Nicole gave a short, biting laugh and hurled herself right into the thick of the fight, not the slightest hint of fear in her eyes. She threw punches and kicks with a ruthless precision, each blow dropping her opponents fast and hard. No one who hit the ground got up again.

Immersed in the fight, she failed to notice someone stepping out of the Bentley behind her.

Meanwhile, the van's trunk creaked open, and a small head poked out, curiosity shining in his gaze.

"That's awesome! Take them down! Don't let up!"

The encouragement rang out, bright and enthusiastic. Nicole's attention flicked toward the voice without a second thought.

Energy radiated from the kid; he didn't look like someone who had been abducted by strangers.

Just then, a flash of steel sliced through the air in front of Nicole. She dipped back, spun on her heel, smashed her elbow into her attacker, then kicked hard, her foot connecting with a sickening thud.

"Ah!"

A sharp crack echoed as bones cracked, followed by a pained howl.

Nicole had taken down all these men in minutes.

A smirk crossed her lips as she glanced back at the young face still in the van.

"You can come out now," she said, gesturing for the kid to approach.

"Man, these guys are useless. Looks like I can't leave Crustin now," Simon Hayes said, making no move to get out of the van.

Something felt wrong. Nicole crossed the distance in a few strides, grabbed Simon by his collar, and dragged him out of the van with little patience.

"Do you really plan on hanging around till someone ships you off for good?" she said.

"Ouch! Watch my neck!"

Dangling in midair, Simon kicked wildly, unable to look down as panic set in.

"Hey there, chubby buddy, can you tell me where you live? Do you know your parents' phone number?"

Nicole set Simon on his feet and playfully poked his cheek. She couldn't help but smile at how cute he was.

A sharp glare shot from Simon's eyes right at Nicole.

Chubby? Was she calling him fat?

That was rude!

Before he could come up with a comeback, Simon's gaze shifted over Nicole's shoulder. The sight of the man nearby made every muscle in his body tense up.

No way... Ayden was here?

If his uncle managed to drag him home, Simon knew he'd be back behind the locked gates of boarding school soon.

Desperation took over. He quickly grabbed Nicole's leg and whispered, "That's the one who paid them to kidnap me. Help me escape now!"

Simon kept his voice low, but Nicole heard every word clearly.

That couldn't be true. As far as she knew, Ayden was just a stranger who happened to be nearby when she needed a car. She struggled to believe he could be behind all this.

Still, she could see that Simon's face was filled with real fear. Maybe there was indeed more to this.

"Hurry, you've got to take him down! If you don't, we're both toast! He's their leader!" Simon added urgently.

Uncertainty flashed in Nicole's eyes, but then, she looked up to see Ayden heading their way, his expression like a brewing thunderstorm.

Planting herself between Simon and Ayden, Nicole braced herself for a confrontation. But Ayden ignored her and reached straight for Simon without a word.

Lightning-quick, Nicole's hand snapped up and landed a precise chop to the back of Ayden's neck.

"Ugh!"

A groan escaped Ayden as his knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, completely out cold.

Victorious, Simon turned away from Nicole, grinning from ear to ear.

For once, even his unstoppable uncle looked absolutely defeated.

Doubt flickered in Nicole's eyes as she glanced at the unconscious man on the ground; something about the whole thing felt odd.

Still, getting the kid home took priority.

Once again, her hand found Simon's collar.

"So, chubby kid, do you remember your parents' phone number?" she asked.

Simon secretly rolled his eyes and then turned to face Nicole.

He managed a smile and said, "Thank you for saving me earlier, but I can make it home by myself."

Nicole's gaze sharpened, her patience wearing thin. "Not happening. We're getting your relatives on the line."

"I don't have any numbers memorized," Simon replied, looking sincere.

Truth was, there wasn't a single other contact stored in his head. Only Ayden's number stuck, but right now, he was out cold.

Nicole sighed in frustration as she checked her watch. Running late already, she decided the police could take it from here.

Without a hint of hesitation, she called the police.

The moment Simon realized what she was doing, he made a break for it. But Nicole's reflexes won out. She grabbed his collar before he could get away.

