to marry her?

"Miss Peters, where do you want to go?"

Avery looked down, flipping through her purse. She had some loose change that she borrowed from Andrew when he dropped her off at the mall. That was all the cash he had. He also gave her a card, but she refused.

She didn't have enough to stay in the hotel.

"Just keep driving. I'll let you know after I know."

Avery lost her strength. She let herself sink in the soft seat. Every part of her body was wrong. She had a serious headache.

Avery put her hands on her belly and felt a bulge.

"Is it you, little thing? Do you feel mom's pain too?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm in a terrible state. I let you down. But what should mommy do?"

Avery shed tears without sound. The tears fell on her belly. The baby settled down as if it understood her.

"Miss Peters, are you okay?" The driver looked at her through the rear end mirror.

Avery shook her head.

"Can you give me a tissue?"

The driver handed her one.

After she wiped her face, she said to the driver to go to Howel's castle.

She left her passport and packaged there. Besides, after everything, Evan owed her an explanation.

She had to hear from Evan even if it was harsh.

She looked down. The phone screen kept flickering. It was Andrew.

"Avery, are you okay? Evan's PA kept calling me for your whereabouts. I've been trying to contact you for almost 4 hours..."

"Yeah, I'm okay now."

"Where are you? Are you back?" Andrew started regretting leaving her at the mall. He should have driven her to the castle.

"I'm on the way back to the castle."

Avery stopped for a second and asked if Andrew knew where Jessica was.

"Jessica?" Andrew was not sure why she asked about his sister, and he raised his voice, "do you want to see her?"

"Yes. I want to meet her."

"As it happens, I want to find her too."

"So, you don't know where she is?"

Andrew said Jessica took the cure Cambola people worked on for hundreds of years when they ran from there. If it was as magical as Cambola people claimed, she wanted to give it a try. Mabey, it could cure her.

But Jessica took it, and she didn't know why.

***

Jessica was thrown heavily and hit the table corner. Her back was in sudden and fierce pain. Because of pain, she crawled on the carpet like a cooked shrimp.

James, with his mask, walked to her, got down, and pinched her chin.

"Why do you run? Em? Tell me where you were."

"James..."

"What did you say?" James gasped. He used more strength and almost broke her jaw, "what did you say?"

"James! I know you're James Moore!" Jessica looked back at the blue ember eyes. Ever since she knew his identity, she was not afraid of him. Instead, she was sympathetic.

James glared at her and squeezed her chin as hard as he could. He realized she was no longer afraid of him.

"I'm going to give you the last chance to tell me where you went."

Jessica kept her lips pressed. But her jaw was pinched, so her mouth was forced open.

"Don't you want to tell me? Let's see," James ordered, "bring her here."

Matilda was brought here too. She was pushed beside Jessica.

"Matilda? How are you?" Jessica held her, "what happened to your face?"

Matilda's face was swollen. She had blood around her mouth, "Jessica."

Jessica could hardly hear her breathing.

"James, why do you hit her? It's me you're after!"

"Jessica, I'm okay," Matilda was in Jessica's arms, "Sir, Jessica and I went to Cambola City. We knew you're ill. We went there to get you medicine."

"What medicine?

Jessica took a square wooden chest from her pocket.

"The medicine is in it."

James pushed Jessica away and opened the chest. It was a black round pill.

"Matilda said you were poisoned. This could cure you."

"Why do you care?" James threw the pill up and down. He didn't care at all.

"James, just take medicine. Cambola City worked on it for hundreds of years. It's very precious."

Jessica tried to take the pill back in case he lost it.

But James put it back in the chest and threw it out of the window.