"Yeah, hi, I'm close to Southwest Road. Found a van packed with traffickers and rescued a kid. Can you send someone over? I'll wait right here."

A resigned look settled over Simon's face.

His grand escape plan had been crushed by this incredibly strong woman.

Nicole hurried through her statement for the police before she signed and hurried to the set.

Still, after being delayed by her act of saving the kid, she was late.

Walking onto the set, she found the assistant, who was assigned to her by her agent, waiting, eyeing her up and down like she was a problem to solve.

"Nicole, why are you dressed like that? You do know it's audition day, right? Just because the assistant director likes your face doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and ignore Danna's instructions."

The assistant made no effort to hide her annoyance, even throwing in a dramatic eye roll.

The person she mentioned, Danna Hardy, was Nicole's agent.

Nicole ignored the harsh words, which only seemed to wind the assistant up even more.

"Hey, I am talking to you. You think you're some kind of superstar like Elaine Hewitt? You sure know how to act like you're already above everyone."

Nicole had no interest in responding until that familiar name reached her ears.

Elaine Hewitt, the Hewitt family's heiress.

Before Nicole was kicked out of the Hewitt family, her path had crossed with Elaine's once.

It turned out Elaine was the true heiress, who had been misplaced at birth.

Nicole, on the other hand, was the unwanted impostor, even disliked by her real mother.

It was a DNA test that had finally set everything straight ten years ago.

"Wait, Elaine's auditioning for the lead role, too?"

Nicole shook off her thoughts and asked the question casually.

A dismissive laugh escaped the assistant. "Elaine doesn't need to audition for the role. She has already signed on as the lead actress. And you're here for the supporting role, just so you know."

The supporting role?

A crease formed between Nicole's brows. She didn't care what role she played in a small project like this, but if Elaine was in the cast, she wanted nothing to do with it.

She made up her mind to leave right then, only to see a crowd walking over from the other end of the set.

Someone at the center drew every eye—a woman dressed in a soft lavender gown.

One glimpse at that familiar face had Nicole ducking behind a nearby wall, hoping to stay out of sight.

Voices carried through the air.

"Elaine's even prettier in person. She's got that model look—tall, slim, always so elegant."

"No kidding. She is not only a famous star but also the social queen of Crustin. And her fiancé is none other than the heir of the Gill family."

"It's only a costume fitting today, but Mr. Gill insisted on coming with her. Look. The man standing by her side is him!"

"Some people just have it all. Elaine has the good looks, the high status, and a handsome, doting fiancé! I'm so envious!"

Leaning against the wall, Nicole let out a small snort, her face expressionless.

This project had real potential, and the assistant director clearly knew what he was doing, but Nicole knew she had to walk away now.

Once the voices faded, she slipped on her sunglasses, lowered her head, and wove through the crowd, making her way to the exit.

In the center of the crowd, Lanny Gill caught a flicker of movement and turned.

For a brief second, he caught sight of Nicole's profile before she vanished.

He froze mid-step.

"Lanny, what are you looking at?" Elaine's voice floated over, light as a song, while she gently tugged his wrist.

A moment passed before Lanny's focus returned. He held her hand and shook his head. "Nothing. Come on, let's get going."

He believed he must have been mistaken.

Nicole had left Crustin ten years ago. She wouldn't be here now.

Elaine smiled, slipping her arm through Lanny's with practiced grace.

"Today's heat is no joke, and you've all been amazing," she said to the crowd. "Lanny and I are treating everyone to iced coffee. Please enjoy."

"Thank you, Miss Hewitt!"

With a playful glance, Elaine turned her head toward Lanny. "Can you get me a strawberry shortcake later? Just don't go overboard with the sugar this time."

Lanny nodded absentmindedly as the memory of that shadowed profile clung to the edge of his mind, but Elaine didn't notice his distracted state.

***

After leaving the set, Nicole put on her helmet and guided her motorcycle toward a boxing club.

For the past few years, besides sporadic acting gigs, she worked as a sparring partner at a boxing club on Crustin's south side.

Skipping the film role just meant she could pick up a few extra shifts.

The moment she walked through the door, the owner of the boxing club approached.

"Nicole! I was hoping you'd show up!"

Nicole slid him a skeptical look, eyebrow raised.

Whenever he greeted her with that much enthusiasm, it was never about anything good.

Nicole brushed past the owner without so much as a glance and made her way to the locker room. She changed into her gear, tied up her hair, and stepped out to find him loitering right by the door like he'd been waiting all along.

It was clear that he had an urgent matter to tell her.

Lifting a brow, Nicole crossed her arms, signaling him to say whatever was on his mind.

The owner cleared his throat, rubbing his palms together. "Nicole, you know I've always been good to you, right?"

Nicole's eyes narrowed. What was he trying to say exactly?

"Just get to the point. What is it that you want to say?" she said.

Nicole had no patience for games. She didn't have time to waste on guessing.

Hearing that, the owner straightened his jacket. "Head upstairs. A VIP client wants a sparring partner."

Nicole caught on quick to what he meant.

This client must be a tough one, the type hoping to take their frustrations out on a human punching bag.

Nobody else wanted to step up, so the owner set his sights on her.

Did she come across as that naive to him?

Without a second thought, Nicole declined.

"I'm passing on this one," she said.

She slipped past him and made her way to the training mats.

He followed her. "Just name your price."

Nicole did not spare him a glance.

He suddenly stopped her with a firm stance. "A hundred thousand. Are you in?"

Nicole halted in her tracks.

Who would pay that kind of money just to throw punches at someone?

The offer hung in Nicole's mind. That payout could straighten out her bank account for a while, and she could finally ditch the garbage roles her agent kept tossing at her.

The club owner knew Nicole needed money.

He figured she would bite at such an offer.

When Nicole did not refuse, he seized her arm and led her toward the staircase leading up to the private suites.

"Listen, the client is Mr. Hayes, the CEO of the Hayes Group. Rein in that temper of yours, work hard, and whatever you do, don't offend him. Understand?"

"He is from the Hayes family?" Nicole tugged her mask into place. "If he hurts me, will he compensate me heavily?"

The club owner nodded. "If he puts you in the hospital, you could retire on the payout."

Nicole went quiet for a moment at that.

That response sent a chill through her. Maybe accepting this task was a mistake.

Sure, she was stronger than most, but she was still human; she wasn't invincible. What if she ended up seriously injured or even dead?

But she barely had time to think when the club owner pushed her into the room. "Move it. Go earn your paycheck."

Inside, a man sat on the mat, his expression dark. He was wiping sweat from his face and neck.

He was strikingly handsome, every angle carved and every muscle defined.

Nicole blinked. Why did he seem so... familiar?

Before Nicole could walk over, a handful of trainers stepped closer to the man and said, "Mr. Hayes, maybe it's time for a breather? We can resume later."

Something must have gotten under his skin. Though his hits were measured, they were still very painful.

While the paycheck tempted all of them, nobody wanted to risk their well-being for it.

They didn't know what had happened that had caused Ayden to book the VIP ring just to throw punches at people?

Anxiety thrummed through the trainers' nerves.

Ayden was indeed angry. Earlier, he had gotten into the police station because of an absurd accusation—abducting his own nephew.

The charge made no sense, but the embarrassment was real.

Humiliation clung to him. After locking Simon away at his place, he had come here, seeking to vent his frustration.

Upon arrival, he claimed the VIP ring, rotated through sparring partners, and managed to take the edge off his anger slightly. But he still felt that this wasn't enough.

Ayden turned his gaze to the door and saw Nicole standing there.

Nicole's mask concealed most of her features; only her eyes were visible. Ayden didn't recognize her.

Meanwhile, Nicole felt a bit nervous.

Wasn't this man the kidnapper from earlier?

He was actually the CEO of the Hayes Group?

So, she had falsely accused him before.

Thinking of that, Nicole felt a bit uneasy. Maybe she should just leave.

But before she could do that, a low, cold laugh spilled from Ayden, sending a shiver through the room.